Emulsion polymers are employed in a range of paint markets such as house paints which are produced at a rate of more than 700 million gallons each year in the US alone. Waterborne coatings also include smaller volume but technically challenging applications such as liquid sound damping formulations. Damping materials are used in automobiles and other applications to provide reduced noise and vibration through dissipation of structural borne energy. Liquid applied dampers, are complex, dynamic multiphase systems that are typically spray applied directly to the structure and cured at elevated temperature. These materials provide a number of advantages over traditional damping materials such as automated application and lower weight. Liquid applied dampers contain film forming polymer particles which function as both the binder of the inorganic materials in the coating as well as the source of energy dissipation. In this study, coating samples were analyzed to determine relevant performance properties and internal structure of the coatings. Vibrational damping of the materials was measured using Oberst-bar testing. Scanning Electron Microscopy of the coating formulations and final cured coatings were used to explore structure-property relationships. Emulsion polymers with different viscoelastic properties and chemical compositions were designed and used to probe vibrational performance as well as other key application properties such as cohesion and adhesion to vehicle substrates. Results indicate that the polymer composition and latex particle characteristics are large contributors to desired performance aspects of the damping layer.

Increased performance in liquid sound damper formulations through controlled interaction between polymer dispersions and inorganic surfaces

2019 Spring National Meeting

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