Germany. A new research project at the Faculty of Applied Natural Sciences of the Technical University of Cologne seeks to further improve the properties of aqueous polymer dispersions, with Covestro as one of the project's two industrial cooperation partners.
The project is entitled "Applied Research on Dispersed Colloidal Polymers" (abbreviated DisCoPol), will cost close to $670,000 (€600,000) and is being funded over a three-year period by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
"Paint and adhesive manufacturers around the world are increasingly opting to replace solvent-based products with more sustainable aqueous systems such as polyurethane dispersions (PUDs), provided they have the same excellent properties," says Michael Friede, global head of Covestro's Coatings, Adhesives and Specialties segment. "This will create growth opportunities and strengthen the competitiveness of our customers," he adds.
In turn, Jan Weikard, an expert in polyurethane dispersions at Covestro, hopes that the new research cooperation will allow a further development of these dispersions: "The objectives of the project are the optimization of manufacturing processes, a better understanding of the structure-property relationship and the development of new applications for dispersions," he points out.
Polyurethane dispersions consist mainly of water and a finely dispersed polyurethane in it. They are mainly used as film formers or binders in automotive finishing paints, furniture paints, wood and floor coverings, as well as in textile and fiberglass coatings.
Source: Covestro.
