NUKLEONIKA 2010, 55(1):97-106

 


RADIATION CURING: COATING AND COMPOSITES



Anthony J. Berejka1, Daniel Montoney2, Marshall R. Cleland3, Loic Loiseau4

1 Ionicorp+, 4 Watch Way, Huntington, New York 11743, USA
2 Strathmore Products, Incorporated, 1970 West Fayette Str., Syracuse, New York 13204, USA
3 IBA Industrial, Incorporated, 151 Heartland Boulevard, Edgewood, New York 11717, USA
4 IBA Industrial, Chemin du Cyclotron, 3, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

The initial experiments conducted in the late 1960’s at Radiation Dynamics, Inc. (now IBA Industrial, Inc.) showed that by removing the pigment from a radiation curable coating formulation, the same binder system could be used as a matrix system for electron beam (EB) cured fiber reinforced composites. Recently, the binder systems used for EB curable coatings have also been successfully used (without pigments) as the matrices for EB and X-ray cured fiber composites. Insights gained from the development of coatings were translated into desirable properties for matrix materials. For example, understanding the surface wetting characteristics of a coating facilitated the development of a matrix that would wet fibers; the development of coatings that would adhere to rigid substrates as metal while being bent, as for coil coatings, and which would exhibit impact resistance when cured on a metal also imparted impact resistance to cured composite materials. Thermal analyses conducted on the coating binder cured at low energies were consistent with analyses performed on thick cross-sections as used for matrices. The configuration of the final product then dictated the modality of curing, be it low-energy EB for coatings or higher energy EB or X-ray curing for composites. In industrial radiation chemistry, one deals with monomers and oligomers (~ 102 and ~ 103 to 104 Daltons molecular weight, respectively). Thus, one can approach the development of coating binders or matrix systems as one would approach the synthesis of organic polymers. The desired final material is a fully cured and cross-linked polymer. In contrast, concepts involved in “formulating” are often derived from dealing with high molecular weight polymers (~ 105 + Daltons) in which intense mechanical mixing is used to bring different ingredients together. When synthesizing a radiation curable coating or matrix system, greater attention is given to microphase compatibility as reflected in the microhomogeneity of the entire material.

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