Bayer MaterialScience LLC Researcher Highlights Criteria for Selecting Resins for Wood Coating Applications

Pittsburgh, PA, September 30, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Bayer MaterialScience LLC offers a number of one-component (1K) waterborne (WB) polyurethane technologies that can be used to formulate wood coatings for diverse applications that include flooring, cabinetry, furniture, interior windows and doors, and exterior wood. For optimal results, formulators need to select a resin with properties best-suited to the desired end-use application. Bayer MaterialScience LLC researchers have categorized their polyurethane technologies, thereby streamlining this process for formulators and, in turn, helping them save valuable time, money and resources.

Margaret Kendi, associate research scientist, Coatings, Adhesives and Specialties, Bayer MaterialScience LLC, discussed the criteria formulators can use to select the correct resin for their wood coatings applications at the Southern Society of Coatings Technology (SSCT) 2010 Annual Meeting & Technical Conference, held September 26-29, at the Hilton Resort in Daytona Beach, Fla. Kendi presented “Solving the Formulator’s Dilemma of Resin Selection for Wood Coating Applications” as part of the technical program.

Kendi explained that different applications require different coatings performance properties. For example, superior scuff, abrasion and dirt resistance are important for the wood flooring market, whereas superior water and chemical resistance, as well as good blocking time are critical for interior doors and windows.

To categorize its polyurethane dispersions (PUDs), Bayer MaterialScience LLC tested and evaluated their performance in the following areas:

Dry time
Hardness (pendulum)
Taber abrasion (CS-10, 1,000-cycles, 1,000-gram weight)
Chemical resistance (ethanol/water, acetone, Formula 409, water)
Black Heel Mark Resistance (BHMR)
Exterior durability

“Waterborne resins are versatile and can be used in various types of applications in the wood market,” said Kendi, who also described how properties of waterborne coatings can be enhanced by the addition of a crosslinker into a formulation.

“The key for formulators is to understand the critical properties necessary for their particular coating and which polyurethane dispersions would impart those properties. This practical presentation helps them do just that,” she concluded.

Bayer MaterialScience LLC is one of the leading producers of polymers and high-performance plastics in North America and is part of the global Bayer MaterialScience business with approximately 14,300 employees at 30 production sites around the world and 2009 sales of 7.5 billion euros. The company manufactures high-tech polymer materials and develops innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction, medical, and sports and leisure industries. Sustainability is central to Bayer MaterialScience LLC’s business and is based around the key areas of innovation, product stewardship, excellence in corporate management, social responsibility and respect for the environment.

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