A novel waterborne polyurethane coating modified by highly dispersed nano-boron carbide particles

In this study, waterborne polyurethane (WPU) coatings were modified by adding various compositions of nano-boron carbide (nano-B4C) particles. In order to achieve proper dispersion of nano-B4C in WPU and increasing chemical interactions between them, the nano-B4C particles were treated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polypropylene glycol (PPG). The modified surface and microstructure of nano-B4C were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The deposition experiment was designed to evaluate the dispersion effect of nano-B4C in PEG or PPG aqueous solution. The physical performance of nano-B4C modified WPU coatings was measured following the national standards of paints and vanishes. The results revealed that the PEG6000 not only enhanced the interaction between nano-B4C and WPU but also exhibited a remarkable ability to improve the physical performance of WPU coating. The coating with 15 wt% of nano-B4C addition exhibited the best performance in terms of abrasion and hardness, which could be attributed to the best uniform dispersion of nano-B4C particles in PEG6000 aqueous solution.

Automated summary

In this study, waterborne polyurethane coatings were modified by adding nano-boron carbide particles and treating them with polyethylene glycol or polypropylene glycol to achieve proper dispersion and increase chemical interactions. The results showed that PEG6000 enhanced the interaction between nano-B4C and WPU, improving the physical performance of the coatings. A coating with 15 wt% nano-B4C addition exhibited the best performance in terms of abrasion and hardness, attributed to the uniform dispersion of nano-B4C particles in PEG6000 solution.