Dual-Cure Soft Touch Coatings for Enhanced Durability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional soft feel coatings based on isocyanate chemistry face challenges in enhancing protective properties like stain, chemical, and abrasion resistance without compromising their soft feel characteristics, and they also suffer from long curing times and processing issues such as susceptibility to marring and contamination.
Innovation Solution
A dual-cured coating composition combining free radical-curable ethylenically unsaturated compounds with polyisocyanate and polyol, which undergoes both urethane reaction and free radical polymerization, providing improved durability while maintaining the soft feel attributes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional isocyanate-based soft feel coatings are formulated to enhance protective properties (stain, chemical, abrasion resistance), then durability is improved, but soft feel characteristics are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two different curing mechanisms (urethane reaction and free radical polymerization) into a single coating system. The polyol-polyisocyanate-unsaturated compound mixture allows both reactions to occur simultaneously, creating a dual-cured coating that achieves enhanced durability through free radical crosslinking while maintaining soft feel through the urethane matrix structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The coating formulation creates a composite polymer system where urethane chains provide the soft tactile properties and free radical-crosslinked networks provide the enhanced durability. This composite structure at the molecular level allows both contradictory requirements to be satisfied simultaneously.
2Ease of operation
If conventional two-part isocyanate systems are used to achieve soft feel, then haptic attributes are improved, but curing time is extended and processing is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The dual-curing system allows continuous progression of both curing reactions simultaneously. The free radical polymerization can proceed at lower temperatures and faster rates than conventional urethane curing, while the urethane reaction continues to build the soft feel matrix, resulting in continuous and efficient curing without time loss.
3Ease of operation
If conventional urethane coatings are applied without free radical-curable compounds, then soft feel is maintained, but protective properties and intermediate durability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical reactivity parameters of the coating system by introducing ethylenically unsaturated compounds with different reaction mechanisms. This allows the coating to achieve enhanced crosslinking density and protective properties while the urethane reaction maintains the soft feel characteristics through its specific molecular architecture.
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 dual-cured coating achieves enhanced durability with increased stain, abrasion, and chemical resistance while retaining the desirable soft feel characteristics, and offers a faster curing process with improved intermediate properties, reducing the risk of marring and contamination.
Implementation Method 1
a first component comprising a polyol and a second component comprising a polyisocyanate, wherein the coating composition is cured by reaction of the polyol and the polyisocyanate
Implementation Method 2
at least one free radical-curable ethylenically unsaturated compound... when cured by both the reaction of polyol and polyisocyanate and by free radical polymerization
Data Source
AI summary
Coatings having a favorable combination of “soft touch” characteristics and durability are obtained by dual curing compositions containing free radical-curable ethylenically unsaturated compound(s), polyol(s) and polyisocyanate(s).