Polyurethane-based water-in-water multicolor paint and method for making

A method for making a water-in-water multicolor paint comprising the steps of:

• (A) providing a first composition comprising on a 100 weight percent basis:
• (a) about 10 to about 40 weight percent of a water dispersed, film-forming, crosslinkable, polymer system selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane polymer system, a carboxylated polymer system and mixtures thereof, said polyurethane polymer system comprising on a 100 weight percent total crosslinkable solids basis about 75 to and including 100 weight percent of polyurethane polymer and correspondingly from and including 0 to about 25 weight percent of reactive curative, and said carboxylated polymer system comprising on a 100 weight percent total polymer solids basis about 75 to and including 100 weight percent carboxylated polymers and correspondingly from and including 0 up to about 25 weight percent of organic crosslinking agent;
• (b) about 0.5 to about 2 weight percent dissolved cellulose material selected from the class consisting of hydroxy (lower alkyl) cellulose and alkali metal carboxylated (lower alkyl) cellulose,
• (c) from and including 0 to about 30 weight percent dispersed pigment,
• (d) from and including 0 to about 10 weight percent organic cosolvent, and
• (e) about 20 to about 80 weight percent water;
• (B) providing a second composition comprising on a 100 weight percent basis:
• (a) about 0.5 to about 5 weight percent dissolved cationic quaternized cellulose ether, and
• (b) about 95 to about 99.5 weight percent water;
• (C) providing a third composition comprising on a 100 weight percent basis:
• (a) about 0.5 to about 2 weight percent dissolved peptizing agent,
• (b) about 5 to about 10 weight percent dispersed water swellable clay, and
• (c) about 88 to about 95 weight percent water;
• (D) providing a fourth composition comprising on a 100 weight percent basis:
• (a) about 5 to about 40 weight percent of said water dispersed, film-forming, crosslinkable, polymer system,
• (b) about 1.5 to about 5 weight percent of said dispersed water swellable clay,
• (c) about 0.1 to about 0.8 weight percent of said dissolved peptizing agent,
• (d) from and including 0 to about 30 weight percent of pigment,
• (e) from and including 0 to about 0.25 weight percent of anti-foaming agent,
• (f) from and including 0 to about 0.25 weight percent of a wetting agent,
• (g) from and including 0 to about 0.25 weight percent of an organofunctional silane,
• (h) from and including 0 to about 5 weight percent of colloidal silica,
• (i) from and including 0 to about 15 weight percent of an organic cosolvent, and
• (j) about 30 to about 70 weight percent water,
• the relationship between components of said fourth composition being such that said fourth composition has a viscosity in the range of about 1,000 to about 1,500 centipoises;
• (E) blending said first composition with a composition selected from the group consisting of:
• (a) said second composition in the weight ratio range of about 85:15 through about 80:20 of said first composition to said second composition,
• (b) said third composition in the weight ratio range of about 85:15 to about 80:20 of said first composition to said third composition, and
• (c) a combination of said second composition and said third composition in the weight ratio range of about 70:15:15 to about 80:10:10 of said first composition to said second composition to said third composition so as to produce a first disperse phase gel composition having a viscosity in the range of about 25,000 to about 85,000 centipoises;
• and
• (F) mixing said first disperse phase gel composition with said fourth composition so that the ratio of the viscosity of said fourth composition to the viscosity of said first disperse phase composition is in the range of about 1:5 to about 1:10, the mixing shear force used in said mixing being sufficient to break up said first disperse phase gel composition into discrete gel bodies dispersed in said fourth composition said mixing shear force being inversely proportional to the average size of said so formed disperse phase bodies, thereby to produce said multicolor paint.