Synthesis and characterization of alicyclic two-component waterborne polyurethane

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to synthesize and characterize a series of alicyclic two-component waterborne polyurethane (2K-WPU) which is composed of non-ionic polyisocyanate aqueous dispersion and hydroxyl aqueous dispersion. Design/methodology/approach The appearances of aqueous dispersions and 2K-WPU films were observed by photographs. The micromorphology of alicyclic polyisocyanate aqueous dispersion was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The molecule structures of WPU were studied by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The effect of NCO:OH molar ratio of two components and trimethylolpropane (TMP) content on the thermal stability, mechanical and water resistance properties of 2K-WPU films was studied. Findings It was found by SEM that alicyclic polyisocyanate particles in aqueous dispersion showed a kind of spherical particle appearance, in which hydrophobic polyisocyanate was encapsulated by hydrophilic ether linkages segment. FTIR showed that WPU was polymerized through mixture of polyisocyanate component and hydroxyl component and increasing NCO:OH molar ratio of two components from 1.1:1 to 1.5:1 had increased the content of urea, urethane and allophanate of 2K-WPU films. Increasing NCO:OH molar ratio had improved the mechanical and thermal properties of the 2K-WPU film, but the water resistance of the 2K-WPU film increased first and then weakened. Increasing TMP contents from 1 to 0.75 mol for 1:5 system had improved the mechanical, thermal and water resistance properties of the 2K-WPU film. Practical implications The investigation established a method to prepare alicyclic 2K-WPU which is composed of non-ionic polyisocyanate aqueous dispersion and hydroxyl aqueous dispersion. The prepared 2K-WPU film could be applied in the field of waterborne surface coating, e.g. textile, wood and synthetic leather surfaces (Hasan et al., 2017; Akindoyo et al., 2016). Originality/value The paper established a method to synthesize alicyclic two-component 2K-WPU. The effect of NCO:OH molar ratio and TMP content on the thermal stability, mechanical and water resistance properties of 2K-WPU films were studied.