Waterborne polyurethane for coatings with improved mechanical properties
Researchers have presented waterborne fluorinated polyurethane containing guanidine for coatings with antibacterial features and properties against inorganic fouling.
In response to the demand for environmentally friendly multifunctional coatings, the development of waterborne polyurethane with integrated anti-fouling and antibacterial activity is of great interest. In a new study, polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG) and fluorinated diol dual-polymer-functionalised waterborne polyurethanes (PFPUs) were designed and prepared via bulk synthesis. The incorporation of fluoroalkyl chains enhanced the hydrogen bonding effect and micropphase interactions, leading to high mechanical strength (27.5 MPa) and elongation (926 %) of PFPU with lower mechanical hysteresis. The presence of PHMG imparts PFPUs with antibacterial abilities.
Antibacterial properties
PFPU exhibits good interfacial adhesion and compatibility with pristine waterborne polyurethane (WPU) substrates. As a topcoat for the WPU substrate, PFPU reduced the friction coefficient of the surface by 63 % and achieved anti-inorganic fouling due to the lower surface energy. Moreover, the existence of the PFPU coating realised the antibacterial properties of the final product.
The study has been published in Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 173, December 2022.
