Abstract
Waterborne paint and coating composites are finding increasingly broad application in construction, industry, and everyday use. This shift is largely motivated by environmental goals – lowering organic solvent emissions – and by cost advantages, since water is both less expensive and more widely available than organic solvents.At the same time, the key task remains to increase the barrier and mechanical characteristics of water-based coatings while maintaining the processability of application and rapid curing.Two main approaches are employed to modify water-dispersible systems: chemical modification of polymer binders and polymer blending. It has been shown that targeted tailoring of the polyurethane soft/hard segment structure, as well as the incorporation of an acrylate component and functional additives (plasticizers, nanofillers), enables control over the degree of crosslinking and phase distribution, thereby improving coating adhesion, abrasion resistance, and barrier properties. Among modified waterborne systems, polyurethane and acrylic-polyurethane coatings are of particular interest, as discussed in this article, owing to their unique combination of properties. These systems provide high coating durability and a wide range of applications, including protective and decorative coatings for various substrates. Special attention is given to methods for their modification. The promise of polyurethane and acrylic-polyurethane waterborne coatings for anticorrosion protection is highlighted, along with the need to tailor formulations to specific service conditions.