2K Polyurethane Innovation from Dow Decouples Pot Life from Cure Time
PARALOID™ Edge Technology can offer short cure time and long pot life, eliminates isocyanate
PHILADELPHIA - April 21, 2015
Offering a cure speed decoupled from pot life, a new solvent-borne technology platform from Dow Coating Materials, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE:DOW), re-writes the conventional rules of two-component (2K) urethane coatings. PARALOID™ Edge Isocyanate-Free1 Technology extends pot life while maintaining quick cure. The ambient crosslinking technology will be unveiled this week at the 2015 European Coatings Show in Nuremberg, Germany.
"Choosing between longer pot life and faster cure time is an ongoing challenge of 2K polyurethane coating formulations that results in a trade-off on one or both of these key properties," said Chuck Martz, global business director for industrial coatings, Dow Coating Materials. "With PARALOID™ Edge Technology, formulators and applicators don’t have to sacrifice cure speed to extend pot life, or vice versa."
The fast curing capability of PARALOID™ Edge Technology can allow for faster return to service while longer pot life can provide once per shift make-up which can result in less material waste. The new solvent-borne offering also features application flexibility and is isocyanate and formaldehyde2 free.
"Current isocyanate-free offerings exist, but they require thermal cure. PARALOID™ Edge Technology not only offers ambient curing, but also can provide convenience, cost efficiency and an improved environmental, health and safety profile," said Martz. "It’s a true innovation and a first in solvent-borne two component urethane technology."
Representatives from Dow Coating Materials will address advances in isocyanate-free polyurethane coatings Tuesday, April 21 at 10:00 a.m. and Thursday, April 23 at 11:30 a.m. local time during a technical session at the 2015 European Coatings Show. For a full listing of Dow presentations at the 2015 European Coatings Show, please visit www.dow.com/ecs.
The cutting edge combination of benefits offered by PARALOID™ Edge Technology make it a distinctive offering in an expanding variety of markets including auto refinishing, agriculture and construction equipment (ACE), maintenance and protective coatings (M&PC) for metal, and industrial wood.
Applied as a primer in auto refinishing, PARALOID™ Edge Technology can offer dry-to-sand time in as few as 40 minutes according to recent research conducted by Dow Coating Materials. The isocyanate- and formaldehyde-free aspect of this product can also provide an environmental, health and safety (EHS) benefit for the body shop.
For ACE applications, PARALOID™ Edge Technology may be used in direct-to-metal (DTM) formulations or over primer in pigmented topcoats. Because it only requires ambient curing, PARALOID™ Edge Technology can allow faster throughput for the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and longer pot life can reduce the OEM’s material waste.
PARALOID™ Edge Technology may also be used as a clear or pigmented topcoat for steel structures, tanks, rail cars, off-shore oil and gas pipelines, and more. Its weatherability makes this novel urethane technology an ideal choice for maintenance and protective coatings.
Compared to standard 2K polyurethane coatings, when used as clear or pigmented primers and topcoats for interior wood applications like cabinetry and furniture, benefits to the applicator can include shorter dry time, less material waste, and faster property development.
"PARALOID™ Edge Technology marks another milestone in our innovation portfolio and demonstrates our commitment to research, development and advancement in the growing industrial coatings market," said Martz. "The broad industrial product line from Dow Coating Materials also includes MAINCOTE™ Waterborne Resins, AVANSE™ Acrylic Resins, PRIMAL™ Acrylic Resins ACOUSTICRYL™ Liquid Applied Sound Damping (LASD) Resins, and PARALOID™ Polyol and Thermoplastic Resins."
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Innovation in Polyurethanes
Interesting Patents on Polyurethane Materials and Technologies.
Cooperative Catalyst System for NIPU
Title: Catalyst for Non-Isocyanate Based Polyurethane
Number/Link:US2015/247004
Applicant/Assignee: Dow; Univ. Northwestern
Publication date: 3-09-2015
“Gist”: The cyclocarbonate-amine reaction is catalysed by a lewis acid/lewis base combination
Why it is interesting: It is well known that polyhydroxyurethanes can be produced from cyclic carbonates and amines. These “nonisocyanate polyurethanes” can have advantages over conventional polyurethanes, e.g. as coatings with improved chemical resistance. The reactivity of (especially 5-ring) cyclocarbonates is however much lower than that of isocyanates making the reaction much less practical. According to this invention that problem can be solved by using a ‘cooperative’ catalyst system consisting of a lewis acid and an organic lewis base. In an example a difunctional cyclocarbonate-capped prepolymer is reacted with 1,3-cyclohexane-bis(methylamine) catalysed by a mixture of lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate and triazabicyclodecene.
It has been noted before in this blog that Dow, as one of the major isocyanate producers, also appears to be interested in non-iso PU.
