Preparation and Properties of UV Curable Cycloalipatic Epoxy Acrylate Coatings

UV curable cycloaliphatic epoxy acrylate resin (CEA) was synthesized by ring opening reaction of acrylic acid (AA) and cycloaliphatic epoxy resin. The product was characterized by FT-IR. The influences of reaction temperature and time on the conversion rate were discussed. Prepolymers of the coating were prepared with reactive diluents and CEA, viscosity of which was measured by viscometer. UV cured films of the prepolymers were analyzed by DSC, TG and pencil hardness tester.Results showed that when the molar ratio of acrylic acid and epoxy group was 1/3, the conversion rate of the reaction reached 96.58% at 120 °C for about 25.8 h. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of CEA cured film was 64 °C and the initial decomposition temperature was 314 °C. With the addition of reactive diluents, heatresistance of the cured films was enhanced. Pencil hardness of the films could reach 6 H.