Application of cellulose nitrate nanoparticles as binder in waterborne wood coatings and their additional use in debonding on demand

Abstract The development of sustainable and environmentally friendly coatings is a key factor to shaping the future of coatings technology. Water-based products represent an eco-friendly alternative to conventional solventborne coatings, minimizing the environmental impact and allowing for easier application indoors. Until now, cellulose nitrate binders have not been used in waterborne formulations, due to challenging production of respective dispersions. Herein, we introduce an approach for such waterborne cellulose nitrate coatings, derived from respective nanoparticle dispersions. This enables a significant reduction in the content of volatile organic compounds. After nanoparticle synthesis via precipitation, the particles are used for formulation of a waterborne coating, which is stable at higher concentrations as well. Additionally, initial efforts to optimize the formulation for use on wooden surfaces by adjusting the NC content and incorporating diisononyl phthalate were investigated. These modifications resulted in considerable improvements over the standard formulation. As an additional benefit, we demonstrate the capability of the coating to act as a thermally triggerable primer regarding debonding on demand of a topcoat system.