Design and properties of UV cured polyurethane dispersions

UV curable polyurethane dispersions (UV-PUDs) having different prepolymer chain length, different types of capping agent (2,3-epoxy-1-propanol (glycidol) and 2-hydroxyethylacrylate (HEA)) and ionic center have been synthesized. Films based on polyurethane prepolymer were tack free prior to cure and showed high elongation at break over 200% as well as high hardness and modulus, especially when the terminal isocyanate groups were capped with glycidol.