Toagosei Annual R&D Report “TREND” – Issue No. 4

ARUFON UH-2000, UH-2030, UP-1000 and UP-1020 are liquid acrylic polymers produced by Uniform Functional Oligomer (UFO) technology, a high-temperature, continuous bulk polymerization process using almost no polymerization solvent, initiator or chain-transfer agent. This creates a solvent-free acrylic polymer platform with low impurity, low odor and high solids for weather-resistant sealant resin design. It supports solventless sealants targeting a low VOC sealant resin, high durability and exterior performance.

ARUFON UH-2000 is a hydroxyl-functional acrylic polyol used as a sealant base resin for two-component acrylic urethane sealants. UH-2030 is a low-molecular-weight acrylic polyol and sealant resin modifier for adjusting crosslink density, modulus, strength and elongation. UH-2000 formulations showed 700% elongation, while UH-2000/UH-2030 blends reached 800%. In QUV testing, UH-2000 sealants retained strength and elongation at a level equivalent to or better than commercial silicone sealants. Blending 20% UH-2000 into a polyurethane base polymer improved weather resistance. UH-2000 also produced less paint-overcoat contamination than commercial base polymers, supporting formulations for high-weather-resistance sealants, building exterior sealants and exterior adhesive sealants. Antioxidant selection remains important for durability.

ARUFON UP-1000 and low-viscosity UP-1020 are non-functional, low-molecular-weight acrylic polymers used as plasticizers for sealants. Rather than a reactive plasticizer, they provide a compatible, non-migrating and bleed-resistant plasticizer option for PPG, modified silicone and acrylic-polyol systems. UP-1000 showed no plasticizer bleeding in the evaluated formulations and supports migration resistance. Modified-silicone sealants using UP-1000 or UP-1020 showed no surface abnormality after 2,000 hours of QUV exposure, unlike a DOP formulation. These properties make ARUFON useful as an eco-friendly acrylic oligomer, weatherable acrylic resin, compatibilizing plasticizer and resin modifier for high-durability sealing materials.