Search Results (3)

Polyaspartic ester polyurea (PEP) elastomers are highly promising for self-healable protective coatings in industrial applications, yet their broader adoption is limited by insufficient mechanical and corrosion resistance. Herein, we develop a multifunctional PEP nanocomposite by incorporating Jeffamine D2000-functionalized graphene nanoplatelets (F-GNPs), prepared through a one-step mechanochemical process. This strategy promotes strong interfacial bonding and uniform dispersion, yielding synergistic property enhancements. At an optimal loading of 0.3 wt%, the PEP/F-GNP nanocomposite exhibited a substantial performance enhancement, with its tensile and tear strengths augmented by 263.0% and 64.2%, respectively. Moreover, the resulting coating delivered an 84.0% boost in impact resistance on aluminum alloy, along with enhanced substrate adhesion. Electrochemical and salt spray tests further confirmed its exceptional anti-corrosion performance. While the reinforcement strategy presented a classic trade-off with self-healing, it is critical to note that the nanocomposite preserved a high healing efficiency of 83.3% after impact damage. Overall, this scalable interfacial engineering strategy simultaneously enhances the material’s mechanical robustness and protective performance, while striking a favorable balance with its intrinsic self-healing capability, paving the way for next-generation coatings. Full article

In recent years, polyurea (PUA) systems have drawn considerable attention in the coatings industry for their superior performance. Among these systems, polyaspartate ester-based polyurea (PAE-PUA) stands out for its excellent comprehensive properties, and the structure of the diamines used in polyaspartate ester (PAE) significantly influences key performance attributes, such as gel time, mechanical properties, and thermal stability. To investigate the influence of diamine structures on PAE-PUA properties, this study synthesized PAEs through ester exchange reactions involving diamines and monohydric alcohols with varied chain lengths and structural types (linear or cyclic). The effects of four diamines (D230, DMH, IPDA, PACM) and four monohydric alcohols (CA, DDA, OD, CHOL) on polyurea coating properties were systematically examined. The results demonstrated that adjusting the structural regularity of PAEs via ester exchange reactions effectively regulated their viscosity, maintaining it below 1500 mPa·s. These reactions also enabled simultaneous regulation of surface-drying time, mechanical properties, and thermal performance. Notably, introducing 1-octadecanol (OD) significantly improved surface-drying time and thermal stability, whereas cyclic structures in diamines or alcohols resulted in higher glass transition temperatures (T_g). Additionally, the mechanical properties and reaction rates of modified PAEs can be tailored to meet specific application requirements, offering an effective strategy for developing polyurea materials optimized for the coatings industry. Full article

This study aims to solve the icing problem of wind turbine blades in low-temperature environments and to improve the power generation efficiency of wind turbines. In this study, modified TiO₂ particles (500 nm), butyl acetate solvent, polyaspartic acid ester polyurea (PAE polyurea), and Crestron N75 curing agent were mixed and sprayed on the epoxy resin board surface. Static icing test, dynamic icing test, wear resistance test, and icing adhesion strength test studies were carried out to evaluate the anti-icing performance of the coating as well as its mechanical stability. The results showed that the mechanical stability and anti-icing performance of the coating were relatively optimal when the ratio of modified TiO₂ particles to PAE polyurea was 1.5. Under this ratio, the static contact angle of the coating was 161.4°, and the rolling angle was 4.7°. The main reason for the superhydrophobic performance after 250 wear cycles was that the TiO₂ particles were encapsulated by PAE polyurea. The static contact angle of the coating was still greater than 150° after eight icing–de-icing cycles. This paper provides a simple method to prepare a robust superhydrophobic coating and promotes the application of superhydrophobic coatings in the field of passive anti-icing of wind turbine blades. Full article