AAN036e_Paints_and_Coatings.pdfVIP

AN036e Paints and Coatings revised A.J. Franck, TA Instruments Keywords: paint, Coatings, processing , performance, rheology, viscosity, impact resistance, thixotropy, yield stress, associative thickener CROSSLINKING MECHANISMS OF INTRODUCTION ASSOCIATIVE THICKENERS/1/ Waterborne coatings do not have a priori, the In a water based system, water molecules are same advantageous rheological properties as solvent strongly attracted to each other by hydrogen bond- based coatings. If not formulated correctly, they are ing. The water molecules only weakly attract the much inferior with regard to flow properties, hydrophobic groups of the associative thickener. The leveling, application properties, film build, etc.. In strong hydrogen bonds force the polymer order to obtain the desired performance, thickeners hydrophobes into clusters. Figure 1 The intermo- and rheological modifiers are added to improve lecular clustering of the hydrophobes results in the waterborne paints. Conventional thickeners like formation of a pseudo-polymeric network, in which cellulosics, high molecular weight polymers or the hydrophobic clusters are the cross-link junctions. inorganic clays increase the viscosity during applica- The performance of associative thickeners is gov- tion, but they provide poor spatter resistance and erned by the chemical potential of the hydrophobic leveling to the paint. Associative thickeners are low groups and steric factors such as the distance be- molecular weight, water soluble polymers like tween the hydrophobic groups and the polymer modified alkali swellable emulsions, and provide chain. The viscosity is controlled by the chemical overall good performance to a waterborne coating. potential of the hydrophobic groups and steric factors such as the distance between the hy