Novel Photoreactive Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives (PSA) Based on Acrylics Containing Additionable Photoinitiators

A new class of additionable ultraviolet photoinitiators that can be used, through addition, for modification of the acrylic polymer chain and their influence of main properties of acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) is described here. The photoinitiators studied are based on benzophenone, dibenzofuran and anthraquinone chromophores. The propyleneimine carbonyl is the reactive additionable group incorporated in the photoinitiator structure. First, the solvent-borne acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive was synthesized and characterized. Then, a photoinitiator suitable for addition to the acrylic polymer chain possessing a carboxyl group was added before UV-irradiation. A mechanism of UV-initiated cross-linking reaction of acrylic PSA with additionable photoinitiators was done as well. The influence of the concentration and type of photoinitiator, UV-crosslinking time and UV-dose on peel adhesion, shear strength and tack of solvent-borne acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesives cross-linked by UV light was studied and presented here. It was found that the tack depends on the UV-dose and photoinitiator concentration. An increase of UV dose results in an increase of shear strength of acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) formulations.