Room-Temperature Self-Healable Blends of Waterborne Polyurethanes with 2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate-Based Polymers

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Surface Engineering

Background:

• Development of high-performance materials for coating applications requires effective self-healing agents.
• Waterborne polyurethanes (WPU) are widely used, but their durability can be enhanced with self-healing properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and evaluate two series of copolymers, P(HEMA-co-DMAMy) and P(HEMA-co-GMAy), as self-healing agents for WPU.
• To investigate the impact of copolymer composition on the properties and self-healing performance of WPU composites.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of copolymers of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) with N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAM) or glycidyl methacrylate (GMA).
• Preparation of WPU/copolymer composites via solution mixing with varying copolymer content (10% and 20% w/w).
• Characterization of surface hydrophilicity (water contact angle) and water uptake (sorption kinetics).
• Assessment of room-temperature, water-mediated self-healing ability of composite films.

Main Results:

• WPU/P(HEMA-co-DMAMy) composites exhibited enhanced surface hydrophilicity and water uptake.
• WPU/P(HEMA-co-GMAy) composites showed lower surface hydrophilicity compared to their hydrophilic counterparts.
• Both copolymer series demonstrated self-healing capabilities, with hydrophilic P(HEMA-co-DMAMy) showing more promising results.

Conclusions:

• Hydrophilic P(HEMA-co-DMAMy) copolymers are effective self-healing agents for waterborne polyurethanes.
• The water-mediated healing process is efficient and triggered by simple water application.
• These self-healing WPU composites offer a green and practical solution for advanced coating applications.