초록 |
Waterborne polyurethane (WPU) is a dispersion of polyurethane (PU) particles in an aqueous medium with minimal use of organic solvents in the synthesis process. Since WPU can reduce the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), many studies have been reported to replace conventional PU. In this study, we fabricated WPU composites by introducing eco-friendly natural polymer nanofibers as reinforcements for WPU. We used cellulose and chitin nanofiber suspensions prepared through physicochemical treatment, and they can be complexed with WPU simply by blending. The incorporation of natural polymer nanofibers allowed improved mechanical properties without significantly impairing the transmittance of transparent WPU. Moreover, we confirmed the sprayability of the WPU composites using dimethyl ether (DME), an eco-friendly aerosol propellant, and high utility is expected through the spray coating of the WPU composites. |