One-Part Curable Soft Feel Coatings via UV Curing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional two-part soft feel coatings face issues such as handling safety concerns, limited shelf-life, long curing times, and poor protective properties like stain, chemical, abrasion, and mar resistance, necessitating the development of one-part curable coatings that are indefinitely stable until activated by an energy source.
Innovation Solution
The development of one-part curable compositions comprising isocyanurate tri(meth)acrylate or its derivatives, urethane diacrylate, monofunctional or difunctional reactive diluents, solvents, and additives, which are stable until activated by radiation, heat, or a combination of both, allowing for flexible curing and improved properties like softness, abrasion resistance, and chemical resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If two-part isocyanate based coatings are used to achieve soft feel, then softness and warm feeling are improved, but handling safety, shelf-life, and curing time are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the isocyanate component from the coating formulation, using only acrylate monomers and oligomers that can be cured via UV radiation. This eliminates the need for handling free isocyanates while maintaining the soft feel properties through careful selection of acrylate-based soft oligomers and monomers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical curing mechanism of two-part isocyanate systems with a radiation-based curing system (UV or electron beam). This substitution allows the coating to remain stable during handling and storage, then cure rapidly when exposed to radiation, improving both safety and shelf-life while maintaining softness.
2Ease of operation
If two-part isocyanate based coatings are used to achieve soft feel, then softness is improved, but curing time and protective properties are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the slow chemical reaction of isocyanate-based curing with rapid UV or electron beam radiation curing. The acrylate-based formulation contains polymerizable groups that undergo fast polymerization when exposed to radiation, reducing curing time from hours to seconds or minutes while achieving the desired softness through appropriate oligomer selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical structure of the coating components from isocyanate-based to acrylate-based polymers and oligomers. This parameter change enables the coating to be cured by radiation rather than slow chemical reaction, dramatically reducing curing time while maintaining the soft tactile properties through careful selection of soft acrylate oligomers.
3Ease of operation
If two-part isocyanate based coatings are used to achieve soft feel, then softness is improved, but protective properties are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite coating system combining soft acrylate oligomers with harder crosslinking agents and protective additives. This composite formulation achieves both softness from the oligomer component and improved protective properties from the crosslinked network and functional additives, eliminating the need to choose between softness and protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition from isocyanate-based to acrylate-based polymers, which inherently provide better chemical and stain resistance. The crosslinking density and network structure are optimized to simultaneously achieve softness and enhanced protective properties, including abrasion and mar resistance, through the radiation-cured acrylate system.
4Reliability
If one-part curable compositions are used to improve stability and safety, then handling safety and shelf-life are improved, but formulation complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses acrylate-based monomers and oligomers that serve multiple functions: they provide the soft feel, act as the resin matrix, contain the polymerizable groups for curing, and offer inherent chemical resistance. This multi-functionality simplifies the one-part formulation compared to two-part systems while maintaining stability and safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the separate hardener component from the formulation, incorporating all necessary reactive components into a single stable one-part system. The acrylate-based formulation contains both the soft oligomers and crosslinking functionality in one package, eliminating the need for separate isocyanate hardener while simplifying handling and storage.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The one-part curable compositions provide a stable, soft feel coating with enhanced properties like mar resistance, abrasion resistance, and chemical resistance, suitable for various applications including automotive, aeronautics, cosmetics, and consumer electronics, without the limitations of two-part systems.
Implementation Method 1
the compositions are indefinitely stable until an outside energy source is applied to facilitate curing, i.e., no pot-life or shelf-life limitations, whereby the curing may be facilitated with radiation, heat or a combination of both
Data Source
AI summary
One-part, curable compositions that have a soft feel when applied as a coating/film and cured, may include a) at least one isocyanurate tri(meth)acrylate or derivative thereof; and at least one of components b)-e), wherein: b) is at least one urethane diacrylate; c) is at least one monofunctional or difunctional reactive diluent; d) is at least one solvent; and e) is additives. The one-part, curable compositions are advantageous with respect to softness and tailorability of softness as well as other properties such as mar resistance, abrasion resistance, stain resistance and chemical resistance. Due to their advantageous properties, embodiments of the one-part, curable compositions described herein are viable for a wide range of coating applications including automotives, aeronautics, cosmetics, small appliances, packaging and consumer electronics. Methods of making and using the one-part, curable are also described herein.