The Baycusan C 1008 polyurethane is designed for use in hair sprays, and the company claims it will enable formulators to manufacture products with a long-lasting yet flexible hold.
“We have built on our experience with Baycusan C1001 to develop an improved product,” said John Brandt, head of the NAFTA Baycusan Group at Bayer MaterialScience.
He explained that after numerous comparative tests to determine the styling properties of the new polymer, strands of hair treated with the dispersion resist bending much better than others treated with its predecessors.
Bayer also claims the new polymer was superior when it came to curl retention tests. Curls treated with the polyurethane changed length and shape only minimally even in high humidity, and were reported to have held for the whole day.
“In developing a new hair styling polymer, we also had a number of objectives relating to the formulating properties,” continued Brandt.
Achieved all objectives
One of these objectives was to combine the polymer with ethanol/water mixtures and to yield the clearest possible solutions, with viscosity not rising significantly at high water content levels, ensuring the polymer is suitable for both formulations with a high alcohol content and for those with a low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) content.
Bayer also stated it is important that the polyurethane dispersion forms stable solutions with common propellants, such as dimetyl ether, even at very low temperatures.
“We achieved all of these objectives with Baycusan C 1008,” said Brandt.
The polymer is supplied in ready-to-use form by Bayer and is compatible with many common hair spray ingredients.
Bayer also claims it is just as equally suited to formulations with a high propellant or solvent content as it is to those with a high water content, with the ability to form stable solutions with common propellants, such as dimetyl ether, even at low temperatures.