Synthesis and flexibility-hardness of polymer coatings based on melamine with mesogenic groups

Liquid crystalline (LC) monomers that have mesogenic groups and hydroxyl end groups were synthesized and reacted with hexakis(methoxymethyl)melamine (HMMM) to form the mesogen-linked HMMM. The mesogen-linked HMMM was cross-linked with polyester resin on electro-galvanized steel sheets as substrates to study their potential utilities as coatings. The coatings consisting of the polyester resin and mesogen-linked HMMM showed a superior combination of film hardness and flexibility when compared to that of the coatings consisting of polyester resin and neat HMMM.