UV LED Curable Perfluoropolyether (PFPE)-Urethane Methacrylate Transparent Coatings for Photonic Applications:...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Coatings Technology

Background:

• Development of advanced transparent coatings is crucial for various technological applications.
• UV LED curing offers an energy-efficient and rapid method for polymerizing coatings.
• Perfluoropolyether (PFPE)-based resins present unique properties for specialized coating formulations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize novel transparent UV LED-curable coatings using PFPE-urethane methacrylate and acrylate resins.
• To investigate the effect of different UV LED exposure times and conveyor belt speeds on coating properties.
• To optimize the synthesis route for enhanced coating performance.

Main Methods:

• Formulation of coatings using PFPE resins, photo-initiator Omnirad 2100, and silane crosslinkers.
• Curing of coatings using a UV LED light source on a controlled conveyor belt platform at varying speeds (5-500 mm/s).
• Characterization using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic-mechanical analysis, and optical property measurements.

Main Results:

• High conversion rates (98-100%) were achieved at lower exposure speeds (5 and 50 mm/s).
• Lower exposure times resulted in a decrease in glass transition temperature (60°C to 30°C) and storage modulus.
• The refractive indices ranged from 1.38 to 1.40, with thermo-optic coefficients around 2.55 × 10⁻⁴ K⁻¹.

Conclusions:

• Lower UV LED exposure speeds (5-50 mm/s) are favorable for achieving high conversion rates and optimal mechanical properties in PFPE-based transparent coatings.
• The study provides insights into tailoring coating characteristics by controlling curing parameters.
• The developed coatings demonstrate potential for applications requiring transparency and durability.