SBIR Phase I: Dendrimers for Fast-Drying, High-Solids, Nonisocyanate Coatings which Yield High Wear Resistance Finishes

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是帮助涂料公司达到EPA的目标，减少在大型汽车、游艇和航空修补漆市场中使用的溶剂和有毒异氰酸酯的数量。这样做还将把聚合物制造业带回美国，而美国的大部分制造业已经转移到了欧洲。汽车修补漆市场很难在涂料中使用更少的溶剂，因为这种涂料通常需要很长时间才能干燥。这会导致在高光泽表面积聚灰尘，然后需要打磨和抛光。该项目的纳米技术将构成固体球形聚合物，称为树状大分子，只需少量溶剂即可液化。该项目的技术将会受到重漆设施的热烈欢迎，因为涂料的单组分快速干燥能力将减少热固化的能源消耗，并减少混合多组分涂料的浪费。这项技术还将减少漆工接触到目前用于固化聚氨酯涂料的有毒异氰酸酯。从最广泛的意义上讲，这个项目的智力价值在于证明了纳米技术所需的复杂分子结构，特别是球形树突状分子的细胞状结构，可以通过使用一种仿生学过程来最经济有效地生产，在这种过程中，特定的形状会随着时间的推移而变化。树状大分子目前非常昂贵，因为它们是在经典化学的一步一步的过程中制造的。因此，它们的使用通常限于医药或电子等市场，这些市场可以负担得起它们的高成本。本项目试图证明情况并非如此。更具体地说，该项目将打破高固体涂层需要更长的干燥时间和增加成本的普遍假设。这些树状大分子的球形将被用来证明低粘度、可喷涂的涂料可以用很少的溶剂制成，但在环境条件下，漆可以在几分钟内干燥成坚硬的涂层。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to help coatings companies meet the goals of the EPA for reducing the amount of solvent and toxic isocyanate used in the large automotive, yachts and aviation refinish markets. In doing so it will also bring back polymer manufacturing to the United States, which has largely moved to Europe. The vehicle refinish markets have a difficult time moving towards using less solvent in their coatings because such coatings generally require a long time to dry. This leads to collection of dust in the high gloss finish, which then needs to be sanded and buffed. The nanotechnolgy of this project will constitute solid spherical polymers, known as dendrimers, which liquefy with only a small amount of solvent. The technology of this project will be enthusiastically accepted by the repaint facilities because the one component fast drying capability of the coatings will reduce the energy use of heat curing and will reduce waste they have from mixing multicomponent coatings. This technology will also reduce the painter's exposure to the toxic isocyanates currently used to cure polyurethane coatings. The intellectual merit of this project, in its broadest sense, is to demonstrate that the complex molecular structure required for nanotechnology, and particularly the cell like structure of spherical dendrimers, can be most cost effectively produced by using a biomimetic process in which the specific shape evolves with time during its production. Dendrimers are currently very expensive because they are made in the step by step process of classic chemistry. Their use is therefore generally limited to markets like medicine or electronics which can afford their high cost. This project attempts to prove that this need not be the case. More specifically this project will break the general assumption that high solids coatings require longer times to dry and increase costs. The spherical shape of these dendrimers will be used to demonstrate that low viscosity, sprayable coatings can be created using very little solvent, but can lacquer dry within minutes at ambient conditions into a hard coating upon evaporation of the solvent.