Synthesis of Bio-based Waterborne Polyurethane Resins and Evaluation of Lightfastness and Color Stability According to UV Stabilizer Blends

Driven by strict environmental regulations and global carbon-neutrality initiatives, there is an urgent demand in the chemical and automotive industries to replace conventional petroleum-based materials with sustainable alternatives. To address this need, bio-based polyols were successfully utilized in this study to synthesize eco-friendly waterborne polyurethane (WBPU) resins, targeting the commercialization of high-performance functional coatings for automotive interiors and advanced industrial applications.

In this study, bio-based polyols (PO3G) were utilized to synthesize waterborne polyurethane (WBPU) resins aimed at developing carbon-neutral and eco-friendly materials for the commercialization of functional coatings in automotive interiors and industrial applications. However, WBPU coatings based on bio-polyols characteristically suffer from initial yellowing when exposed to photo-oxidation and thermal degradation. To address this issue, various UV stabilizers were incorporated at specific blending ratios to prepare functional films, and the subsequent color differences were measured and evaluated as a function of UV exposure time.

(Acknowledgments: This work was supported by the Technology development Program (S3430050) funded by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS, Korea)