New research project for waterborne raw materials
A new research project at the Faculty of Applied Natural Sciences in the Technical University of Cologne is investigating how the properties of aqueous polymer dispersions can be further improved.
These aqueous polymer dispersions are used as liquid raw materials in paints and coatings, adhesives and other everyday products. The project entitled “Applied Research on Disperse Colloidal Polymers” (DisCoPol for short) is being funded over a period of three years by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The total project volume is around EUR 600.000.
Covestro is one of the two industrial cooperation partners of the project. The company is the world’s leading supplier of polyurethane dispersions (PUDs) and also holds a leading position in research and development and in process technologies.
The trend: aqueous coatings and adhesives
“Paint and adhesive manufacturers all over the world are increasingly opting to replace solvent-based products with more sustainable aqueous systems such as PUDs, provided they have the same excellent properties,” says Michael Friede, global head of the Coatings, Adhesives, Specialties segment at Covestro. “Our comprehensive range opens up many applications in a wide variety of industries. This will create growth opportunities and strengthen the competitiveness of our customers.”
Applications in a wide range of industries
Polyurethane dispersions consist primarily of water and a polyurethane finely dispersed in it. They are mostly used as film formers or binders in paints for the initial and refinishing of automobiles, in wood and furniture paints and robust floor coatings, as well as in textile coatings and glass fiber coatings.
Website of the Faculty of Applied Natural Sciences in the Technical University of Cologne.
