Waterborne Urethane – Gaining Ground in More Ways than One

Deciding which coating to use can be a seemingly daunting task. With so many polymer-based options to choose from, how you do know which is right for you? That is why we will be outlining the use and benefits of using a waterborne urethane coating. While traditional solvent-borne polyurethanes have stood for years as the industry standard for chemical coatings, the demand for both a high performance product that was also more environmentally favorable led to the development of waterborne polyurethane coatings. It has been proven that two-component waterborne urethanes exhibit a performance level equal to that of traditional solvent-borne coatings.

The Benefits of Waterborne Urethane Coatings

In addition to being more environmentally viable, as we already mentioned, waterborne polyurethane exhibits all of the positive characteristics expected from traditional solvent-borne coatings. These include:

● High Gloss and DOI
● A Good Balance Between Flexibility and Hardness
● Ideal Abrasion and Chemical Resistance
● Excellent Outdoor Weatherability

With all these benefits combined, it’s no wonder waterborne urethane is gaining more attention.

Some areas where they are gaining ground are:

General Industrial Finishing – The general industrial finishing market is where waterborne urethane was first accepted. Because of new VOC and HAPs regulations, waterborne polyurethane was an ideal choice due to the reduction of VOC’s in its chemical formula.

Wood – Waterborne polyurethane coatings even meet the strict performance requirements of the wood flooring industry, releasing virtually no solvents into the workplace or atmosphere.

Floors – In most other markets, regulations governing VOC’s are the main focal point when it comes to polyurethane coatings. However, the driving force behind coatings for floors is the elimination of lingering solvent odor. Two component waterborne urethane coatings have virtually no co-solvents, leaving behind very little odor and thus are ideal for this purpose.

Military – Though the demanding applications of the Military lead them to employ traditional solvent based polyurethanes, waterborne coatings are becoming of more and more interest due to their performance similarities to traditional coatings and the added benefit of being more environmentally friendly.

Automotive – Waterborne coatings are on the rise in the demanding automotive market. They are being used for soft-steel coatings, primer/surfacers, basecoats, and exterior clearcoats.

With so many variables to consider it’s understandable to feel a little overwhelmed when deciding what polyurethane coating would best suit your needs. Luckily you don’t have to be a chemist to know which product would be best for you. We’re always happy to help, and if you have any questions regarding waterborne coatings or any other sealants or films, feel free to contact us at our website.