Coating Composition Curing at Ambient Temperature
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial coatings based on amino resins, which use formaldehyde and require high temperatures for curing, face issues with formaldehyde emission and energy consumption, and struggle to achieve high gloss and chemical resistance at ambient temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A coating composition using reaction products of ethylene urea with glyoxal, optionally etherified with methanol, and modified with boric acid, which cures at ambient temperature without formaldehyde emission, enhancing hardness, gloss, and chemical stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If amino resins (formaldehyde-based crosslinkers) are used for curing, then crosslinking and chemical resistance are improved, but formaldehyde emission and environmental harm increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the crosslinking system by replacing formaldehyde-based amino resins with glyoxal-based crosslinkers combined with boron-containing compounds. This parameter change eliminates formaldehyde emission while maintaining crosslinking functionality, directly resolving the contradiction between crosslinking performance and environmental harm.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful glyoxal compound into a beneficial crosslinking agent by combining it with boron-containing compounds. This combination enables effective crosslinking without formaldehyde emission, transforming a potentially harmful chemical into an environmentally friendly solution that maintains technical performance.
2Reliability
If high temperatures (at least 80°C) are applied for curing with amino resins, then crosslinking reaction is activated, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the reaction activation parameters by introducing a boron-containing compound that enables crosslinking at ambient or low temperatures. This parameter change in the chemical system allows the crosslinking reaction to proceed without high temperature input, directly reducing energy consumption while maintaining crosslinking effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes thermal activation (mechanical/physical method requiring high temperature) with chemical activation through boron-containing compounds. This substitution replaces the need for high temperature input with a chemically-driven crosslinking mechanism that operates at ambient or low temperatures, significantly reducing energy consumption.
3Productivity
If high temperatures are used for curing, then crosslinking speed is improved, but yellowing and gloss degradation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical reaction parameters by using glyoxal-based crosslinkers with boron-containing compounds that enable fast crosslinking at ambient or low temperatures. This parameter change in the chemical system allows rapid curing without thermal degradation, simultaneously achieving high productivity while preventing yellowing and gloss loss.
4Use of energy by moving object
If ambient temperature curing is achieved, then energy consumption and substrate damage are reduced, but crosslinking effectiveness and chemical resistance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the limitation of ambient temperature curing into a benefit by using glyoxal-based crosslinkers combined with boron-containing compounds. This combination enables effective crosslinking at low temperatures, transforming the potential weakness of low-temperature curing into a strength that maintains both energy efficiency and chemical resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite crosslinking system combining glyoxal-based compounds with boron-containing compounds. This composite approach creates synergistic effects that enable effective crosslinking at ambient temperatures, achieving both low energy consumption and high chemical resistance that neither component could achieve alone.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The coating composition demonstrates fast curing at ambient temperature, achieving high gloss, low yellowness, and improved chemical resistance, making it suitable for heat-sensitive substrates while reducing energy consumption and formaldehyde release.
Implementation Method 1
chemical reactions occur during film formation which lead to crosslinked macromolecules. Such crosslinking may be caused by chemical reaction of low molar mass molecules, oligomers or macromolecules between themselves... or by the action of added polyfunctional molecules, the so-called crosslinkers, which react with functional groups of polymers
Implementation Method 2
The solid film can be formed from a solution by removal of solvent... In this case, and if no chemical reaction occurs, this is referred to as 'physical drying'
Implementation Method 3
Film formation, also referred to as drying, is the transition of the coating composition applied to the solid state
Data Source
AI summary
This invention is directed to a process for the preparation of a crosslinker composition, comprising the steps of providing a mixture of an aliphatic alcohol A having at least one hydroxyl group and from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, with at least one multifunctional aldehyde C having at least two aldehyde groups -CHO to form a mixture AC, heating the mixture AC to convert at least a part of the multifunctional aldehyde C to its hemiacetal or to its acetal to form a mixture (AC)', adding to the mixture (AC)' least one cyclic urea U or the educts to produce the said cyclic urea U in situ, which cyclic urea U has at least one unsubstituted NH group, and reacting the mixture thus obtained to form a chemical bond between the nitrogen atom of the at least one unsubstituted NH group of the at least one cyclic urea U, and the carbon atom of the least one aldehyde group -CHO of the multifunctional aldehyde C, and coating compositions comprising the said crosslinker composition.