Effect of annealing on the properties of waterborne polyurethane adhesive containing urethane-based thickener

Different amounts of hydrophobically modified ethoxylated urethane-based thickener (HEUR) were added to improve the rheology of waterborne polyurethane adhesives. The thickened solid adhesive films were thermally annealed and characterised by IR spectroscopy, plate–plate rheology, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Hydrogen bonds played a key role in the thickening mechanism of polyurethane dispersions containing urethane-based thickener, along with ionic adsorption and micelles formation between hydrophobic groups. The adhesion properties were measured from T-peel test of leather/polyurethane adhesive/vulcanised styrene-butadiene rubber joints. Optimal results were obtained when water in the waterborne polyurethane adhesive (just before joint formation) was removed under open air, while forced air drying impeded the complete removal of water. On the other hand, the thermal annealing did not greatly affect the rheological and thermal properties of the thickened polyurethanes.     

Characterization of waterborne polyurethane adhesives containing different amounts of ionic groups

Waterborne polyurethane adhesives are an interesting alternative to the current solvent-based polyurethane adhesives used in footwear industry. In this study, different aqueous polyurethane dispersions were prepared by using the prepolymer mixing process. The ionic groups content in the polyurethane ionomer structure was varied by changing the amount (5 and 8 wt% (with respect to the prepolymer weight) of the internal emulsifier—dimethylolpropionic acid (DMPA). The decrease in the DMPA content slightly increased the particle size in number due to the decrease in both the hydrophilicity of the polyurethane ionomer, and the electrolytic stability of the aqueous polyurethane dispersion. Furthermore, the lower the DMPA amount, the lower the hard segment content in the ionomer and the higher the crystallinity of the polyurethane; however, the resistance to flow under temperature (i.e. thermoplasticity) was reduced. The resistance to thermal degradation of the polyurethane ionomer increased by decreasing the DMPA content due to the lower hard segment content. Finally, high initial adhesive strength was obtained and the adhesion to PVC increased as the DMPA content in the polyurethane ionomer decreased.     

Comparison of the Properties of Polyurethane Adhesives Containing Fumed Silica or Sepiolite as Filler

Fumed silica is a well-known mineral filler of epoxy and polyurethane adhesives. Although effective, the small particle size and the relative high cost of fumed silicas suggest the need for an alternative filler. In this study, the usefulness of adding a natural hydrated magnesium silicate (sepiolite) as a new filler in solvent-based polyurethane (PU) adhesive formulations has been demonstrated. The rheological and adhesion performance of the sepiolite-filled PU adhesive was compared with that in PU adhesives containing fumed silicas. The addition of a filler to PU adhesives provided an increase in viscosity, imparted thixotropy and pseudoplasticity to the adhesive solution, produced an increase in storage and loss moduli, and improved the rheology of the PU. The mechanical properties of adhesive films were increased by adding filler, mainly with fumed silica. On the other hand, the immediate T-peel strength of roughened or (roughened + chlorinated) styrene-butadiene rubber/PU adhesive joints was greatly improved in filled PU adhesives. The effects produced by adding sepiolite or fumed silica to the adhesives were very similar, although in general more noticeable in fumed silica filled PU due to the formation of hydrogen bonds between the filler and the solvent and/or the polyurethane (in sepiolite-filled adhesives, van der Waals forces seemed to be responsible for the interactions between the filler and the solvent and/or polyurethane).     

Addition of different amounts of a urethane-based thickener to waterborne polyurethane adhesive

To adjust the rheology of waterborne polyurethane adhesives, different amounts of a hydrophobically modified ethoxylated polyurethane thickener (HEUR) were added. The thickened adhesive solutions were characterized by flow rheology, pH measurements, particle size, solids content and confocal microscopy. The thickened solid adhesive films were characterized by IR spectroscopy, plate-plate rheology, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. The adhesion was measured from T-peel test of plasticized PVC/polyurethane adhesive/plasticized PVC and leather/polyurethane adhesive/SBR rubber joints. The addition of the HEUR thickener increased the viscosity of the polyurethane dispersion, and a shear-thinning behaviour was observed due to polyurethane–thickener interactions. The addition of thickener improved the rheological properties of the polyurethane, more noticeable as the content of the thickener increased. The crosslinking of the thickened polyurethane was studied by confocal microscopy. Although the addition of the thickener did not greatly affect the thermal properties of the polyurethane, an improvement in the adhesive strength of leather/adhesive/SBR rubber joints was obtained.     

