Curing behavior and cured film performance of easy-to-clean UV-curable coatings based on hybrid urethane acrylate oligomers

This study aims to prepare different formulations of UV-curable coatings based on hybrid urethane acrylate oligomers and to characterize their UV-cured films for application as easy-to-clean coatings. The effects of reactive monomer functionality and the oligomer structure on the reaction rate and extent of UV curing were investigated as well as on the cured films properties. The study began with the synthesis of two different hybrid urethane acrylate oligomers and their chemical structures were characterized by NMR and FT-IR. Six formulations of UV-curable coating were prepared by varying the type of urethane acrylate oligomers in addition to the type of reactive monomers, using 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenyl acetophenone as a photo-initiator, methacrylic acid as a reactive diluent and 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane as a coupling agent. The UV curing process of such coatings was monitored by FT-IR and the C=C bond conversion was expressed. Finally, the weight loss, water contact angle, cross-cut adhesion and tensile properties of the UV-cured films were also investigated.