What is UV (ultraviolet) curable resin?
What is a UV (ultraviolet) curable resin in the first place?
UV (ultraviolet) curable resins are those in which substances that become parts of resins, such as monomers and oligomers (in liquid form), are solidified and converted into resins by polymerizing reactions in a chain manner by light.
The UV curable resin is cured as follows.
When irradiated with ultraviolet rays, the photopolymerization initiator decomposes and radicals are generated. These radicals act on oligomers and monomers, and are cured by polymerization. This polymerization process proceeds in a few seconds, so that the cure is completed earlier.
UV curable resins can be made by combining a wide variety of monomers and oligomers.
Taking advantage of this feature,
(1)(Polymerizable polyfunctional) monomer/oligomer
(3)Additives (fillers, pigments, ultraviolet absorbers, etc.)
Depending on the combination of these materials and the intensity and duration of exposure to light, the paint is characteristic.
Characteristics of UV (ultraviolet) curable resin
Feature 1. Excellent in low pollution and energy conservation
Some organic solvents may be used, but the diluent generally uses polymerizable monomers, so there is no fear that the solvent will diffuse into the atmosphere. In this sense, it is excellent in low pollution. In addition, UV (ultraviolet) radiation cures the polymer, which minimizes heating and drying processes during polymerization, resulting in excellent energy saving.
Feature 2. Be more efficient than thermosetting
The curing time is much shorter than that of the thermosetting type or the room temperature curing type. In addition, since low-temperature processing is possible, it is suitable for applications such as coating substrates that are vulnerable to heat. In addition, since the crosslinking density is generally higher than that of the thermosetting type and the room temperature curing type, it is also excellent in solvent resistance and the like.
However, it is not suitable for complex shapes. This is because it is difficult for all surfaces to be irradiated with light.
Type of UV curable resin
UV curable resins can be divided into two major types: those that use radical polymerization of unsaturated double bonds such as acrylics, and those that use cationic polymerization such as epoxy.