Waterborne Urethanes for Graphic Arts Applications

Waterborne Urethane Dispersions for Graphic Arts Applications

Waterborne Urethane Dispersions make excellent overprint varnishes (OPV) as well as binders for inks. Waterborne urethane resins can be used by themselves or in conjunction with acrylic emulsions to reach just the right cost/performance balance for your specific graphic arts application.

These products are uncompounded waterborne urethane resins which may be suitable for some applications as supplied. However, they may require the addition of additives such as wetting agents, defoamers, thickeners, and or other additives to optimize them for your specific application. We would be happy to work with you to help customize these waterborne urethane resins for your requirements.

The following waterborne urethane resins are recommended for various types of graphic arts applications:

Bondthane™ UD-250 Waterborne Urethane

Excellent hardness, gloss, abrasion and alkali resistance. Low flexibility

This relatively hard waterborne urethane can be used by itself in overprint varnishes in thin film applications. It has excellent hardness, gloss, abrasion resistance, and alkali resistance. It is not as flexible as the other waterborne urethanes below.

Bondthane™ UD-211 Waterborne Urethane

Medium hard, with excellent balance of toughness and flexibility and a glossy film. A good all-around choice.

This medium hard waterborne urethane is an excellent all around choice for many graphic arts applications. It produces a glossy film that has an excellent balance of toughness and flexibility. Like many of our waterborne urethanes, UD-211 is mechanically stable enough to grind certain pigments directly into the resin by using a high speed disperser.

Bondthane™ UD-270 Waterborne Urethane

Not as hard as UD-211 but more flexible if hardness and abrasion resistance are not critical

This flexible polyurethane is not as hard as the UD-211 but is even more flexible. It may be used in certain applications that require extra flexibility at the cost of giving up a little bit of hardness and abrasion resistance.

Bondthane™ UD-255, UD-215, and UD-275 NMP-Free Waterborne Urethanes

Very hard and very flexible, can be blended for custom applications

Our UD-255, UD-215, and UD-275 are potential NMP-free substitutes for the UD-250, UD-211, and UD-270 respectively. These products are not solvent free but rather contain an alternative solvent in place of the NMP. See our NMP-free Polyurethanes page for more details.

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