Please view the list of our case studies below. If you would like to view them by product type then please click on the links on the left hand menu.
Oxazolidine latent hardeners in PU sealants
The traditional method of curing PU sealants is via the reaction of the terminal isocyanate groups of the polyurethane binder with moisture. This requires a high level of isocyanate content to afford an effective cure which leads to toxicity issues with residual isocyanate monomer. Another problem is the side product, carbon dioxide, produced with this reaction which results in pinholing defects that can then compromise the integrity and aesthetics of the finished coating.
Oxazolidine moisture scavengers
Wind turbines, particularly offshore installations, are exposed to hostile environments which demand that the coatings systems must be able to withstand these conditions for the lifetime of the turbine, typically 20 to 25 years. Difficulties related to access makes coating maintenance expensive as well as technically challenging for offshore wind turbines and lifetime should therefore be of primary concern when specifying coatings.
Key characteristics of the final coatings are:
- They must be able to withstand UV and heat radiation
- They must be able to withstand a high degree of weathering erosion including salt water resistance
- They must be tough and durable yet flexible enough to withstand impacts without chipping
Incozol 4 - latent curing agent for 1K waterproofing balcony coatings
Balconies and walkways like all other parts of a property require maintenance. Most of these balconies and walkways consist of concrete elements where, for a lack of efficient protection, water can penetrate causing structural weakness and leading to leaks, stalactite formations and the delamination of paint on the underside of the balconies.
As a result, the company wanted to develop a range of balcony systems specifically designed to protect balconies against the challenges presented by the elements.
The main functional requirements of the coatings were:
- One component - for ease of use
- Crack bridging capabilities
- Elastomeric – allowing for thermal movement
- Hard wearing
- Seamless technology – no seams or joints
- Water vapour permeable
- UV resistance and resistance to yellowing
Oxazolidines in polyurethane coatings for wind turbines
Traditional polyurethane based coatings require tin based catalysts to help speed up the cure as the coating film takes a long time to set and can lead to water spotting during storage. Faster curing polyaspartic topcoat technology has a propensity to dry spray in high humidity and shop conditions have to be adjusted accordingly.
The company was aiming to develop a polyurethane top coat with fast cure and suitable working time across a spectrum of application conditions. The polyurethane top coat had to conform to the current VOC regulations (420g/l) and provide the specified chemical, UV and weathering resistance. The final coating was to be applied to glass fibre plastic on the blades of wind turbines.
Incozol 2 - moisture scavenger for polyaspartic ester coatings
In common with all 2K PU coatings, the presence of moisture affects the reactivity and application properties of the coating. Polyaspartic coatings are no exception and the flow and levelling properties of the coating, in particular, can be adversely affected. The reason this occurs is because moisture/water reacts with the isocyanate component accelerating the cure rate and ultimately leading to poor visual properties of the coating.
To standardise the cure rate, an appropriate amount of oxazolidine can be added in order to control the level of moisture that affects the coating. This is particularly important when coatings are applied during conditions of elevated humidity.
In view of the variable humidity conditions that the coatings companies operate in, they needed to develop a product that would perform equally well in all types of weather conditions.
Incorez 148/300 - waterborne epoxy curing agent for fast curing coatings
Heavy forklift traffic from the loading docks to other parts of the plant was taking its toll on the bare concrete floors. Excessive wear and difficulty in keeping the floors clean were major problems for the company. The dirt that had collected on the unsealed concrete was difficult to remove while at the same time the bare concrete created a dusty environment which had an adverse effect on operational efficiency.
Issues were further complicated due to a high level of business activity and traffic flow leaving little opportunity for downtime for the installation of a protective coating on the concrete floor.