Preparation, Characterization, and Properties of UV-Curable Coating Doped with Nano-SiO₂

In this study, a hydrophobic, wear-resistant ultraviolet (UV)-curable coating was investigated as an alternative to traditional coatings with low hardness and high susceptibility to scratching. The SiO₂ nanoparticles were ground and modified using high-energy ball milling, during which the surface energy of nano-SiO₂ particles rapidly increased as their particle size decreased. Different proportions of modified nano-SiO₂ particles were added to the coating and cured into a film. The structure of the composite coating was analyzed via infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction, which confirmed the successful preparation of the composite coating. The mechanical and optical property tests of the coating were investigated. With a 5% nano-SiO₂ content, the hardness of the coating reached 5H, whereas the adhesion was poor (2B), and the flexibility was 1. The overall comprehensive performance of the coating was best when the addition amount was 3%. The coating exhibited good hardness, flexibility, and adhesion. The hardness of the coating reached 4H, the adhesion was 4B, the flexibility was 5, the coating haze was 12.38 HZ, and the contact angle was 118°.