Epoxy Coatings based on Nanotechnology by using Organic Inorganic Hybrid Polymers

Monika Pilz, Christian R. Simon, Juan Yang, Ferdinand Männle, Huaitian Bu, SINTEF Materials and Chemistry, Norway (monika.pilz@sintef.no )

Polymer materials are utilized in an increasing number of product applications, such as components and coatings in the field of automotive, aeronautics and marine applications.. The application of polymer materials in new categories of products is often limited by their properties but also by new environmental regulations coming up in the EU within the recent years. It is therefore a continuous demand for development of polymer products with improved properties e. g. with respect to increased scratch resistance, improved weather resistance, increased UV resistance, increased chemical resistance and improved properties with respect to antioxidation, anticorrosion etc. and at the same time to meet the legislative requirements.

In addition to pure polymers, there has also been developed new products based on so-called hybrid organic inorganic materials that combine advantages of inorganics and polymers which open the possibility for tuning surface and matrix properties of polymers. Organic/inorganic hybrid polymers (HP) having properties similar to hyperbranched polymers have been prepared in our laboratory. These may be applied e.g. as additives for polymer products like thermoset plastics and in lacquers and other types of coatings for surface protection. Used in appropriate amounts and with convenient particle size, such hybrid polymers may significantly improve the properties of paint formulations like wear resistance/scratch resistance and/or weather resistance.

It is shown in this paper that the HP additives are suitable to improve materials properties for alkyd coatings for outdoor house paintings: the drying time and hardness of high solid formulations and early water resistance for waterborne formulations, respectively. On the other hand epoxy formulations for top coat applications modified by HP additives showed improved crosslinking density, mechanical properties and UV resistance of various test species with respect to unmodified references. Thus, epoxy formulations are showing various material properties which are comparable to those of polyurethanes derived from aromatic isocyanates and used in this field of flooring application.