Water-borne polyurethanes are novel functional polymers that use water as the dispersion medium. When compared with solvent-borne polyurethanes, water-borne polyurethanes are more environmentally friendly and easier to transport and store. Water-borne polyurethanes have attracted increasing attention due to their extensive applications in plastics, paints, adhesives, inks, biomaterials, and other fields. In this study, the characteristics of water-borne polyurethanes were discussed, followed by a review of studies detailing reaction procedures and mechanisms for their continuous production. Additionally, current and future applications of continuous production processes for water-borne polyurethanes are presented.
Keywords: continuous production; reaction mechanism; viscosity; water-borne polyurethane.