High-Conductivity Solvent-Based Polyurethanes

High-Conductivity Solvent-Based Polyurethanes Coated textiles are textiles coated with polymer, which provide high mechanical and chemical values depending on the properties of the polymer in their structure. Solvent-based polyurethanes are preferred in coated textiles due to their high mechanical and chemical properties. According to occupational health and safety statistics, hand accidents and injuries account for 40 to 60 percent of recordable workplace incidents in the world, with 25% of time-loss accidents involving hands, and 7% of accidents involving hands causing permanent disability. 14% of work days lost due to accidents stem from hand injuries. 70% of workplace accidents involving hands and fingers occur from not wearing gloves at all, and 30% result from inappropriate glove selection. Glove selection in working life goes beyond finding the correct fit and shape, requiring the selection of specialized gloves suitable for specific tasks. Polyurethane-coated gloves provide high grip, resistance to wear, 360-degree air permeability to prevent perspiration, and high retention and grip values due to their flexible properties, along with: • Microporous elastomeric structure providing 360-degree air intake, • Excellent grip through highly flexible and elastic properties, • Contains no latex protein, • Clean – does not transfer particles like other polymers, • High resistance to wear, • High resistance to oils, • Does not harden in cold, • Does not soften in heat, • Excellent perspiration prevention through porous ventilation, Properties. Recently, with the Covid-19 pandemic affecting the entire world, alongside its use particularly in the automotive sector, gloves used are no longer solely for contamination and oil prevention, but have also gained significant importance in the phase of breaking contact with surfaces. Particularly in many industrial sectors where automation processes dominate, the use of touchscreen displays with coated gloves brings along the need for high conductivity values. One of the traditional methods used to create conductive polyurethanes is carbon black. Carbon black is a lattice of crystalline-appearing carbon molecules that are electrically conductive. When carbon black is incorporated into polyurethane chemistry, while it remains inert, as carbon black solids are placed in the liquid polyurethane mixture, they tend to concentrate in the direction of gravity. This means the resulting material will not have uniform conductivity. In other words, as the product wears, conductivity levels will change. During use, when carbon black within the polyurethane contacts other materials, it leaves marks like a pencil on the contacted surface. It allows carbon molecules to be released into the environment. Interplast Kimya R&D Center has developed polyurethanes with homogeneous conductivity properties distributed throughout the polyurethane mixture in a controlled environment before material curing, and presented them to the glove coating process. The developed conductive polyurethanes exhibit ideal properties for dispersing static buildup or distributing an electrical charge. Thanks to this property, touchscreen displays create compatibility for the use of electronic devices such as phones, tablets, PLC displays, etc. with Wetanex GL 5030/25 polyurethane-coated glove products. With the Wetanex GL series polyurethanes and Colanex W series pigment pastes developed by Interplast Kimya R&D Center: • Silicone-free, • Heavy metal-free, • Phthalate-free, • PAH, MAK and other restricted chemical-free, solutions for the production of polyurethane-coated gloves are provided.  

Lale Şen Çetin R&D Center Director Interplast Kimya