UV curable coating formulation comprises urethane acrylate resin and nanosilica as filler were synthesized to develop UV curable inorganic organic hybrid composite (PUA). The surface of the nanosilica was chemically modified to improve its chemical interaction within the urethane acrylate matrix. The modification had been undertaken by applying vinyltrymetoxysilane (VTMOS) that acted as a coupling agent to produce organophilic silica shell (SIMA). The shell is linked to the silica via reaction with the surface silanol group of the silica. The disappearance of metoxy groups in VTMOS was demonstrated by FTIR spectrum. The percentage of silica particles in UV curable hybrid formulation were varied on 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 250% respectively. In this work, the formulation was applied on medium density fiber board (11/IDF) substrate and subsequent has been irradiated under UV light. Then, the coated MDF were characterized by several testing equipments (TGA, DSC, scratch tester, instron, SEM). From the result, we found that the addition of silica nanoparticles exhibit significant improvement in coating film properties as compared to film without silica nanoparticle includes significant improvement in its modulus and scratch resistance. This make them as promising coating candidate for MDF product. On the other hand, we also found that an increase of silica particle up to 25 wt%, the viscosity has increased rapidly indicates that it is not suitable for acrylate coating formulation due to disappearance of desired effect known as tixotrophy.
Various palm oil (RBD Palm Olein) based urethane acrylate prepolymers (UPs) having different structures and molecular weights were synthesised from palm oil based polyols, diisocyanate compounds and hydroxyl terminated acrylate monomers by following established synthesis procedures described elsewhere. The products (UPs) were compared with each other in terms of their molecular weights (MW), viscosities and UV curing performances of pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA) UP based formulations. The molecular structure of diisocyanate compounds and hydroxyl acrylate monomers tend to determine the molecular weights and hence viscosities of the final products of urethane acrylate prepolymers (UP), whereas, the MW of the UP has no direct effects on the coatings and adhesive properties of UV curable UP based PSA.
In recent years, there are growing trends in using palm oil as raw materials in radiation curable resins production. In this study, the acrylated palm oil resins i.e. the EPOLA (epoxidized palm oil acrylate) and the POBUA (palm oil based urethane acrylate) were synthesized using two different systems, i.e. the 25 liter pilot scale reactor synthesis system and the 2 liter (L) laboratory scale reactor synthesis system through chemical processes known as acrylation and isocyanation. In this
paper, the property of the acrylated resins which were produced by these two systems were evaluated and compared between each other. Their properties were characterized using the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometer for functional group identification; the gel permeation chromatography (GPC) for molecular weight (Mw) determination, the Brookfield viscometer for viscosity measurements, the acid values (AV) and the oxirane oxygen contents (OOC) analysis. As a result, the production process for both the 2 L and 25 L reactor system were found to be time consuming and the main advantages for the 25 L reactor was its higher productivity as compared with the 2 L reactor system with the same synthesis process parameters i.e. the temperatures and the experimental methods. Besides that, the 25 L reactor synthesis
process was found to be safe, easy to control and served unpolluted process to the environments. The final products, the acrylated palm oil resins were formulated into ultraviolet (UV) curable compounds before subjecting them under UVirradiation. As a result, the UV-curable palm oil resins showed potential uses as pressure sensitive adhesives, printing inks including overprint varnishes (OPV) and coatings.