Preparation and characterization of silicone oligomer modified polyurethane acrylates for leather finishing

Polyurethane acrylates (PUA) are commonly used as leather finishing agents because of their excellent film-forming, mechanical and abrasion resistance properties. In this study, silicone-modified polyether-based waterborne polyurethane acrylate (WPUA) was synthesized as an environmentally friendly leather finishing agent. The effects of different soft segments on the properties of WPUA were investigated by tensile strength, water absorption, thermogravimetry (TG), derivative thermogravimetry (DTG), and water contact angle tests. The results showed that the WPUA synthesized with PTMG 2000 as the soft segment had higher elongation at break, lower water absorption, and a larger water contact angle. The effect of different mass percentages of silicone on the properties ofpolytetramethylene oxide (WPUA) was investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM), particle size, zeta potential, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), water contact angle, folding resistance, and mechanical properties. It was found that the hydrophobic, tensile, and folding resistance properties of the waterborne leather finishing agent were best when the silicone content was 5 wt%. What’s more, the synthesized silicone-modified polyether-type waterborne polyurethanes, with excellent comprehensive performance, have great potential for industrial application in leather finishing agents.