Waterborne epoxy systems

This section reviews the chemistry behind waterborne epoxy adhesives and the formulation possibilities. The characteristics of epoxy dispersions and the performance properties of cured adhesive films are addressed. The advantages and disadvantages of these adhesive systems are discussed with the focus on determining whether waterborne epoxy systems can replace traditional epoxy adhesives. 

However, waterborne epoxy systems are not without certain disadvantages, which have limited their application as adhesives. These disadvantages include increased use of energy to evaporate the water and dry the adhesive, lower resistance of the cured film to high-humidity environments, and storage and application limitations due to potential freezing at low temperatures. 

There are many applications for polymeric waterborne adhesives. These include packaging adhesives, pressure-sensitive tape, coatings for textiles, wood adhesives, and various industrial adhesives and coatings. The potential applications for waterborne epoxy adhesives are more limited due to their lack of tack and pressure-sensitive characteristics and the time it takes for the chemical reaction to complete cure. However, waterborne epoxy systems have found significant markets in niche areas. 

Some waterborne epoxy systems may contain a proportion of water-miscible cosolvent to aid in film coalescence. Its presence may allow the formulator greater latitude to control properties such as stability, drying, and particularly rheology and still meet VOC levels required by pollution legislation. 

Chem. Descrip. Aq. soi n. of nonionic hydrophobe-modified poiymer Uses Thickener for water-based paints, esp. acryiic, styrene-acryiic, and vinyi-acryiic systems, and two-component waterborne epoxy systems Features For strong iow to mid shear rheoiogy exc. vise, stabiiity for tintabie systems Properties Nonionic Optiflo L100 [Sud-Chemie inc]... 

The emulsification method is primarily used for waterborne epoxy adhesive systems and is the focus of this section. The epoxy resin is made water-dispersible by partitioning the epoxy resin within a micelle, effectively separating the resin from the water. This emulsification can be achieved by a suitable surfactant. 

Many of the attributes of solvent-borne epoxy coatings could be carried over to the waterborne epoxy coatings. These same attributes are useful in the application of waterborne epoxies as adhesive systems. They include good adhesion to a variety of substrates such as metals, wood, concrete, glass, ceramics, and many plastics chemical resistance low shrinkage toughness and flexibility and abrasion resistance. 

In addition to the excellent performance properties and the reduction of solvent carriers, waterborne epoxy adhesives were found to have processing advantages. They could be easily applied by conventional coating systems (spray, roller, etc.) they were less hazardous to workers due to lower dermatitis potential and inflammability ventilation equipment costs could be reduced and application equipment could be easily cleaned with soap and water. In many applications, these processing advantages became the primary market drivers for waterborne epoxy adhesives as alternatives to more conventional adhesives. 

Waterborne epoxy coatings and adhesives have established the building and construction industry as their largest market. Commercial systems have been available for many years. The following characteristics propel their use over conventional alternatives ... 

Several hybrid epoxy emulsions have been commercially prepared. An epoxy emulsion blended with waterborne aliphatic urethanes exhibited peel strength on aluminum of 10 lb/in—1.5 times greater than with the polyurethane itself. The optimum concentration of urethane in the final emulsion was about 50 percent by weight.13 Epoxy-phenolic dispersions have also been developed to provide waterborne adhesive systems with high glass transition temperature and chemical resistance. 

Epoxy modified polymer latex systems offer improved handling performance and moisture and chemical strength advantages over unmodified formulations. The wide range of latex polymers and the range of waterborne epoxy dispersions offer the formulator a wide latitude in performance characteristics required by specific applications. 

Wheels are electrocoated engine blocks are coated with heat-resistant, usually waterborne materials. Other parts (e.g., steering equipment and shock absorbers) are painted with two-pack, one-coat epoxy systems that are usually solventborne use of waterborne systems is, however, increasing. 

Like other resins and coating systems, demand for waterborne epoxy resins has steadily increased over the past several decades. Waterborne epoxy resins and their coatings are commercially available. Waterborne epoxy resin systems can be broadly classified into the following categories, based on the techniques involved in their processing. 

Owing to governmental regulations, considerable research has been expended to develop systems suitable for substitution of solvent-based systems, particularly for automobile and container appHcations. In the switch from solvent-based to waterborne systems, epoxies are successfully bridging the gap largely by adaptation of conventional resins. 

Significant advances in waterborne coatings have been made by PPG Industries utilizing epoxies as co-resins. These coatings are used in cathodic electrodeposited systems, widely accepted for automobile primers. Many patents have been issued for this important technology (50,51). 

A waterborne system for container coatings was developed based on a graft copolymerization of an advanced epoxy resin and an acryHc (52). The acryhc-vinyl monomers are grafted onto preformed epoxy resins in the presence of a free-radical initiator grafting occurs mainly at the methylene group of the aHphatic backbone on the epoxy resin. The polymeric product is a mixture of methacrylic acid—styrene copolymer, soHd epoxy resin, and graft copolymer of the unsaturated monomers onto the epoxy resin backbone. It is dispersible in water upon neutralization with an amine before cure with an amino—formaldehyde resin. 

Single-component epoxy adhesive formulations are the largest type of epoxy adhesives sold, with about 55 percent of the consumption, while two-component formulations account for another 44 percent of the volume. Radiation cure formulations represent the remainder of the market. Epoxy adhesives can also take many forms including solids, solvent-free liquids, solvent-borne systems, and waterborne systems. 

Epoxy dispersions also can easily be blended with other waterborne polymers to make modified latex adhesives. The resulting hybrid adhesive produces performance properties and application characteristics that are superior to those of the originating latex system. 

Formulation details are then presented in Chapters 11 through 14 for the various possible forms of epoxy adhesive systems room temperature and elevated-temperature curing liquids, pastes, and solids. The more or less unconventional forms of epoxy adhesives are also identified and discussed, since these are now achieving prominence in industry. These include uv and electron beam radiation curable, waterborne systems, and epoxy adhesives capable of curing via the indirect application of heat or energy. 

A second generation of phenolic dispersions, patented by J. S. Fry (33). involved the post dispersion of phenolic resins in a mixture of water and water-miscible solvents. To conform with air pollution regulations, the solvent was held to 20 volume %, or less, of the volatiles. A heat-reactive phenolic resin dispersion (34) and a phenolic-epoxy codispersion have become commercially available based on the above technology. Supplied at 40-45% solids, these products, which have a small particle size (0.75-1.0 ym), are better film formers than the earlier dispersions. Used alone or in blends with other waterborne materials, corrosion-resistant baking coatings may be formulated for coil coating primers, dip primers, spray primer-surfacers, and chemically resistant one-coat systems. Products of this type are also tackifiers for acrylic latexes, and such systems have been employed as contact, heat seal, and laminating adhesives for diverse substrates. 

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