Leaching and Biodegradation of Darocur 1173 used as a Photo-Initiator in the Production of Photocrosslinked Silicone Acrylates

Photocrosslinked silicone acrylates are used for a wide variety of applications, such as photocurable coatings, printing inks and adhesives. Their production requires the use of a photoinitiator (PI), such as Darocur 1173 (2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-propan-1-one). Even if PI represents a minor part of the formulation, residual amounts may remain in the polymerized products and possibly migrate into the environment during the use of the end products and/or at their end-of-life stage. To assess its possible fate under different environmental conditions, the release of Darocur 1173 from photocrosslinked silicone acrylates and its biodegradation were investigated. Leaching tests in water were conducted on thick coating and thin coated plastic films. Results showed that approximately 90% of the amount of Darocur 1173 used to synthesize thick coatings was released within 8 days of experiment. Biodegration assays were also done to assess the biodegradation of silicone coatings and PI under experimental conditions simulating the products' end-of-life in sewage treatment plants (aerobic conditions) or in domestic waste landfills (anaerobic conditions). Results showed no biodegradation of thick coatings and PI under anaerobic conditions. An inhibitory effect was even observed on the biodegradation of glucose used as a reference biodegradable molecule. Under aerobic conditions however, PI was totally biodegraded and used as a carbon source, unlike the silicone coating which was not biodegraded.