AQUEOUS NON-IONIC HYDROPHILIC POLYURETHANE DISPERSIONS, AND A CONTINUOUS PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME

• Main Authors: BHATTACHARJEE DEBKUMAR, ROBERTS DUANE R, ADAMS MARK, ERDEM BEDRI, FRYE ROBERT C
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 13.03.2009
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F,C08G; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONSONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS; METALLURGY; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; WORKING-UP

The instant invention is an aqueous non-ionic hydrophilic polyurethane dispersion, and a continuous process for making the same. The aqueous non-ionic hydrophilic polyurethane dispersion according to instant invention includes the reaction product of a non-ionic hydrophilic prepolymer, water, optionally an external surfactant, and optionally a chain-extending reagent. The non-ionic hydrophilic prepolymer includes the reaction product of a first component and a second component. The first component is selected from the group consisting of an aromatic polyisocyanate, an aliphatic polyisocyanate, and combinations thereof. The second component is a hydrophilic alkylene oxide polyol, a non-ionic hydrophilic alkylene oxide monol, or combinations thereof. The continuous process for producing the non-ionic hydrophilic aqueous polyurethane dispersion includes the following steps: (1) providing a disperse phase liquid stream having a flow rate R2, wherein the disperse phase liquid stream contains a non-ionic hydrophilic polyurethane prepolymer comprising the reaction product of (a) a first component, wherein the first component is an aromatic polyisocyanate, aliphatic polyisocyanate, or combinations thereof; and (b) a second component, wherein the second component is a non-ionic hydrophilic alkylene oxide polyol, a non-ionic hydrophilic alkylene oxide monol, or combinations thereof; (2) providing a continuous phase liquid stream having a flow rate R1, wherein the continuous phase liquid stream comprising water and optionally a surfactant; (3) continuously merging the disperse phase liquid stream and the continuous phase liquid stream into a high-shear disperser, wherein R2:R1 is in the range of 10:90 to 30:70; (4) emulsifying the non-ionic hydrophilic polyurethane prepolymer in the water via a high-shear disperser; and (5) thereby producing the non-ionic hydrophilic aqueous polyurethane dispersion.