Influence of the Chemical Structure of Urethane-Based Thickeners on the Properties of Waterborne Polyurethane Adhesives

To analyse the parameters that influence the thickening mechanism of waterborne polyurethane adhesives, different hydrophobically modified ethoxylated polyurethane based thickeners (HEUR) were used. The thickeners were characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The thickened adhesive solutions were characterized by flow rheology, pH, particle size measurements, solids content, and confocal microscopy. The thickened solid adhesive films were characterized by ATR-IR spectroscopy, parallel plate rheology, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The adhesion was measured by a T-peel test of leather/polyurethane adhesive/SBR rubber joints. The addition of the different HEUR thickeners increased the viscosity of the polyurethane dispersion to different degrees. Furthermore, whereas the un-thickened polyurethane dispersion showed a Newtonian rheological behaviour, a shear-thinning rheological behaviour was observed in the thickened dispersions due to thickener-thickener and polyurethane-thickener interactions. The viscosity of the thickened polyurethane adhesive solutions increased with the degree of hydrophobicity and the molecular weight of the thickener. The addition of different thickeners increased the pH values due to the ionic adsorption, which is one of the interactions that contribute to the thickening mechanism of the polyurethane thickeners, besides hydrogen bonding and van der Waals hydrophobic interactions (micelles). The entanglement of the thickened polyurethane adhesives was studied by confocal microscopy. Although the addition of the thickeners did not affect the thermal properties of the polyurethanes, the T-peel strength of leather/adhesive/SBR rubber joints was influenced by the rheological properties of the thickened adhesives.     

Chemical Functionalization and Dispersion of Carbon Nanofibers in Waterborne Polyurethane Adhesives

Waterborne polyurethane adhesives (WBPU) reinforced with carbon nanofibers (CNFs), to make them also conductive to static electricity, were prepared and their properties were evaluated as a function of content (0.1–1 wt%). The incorporation of carbon nanofibers to waterborne polyurethane adhesives implies a great difficulty because of their tendency to form aggregates, which prevents an efficient dispersion. In this sense, it is necessary to insert functional groups on the surface of the nanofibers to improve their interaction with any polymer. In this research, the surfaces of carbon nanofibers were previously oxygenated by chemical functionalization to enhance their stability in waterborne polyurethane adhesives. The obtained results showed that the chemical treatment used to functionalize the carbon nanofillers was adequate, as well as the experimental procedure carried out for their incorporation into the polyurethane, since stable dispersions were obtained. Moreover, the addition of the nanofibers to the waterborne polyurethanes contributed to improving their rheological and viscoelastic properties, imparting an increase in the viscosity and changes in the crystallisation kinetics.     

Adhesion of Styrene-Butadiene Rubbers with Different Silica Content

The influence of silica content of four styrene-butadiene rubbers on their adhesion to polyurethane adhesives was studied. Untreated rubber shows no adhesion due to a weak boundary layer of zinc stearate. Roughening removed zinc stearate from the rubber surface, increased the surface energy and produced surface roughness, so improved adhesion was obtained. The adhesion increased as the silica content in rubber increased, due to an improvement in intrinsic adhesion, and mechanical and physical properties of the rubbers. Chemical surface treatments (halogenation with trichloroisocyanuric acid, treatment with fumaric acid) provided higher adhesion than roughening. In general, chlorination was somewhat more effective than the treatment with fumaric acid, especially in roughened rubbers. Improved adhesion of chemically surface-treated rubbers was due to enhanced mechanical, thermodynamic and chemical adhesion, and to the improved physical, mechanical and viscoelastic properties of rubbers.