Waterborne nanocomposite resins for automotive coating applications

Organic acrylic polymers in aqueous dispersed form are binders that can be used for the production of environmentally friendly coatings. The film properties have been improved by adding small amounts of fully dispersed inorganic hard phases in the form of needle shaped Boehmite, disc shaped Laponite and Montmorillonite platelets. Depending on the location and structure of the nanoparticles in the emulsion, after application and curing of the nanocomposite binder various morphologies are found in the transparent and flexible films. Hydrophilic nanoparticles at the interfaces of the polymer droplets and hydrophobic nanoparticles completely or partially located inside the polymer droplets yield dramatically increased stiffness of the cured film as well as adjustable rheology of the binder.