Kinetic studies of a UV-curable powder coating using photo-DSC, real-time FTIR and rheology

The curing kinetics of UV-curable powder coatings based on commercial unsaturated polyesters were monitored using photo-DSC, Real-Time FTIRATR and a modified rheometer equipped with a UV source. The effect of physical and chemical factors on curing such as type of photoinitiator, photoinitiator concentration, temperature and atmosphere of curing were evaluated. Coatings containing amounts of photoinitiator from 0.5 to 10 wt% were cured at different temperatures in less than 10 s reaching conversions approximately of 60%. The increase of the temperature of curing reduces the final conversion and also the rate of polymerization due to the chain transfer process and depolymerization that dominates the photopolymerization at high temperatures. The reactivity of the photoinitiators was similar for all the studied photoinitiators apart from benzophenone that was found to be the slowest initiator.ring kinetics of UV-curable powder coatings based on commercial unsaturated polyesters were monitored using photo-DSC, Real-Time FTIRATR and a modified rheometer equipped with a UV source. The effect of physical and chemical factors on curing such as type of photoinitiator, photoinitiator concentration, temperature and atmosphere of curing were evaluated. Coatings containing amounts of photoinitiator from 0.5 to 10 wt% were cured at different temperatures in less than 10 s reaching conversions approximately of 60%. The increase of the temperature of curing reduces the final conversion and also the rate of polymerization due to the chain transfer process and depolymerization that dominates the photopolymerization at high temperatures. The reactivity of the photoinitiators was similar for all the studied photoinitiators apart from benzophenone that was found to be the slowest initiator