Radiation Curing of Phosphorus Telomer-Based Coatings Using UV LEDs or Medium-Pressure Mercury Lamp

In the presented study, UV LEDs (365 nm) or a medium-pressure mercury lamp (UV-ABC) were verified as UV radiation sources initiating the photocrosslinking process of varnishes based on novel photopolymerizable phosphorus (meth)acrylate oligomers. Coating formulations were composed of (meth)acrylic/styrene telomers with terminal P-atoms (prepared via a UV phototelomerization process) and different photoinitiators (HAPs, APOs, or APO blends). The kinetics of the UV crosslinking process of the coating formulations depending on UV irradiation and the UV range was investigated by the photo-DSC method. Moreover, the hardness of the varnishes and the conversion of double bonds using the FTIR method were tested. The photopolymerization rate and the photoinitiation index, depending on the type of photoinitiator, were as follows: APOs < APO blends < HAPs. However, the highest coating hardness results were obtained using the least reactive photoinitiator from the APO group, i.e., Omnirad TPOL, or a mixture of three different types of acylphosphine (Omnirad BL 750). The greater effectiveness of the above-mentioned APOs over HAP was also demonstrated when using a UV LED lamp at 365 nm with a low UV dose and UV irradiance, thanks to the presence of phosphoric acid diester in the coating composition, acting as both a telogen and an antioxidant.