Waterborne polyurethane porous coatings enabled by Pickering aqueous foam templates for sustainable synthetic leather manufacturing
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The adoption of waterborne polyurethane (WPU) as a substitute for solvent-based polyurethane offers a sustainable solution for synthetic leather production. However, the foaming technology for such coatings remains a challenge. Herein, we explore the development of ultra-stable Pickering aqueous foams co-stabilized by waterborne polyurethane (WPU) and hydrophilic SiO2 particles (N20) as templates for the fabrication of WPU porous coatings. The results reveal that both WPU and N20 not only enhance interfacial elasticity but also form a gel-like network in the continuous phase via hydrogen bonding, thereby improving foam stability even at 120 oC. The microstructure and properties of the porous coatings are readily tailored by adjusting the N20 content. A porous coating (WPU@N20-3), templated from an aqueous foam co-stabilized by 40 wt% WPU and 3 wt% N20, exhibits a well-defined and interconnected porous morphology, along with high thermal stability (T5% = 275.8 °C), a tensile strength of 9.3 MPa, and an elongation at break of 322%. The resulting WPU-based synthetic leather demonstrates superior softness (8.4 mm), rebound resilience (317 ms), and water-vapor permeability (952 g/m2·d) compared to solvent-based PU synthetic leather. Furthermore, the production process eliminates VOC emissions, solvent usage, and associated recovery energy consumption. This work presents a sustainable strategy for producing high-performance synthetic leather, promoting a paradigm shift toward green manufacturing.
Source: Progress in Organic Coatings
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,350
Awards: G2739674939, G2782844322, G7743198
OpenAlex ID: W4416106285