Pushing Polyurethane Crosslinking beyond its Speed Limit

High performance coatings usually are based on two component crosslinking binder compositions. Especially in the case of the more conventional application techniques such as brushing and roll application, cross linking speeds are limited by the requirements set for the pot life of the mixed components. A pot-life of 8 to 10 hours is the minimum for the application of 2K technology in Decorative Coatings.

In this study, the focus was on poly-urethane coatings based on isocyanate cross linking. By making smart use of chemistry, application methods and ambient circumstances, it is possible to break through the existing pot-life-cure barriers. The result is a series of products that still use the same conventional application techniques but has spectacular improvements of curing and through hardening even at low temperatures. This new technology was applied in concrete protection coatings. Also commercially those coatings have been a great success in the market since their introduction, end 2005.