The 1990s brought the introduction of the first commercially available two-component (2K) waterborne polyurethane coatings technology in an effort to address VOC concerns and performance issues with existing urethane technologies. While it is acknowledged that most new waterborne technologies are typically viewed with some degree of skepticism, this could well be an understatement when reviewing the introduction of 2K, waterborne urethane technology to knowledgeable coatings chemists. The very same chemists, who for years made every effort to keep water out of two-component solventborne urethanes due to undesirable effects on coating pot life and performance, were now asked to embrace the idea of a 2K urethane in an aqueous medium.
Nonetheless, the polyol and isocyanate pre-polymer manufacturers recognized the potential of this technology and have been persistent in their efforts to provide meaningful information that confirms the viability of 2K waterborne polyurethanes. In addition, there have been some significant commercial successes.