Method and composition for enhancing the cure of resin-based coatings

1. A process for accelerating preliminary cure of a polymer coating formed when an aqueous polymer emulsion is applied to an insulating board or sheet attached to the foundation or other structural member of a building, the process comprising contacting the polymer coating after it has been applied but before it achieves preliminary cure with a sufficient amount of a treating composition to cause preliminary cure of the polymer coating, the treating composition comprising urea hydrochloride, an analog of urea hydrochloride or both dissolved in a liquid vehicle comprising an organic solvent at least partially miscible with water, water or both.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the treating composition consists essentially of urea hydrochloride, an analog of urea hydrochloride or both dissolved in a liquid vehicle comprising an organic solvent at least partially miscible with water, water or both.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the analog of urea hydrochloride is a salt of a strong acid comprising one or more of nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, hydroiodic acid, hydrofluoric acid, formic acid, acetic acid, hydroxyacetic acid and thioglycolic acid, and

a weak base comprising one or more of alkanolamines, alkylamines, dialkylamines, alkyldiamines, alkyltriamines, alkyltetramines, and trialkylamines, polymers with amino or (alkyl or aryl)amino substituent groups, polymers with nitrogen-containing heterocyclic groups, amides, polymers of acrylamide, cyclic amides, pyrrolidone, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, copolymers of vinyl pyrrolidone, methacrylamide, polymethacrylamide, copolymers of methacrylamide, ammonia, guanidine, hydroxyurea, semicarbazide, mono-, di-, or tri(alkyl or aryl)urea, O-methyl hydroxyl amine, aniline and hydrazine.

4. The process of claim 3 , wherein the weak base is urea.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the liquid vehicle contains water.

6. The process of claim 5 , wherein the liquid vehicle also includes an organic solvent comprising a monohydric or polyhydric alcohol, an ether of a monohydric or polyhydric alcohol, an ester of a monohydric or polyhydric alcohol, a ketone, an amide, an acetal, a lactam, a lactone, or a mixture of two or more of the foregoing organic solvents.

7. The process of claim 6 , wherein the organic solvent is a C 1 -C 4 alcohol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol or a mixture thereof.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the treating composition is applied to the insulation board or sheet prior to the application of the aqueous polymer emulsion to the insulation board or sheet.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the polymer coating is 10-80 mils thick.

10. A process for accelerating preliminary cure of a polymer coating formed when an aqueous acrylic polymer emulsion stabilized with an anionic surfactant is applied to a substrate comprising an insulating board or sheet attached to the foundation or other structural member of a building, the process comprising contacting the polymer coating after it has been applied but before it achieves preliminary cure with a sufficient amount of a treating composition to cause preliminary cure of the polymer coating, the treating composition comprising urea hydrochloride, an analog of urea hydrochloride or both dissolved in a liquid vehicle comprising an organic solvent at least partially miscible with water, water or both.

11. The process of claim 10 , wherein the treating composition consists essentially of urea hydrochloride, an analog of urea hydrochloride or both dissolved in a liquid vehicle comprising an organic solvent at least partially miscible with water, water or both.

12. The process of claim 11 , wherein the treating composition consists of urea hydrochloride, an analog of urea hydrochloride or both dissolved in a liquid vehicle comprising an organic solvent at least partially miscible with water, water or both.

13. The process of claim 11 , wherein the analog of urea hydrochloride is a salt of a strong acid comprising one or more of nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, hydroiodic acid, hydrofluoric acid, formic acid, acetic acid, hydroxyacetic acid and thioglycolic acid, and

a weak base comprising one or more of alkanolamines, alkylamines, dialkylamines, alkyldiamines, alkyltriamines, alkyltetramines, and trialkylamines, polymers with amino or (alkyl or aryl)amino substituent groups, polymers with nitrogen-containing heterocyclic groups, amides, polymers of acrylamide, cyclic amides, pyrrolidone, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, copolymers of vinyl pyrrolidone, methacrylamide, polymethacrylamide, copolymers of methacrylamide, ammonia, guanidine, hydroxyurea, semicarbazide, mono-, di-, or tri(alkyl or aryl)urea, O-methyl hydroxyl amine, aniline and hydrazine.

14. The process of claim 13 , wherein the weak base is urea.

15. The process of claim 11 , wherein the liquid vehicle contains water.

16. The process of claim 15 , wherein the liquid vehicle also includes an organic solvent comprising a monohydric or polyhydric alcohol, an ether of a monohydric or polyhydric alcohol, an ester of a monohydric or polyhydric alcohol, a ketone, an amide, an acetal, a lactam, a lactone, or a mixture of two or more of the foregoing organic solvents.

17. The process of claim 16 , wherein the organic solvent is a C 1 -C 4 alcohol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol or a mixture thereof.

18. The process of claim 11 , wherein the treating composition consists essentially of urea hydrochloride, water and an organic solvent comprising a C 1 -C 4 alcohol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol or mixture thereof.

19. The process of claim 18 , wherein the treating composition contains about 2 to about 25 wt. % urea hydrochloride based on the weight of the treating composition and further wherein the weight ratio of organic solvent to water ranges from about 25:1 to about 1:1.

20. The process of claim 11 , wherein the aqueous polymer emulsion is applied to the substrate multiple times to form multiple, individual polymer coatings and further wherein the treating composition is applied to one or more of these individual polymer coatings.

21. The process of claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of the treating composition is applied to the insulation board or sheet prior to the application of the aqueous polymer emulsion to the insulation board or sheet.

22. The process of claim 11 , wherein the polymer coating is 10-80 mils thick.

23. A process for accelerating preliminary cure of a polymer coating formed when an aqueous polymer emulsion is applied to a substrate, the process comprising contacting the polymer coating after it has been applied but before it achieves preliminary cure with a sufficient amount of a treating composition to cause preliminary cure of the polymer coating, the treating composition consisting essentially of urea hydrochloride, water and an organic solvent comprising a C 1 -C 4 alcohol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol or a mixture thereof.

24. The process of claim 23 , wherein the treating composition contains about 2 to about 25 wt. % urea hydrochloride based on the weight of the treating composition and further wherein the weight ratio of organic solvent to water ranges from about 25:1 to about 1:1.

25. A process for accelerating preliminary cure of a polymer coating formed when an aqueous polymer emulsion is applied to a substrate, the process comprising contacting the polymer coating after it has been applied but before it achieves preliminary cure with a sufficient amount of a treating composition to cause preliminary cure of the polymer coating, the treating composition comprising urea hydrochloride, an analog of urea hydrochloride or both dissolved in a liquid vehicle comprising an organic solvent at least partially miscible with water, water or both, wherein the aqueous polymer emulsion is applied to the substrate multiple times to form multiple, individual polymer coatings and further wherein the treating composition is applied to one or more of these individual polymer coatings.