Custom UV curable Photopolymers
- 1. UV curable antigraffiti coatings based on biphasic nanocompos- ites made of either Acrylate resin with vinyl resin and /or UV curable Sol-Gel have been produced rap- idly at ambient temperature by simple exposure to UV radiation. This UV-curing technology clearly outperforms traditional thermal processing with respect to output, cost, product quality and environmental impact. This Biphasic technique makes it possible to obtain UV curable anti-graffiti coatings for train and Railway applications whose per- formances are perennial in the time, without sacrificing the abra- sion and weathering resistance properties. Consciousoftheproblemsofbody (Train and Railway) repair, PnP was able to tailor the Photochemical responsiveness of its biphasic Uv curableformulationswiththenew generation of LED systems. Moreover, specific Areas of devel- opment in High performance coatings and nanocomposites include: latex magnetic cores using ferrite and steerable structures under a magnetic field, conductive polymers, coatings and/orinkjetinksbasedon(PbTiO3, BiMnO3, BiCrO3, P2O5 ...) in the form of nanoparticles dispersed in a matrix by photochemically polymerisable coatings. DROP-JET MANUFACTURING The company has also found opportunities in the fast growing market for UV-curable inkjet inks for wide format printers, Industrial customization and also new industrial applications (like 3d printing), which incorporate surface functionalization using DoD inkjet technology. PnP is developing tailored solutions for inkjet inks based on UV hybrid systems. Cationic systems and dual-cure inkjet inks for glass applications are being developed by PnP. At the same time, PnP is exploring the usefulness of UV-cured latex and biphasic organic nanocomposites as a way to meet specialized requirements in very flexible UV inkjet ( for Leather and plasticized PVC applications ) EURAILmag Business & Technology /// ISSUE 23 x T O P I C more information PHOTON & POLYMERS Dr K.ZAHOUILY +33 3 89 53 83 10 info@photonpolymers.com www.photonpolymers.com ISSUE 23 /// EURAILmag Business & Technologyx T O P I C markets include the most presti- gious companies in the luxury, automotive, elec- tronics, optics and surface treatments including medical applications. A highly competitive group of scientists and engineers are led by Professor Christian Decker, director of research at CNRS, Professor Gerard Riess, head of the polymer department at the University of Haute Alsace, and Dr Khalid Zahouily (UV- Curing expert). the companys environmentally friendly technology has found a large variety of industrial applica- tions. UV-radiation curing is increasingly used in the coatings industry for the surface protection of various materials (wood, paper, plastics and metals) by fast-drying varnishesorpaints,aswellastopro- duce quick-setting adhesives, sealants, composite and nanocom- positematerials,Withoutforgetting the very promising market in UV- curable inkjet. PnPs UV-cured coatings are designedtoimprovetheweathering resistance of different kinds of organicmaterials,aswellassubstan- tially enhance surface properties suchasgloss,abrasion,scratchAnti- graffiti and chemical resistance. PnP has also developed a crosslinked UV-curable high per- formancenanocompositebyusing photoinitiated polymerisation of multifunctional monomers and oligomers, and mineral nanoparti- cles(suchascolloidalsilica,organic or carbon nanotubes). These nanocompositesareusedtocreate high performance clear coatings for such purposes as: A new route for the synthesis of biphasic organic nanocompos- ite alloys and colloidal polymer systems; Biphasic polymer structures, which will include organic nanoparticles and/or minerals, are being used by PnP to devel- op materials with extraordinary anti-graffiti properties. This new biphasic oil/oil nanoma- terials concept makes this new generation of UV curable anti- graffiti coatings regenerable, compared to conventional anti- graffiti coatings, which, under the action of abrasion effect, lost their anti-graffiti properties after a few months. END CUSTOMISED FORMULATION TO MEET SPECIALIZED REQUIREMENTS PHOTON & POLYMERS (PNP) IS A SPIN-OFF FROM FRANCES UNIVERSITY OF HAUTE ALSACE, IN MULHOUSE IN EASTERN FRANCE CLOSE TO THE SWISS AND GERMAN BORDERS, AND FRENCH RESEARCH AGENCY, THE NATIONAL CENTRE FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH (CNRS).CREATED BY DR KHALID ZAHOUILY, WHO HAS A PHD IN PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOPOLYMERS, IN 2001, THE COMPANY SPECIALISES IN THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF PHOTOPOLYMERS MATERIALS THROUGH THE TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY STAGE, CONCENTRATING ON PHOTOPOLYMERS MATERIALS AND CUSTOM SOLUTIONS IN UV-CURABLE HIGH PERFORMANCE COATINGS. FOR UV-CURING NANO-BIPHASIC ANTI-GRAFFITI & DROP-JET MANUFACTURING Organic Phase 1 Organic Phase 2 UV-curable Anti-graffiti Biphasic Nanomaterials 3D homogeneous distribution UV-curing Biphasic dispersion Figure 1 $ Protected area UV-Curing Process Light-induced polymerisation of multifunctional monomers, is commonly recognised asthemosteffectiveprocesstotransformasolvent-freeliquidresinintoahighlyresistant polymer material rapidly at ambient temperature. Under intense illumination, the crosslinkingreactionproceedsextensivelyatambienttemperaturetogenerateadense, three-dimensional polymer network showing excellent resistance to organic solvents, chemicalsandheat.Becauseofitsdistinctadvantagesregardingprocessingandproduct performance,thisenvironment-friendlytechnologyhasfoundawiderangeofindustrial applications, in particular to achieve fast drying of varnishes and printing inks, and quick setting of adhesives and composite materials. This technology was found to be veryeffectivetoproducebiphasicnanocompositematerialsorcoatingsbasedonacrylic resins and nanoparticles, which exhibit an excellent resistance to scratching, abrasion andanti-graffitiproperties.Theshortprocessingtimeandthelowenergyconsumption maketheUV-curingtechnologyparticularlyattractiveintermsofcost,comparedtothe conventional thermal curing process $ LEDs UV Systems Kinetics studies of photopolymerization reaction by using Real Time FT-IR Spectroscopy $ 3D profile of photopolymerization reaction $