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TECHNICAL GUIDE

Hydrolysis-Resistant Waterborne Polyurethane: Selection and Validation

“Hydrolysis resistance” is meaningful only when the test condition and acceptance criterion are defined. Use this guide to structure the technical information required before material screening.

TEST DEFINITION

Define the hydrolysis requirement before comparing materials

A hydrolysis-resistance request should include the test method, temperature, humidity or immersion condition, duration and acceptance criterion. Without those conditions, the same phrase can describe very different project requirements.

Test methodCustomer standard, brand standard or recognized laboratory method.
Exposure conditionTemperature, humidity, water or other defined medium, and test duration.
EvaluationAppearance, adhesion, cracking, strength or another specified pass/fail criterion.
Application contextSubstrate, coat position, formulation and process conditions used in the actual system.
CURRENT FAST CANDIDATES

Use TDS-supported performance directions for the first screen

ModelCurrent documented positioningHow to use the information
RU-6720The current TDS documents hydrolysis resistance together with abrasion, scratch, aging and yellowing resistance for a top-coat-oriented aliphatic PUD.Consider when the project is a top-coat / finishing discussion and the customer also provides a defined hydrolysis test requirement.
RU-6880The current TDS documents hydrolysis resistance together with matte positioning, abrasion, scratch and cold resistance for a polycarbonate-based aliphatic PUD.Consider when hydrolysis resistance must be evaluated together with a matte surface target and the other documented requirements.

The website does not assign a universal hydrolysis grade because final performance depends on the complete customer system and the actual test method.

VALIDATION

Why project-specific testing still matters

Formulation effect

Crosslinkers, pigments, matting systems, other additives and blend ratios can change the final coating performance.

Process effect

Film build, drying / curing, substrate preparation and test conditioning can also affect the final result.

FAQ

Common hydrolysis-resistance questions

Can “hydrolysis resistant” be treated as one universal grade?

No. The requested test condition and pass/fail criterion should be defined before meaningful comparison.

Which current FAST TDS documents hydrolysis resistance?

RU-6720 and RU-6880 currently list hydrolysis resistance among their documented performance directions.

Does a resin-level claim guarantee the finished synthetic leather result?

No. Finished performance depends on the complete coating system, substrate, process and test method.

NEXT STEP

Send the hydrolysis test condition, not only the performance name

Include the test method, exposure condition, duration, acceptance criterion, substrate and coat position so the initial material screen can be more meaningful.