Photoinduced polymerization and crosslinking reactions

UV-induced polymerizations of acrylates are investigated with respect to industrial applications. The high processing security, economy, environmental compatibility and the stability of these systems are benefits of UV curable resins and explain the continuous growth of the UV market. Applications comprise flexible coatings, curable paints and inks as well as dental materials. The rate of photopolymerization, the degree of cure and the influence of various process variables are measured by real-time infrared spectroscopy. Using this analytical technique, the curing behaviour is studied and influences of resin composition, type of photoinitiator, UV power density, temperature etc. are detected. Such investigations are useful for the optimization of industrial web processes and for the improvement of the performance of adhesives and dental compositions. UV induced crosslinking of elastomers is another field of applied research. In this case, novel crosslinking agents are explored for the insolubilization of rubbery materials.