Actinic Radiation Curable Coating Compositions

Abstract

A method of preparing a cured coating or molded article prepared from a composition comprising an actinic-radiation curing polymer, wherein the composition is cured with actinic radiation at a temperature of at most 150° C. to form the cured coating or molded article; wherein the cured coating or molded article has a thickness of at least about 0.5 mm and a hardness of about Shore A 90 to about Shore D 90

1 . A method of preparing an article comprising a substrate and a cured coating;
 comprising preparing a composition comprising an actinic-radiation curing polymer, applying the composition to the substrate to form coating having a thickness of at least about 0.5 mm and curing the composition with actinic radiation while maintaining a temperature of at most 150° C. to form the cured coating; wherein the cured coating has a hardness of about Shore A 90 to about Shore D 90.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the composition has a viscosity of 50 to 20,000 cps. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the actinic-radiation curing polymer is an acrylate polymer or a mixture of acrylate polymers. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the actinic-radiation curing polymer is a UV cationic curing polymer. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the composition further comprises a two-component epoxy or polyurethane polymer. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the composition further comprises a moisture-curable silylated resin composition. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising cooling the coating during curing. 
   
   
       8 . A method of preparing molded articles comprising preparing a composition comprising an actinic-radiation curing polymer, pouring the composition into a mold having a thickness of at least about 0.5 mm and curing the composition with actinic radiation while maintaining a temperature of at most 150° C. to form the molded article; wherein the cured molded article has a hardness of about Shore A 90 to about Shore D 90. 
   
   
       9 . A method of decreasing tack free cure-time of a two-part polyurethane or epoxy composition or a moisture curable silylated composition comprising adding to the composition a sufficient amount of an actinic-radiation curing polymer or acrylate monomer to reduce the tack-free time, and then applying actinic radiation to the composition. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  comprising a two-part polyurethane or epoxy comprising adding to the composition a sufficient amount of an actinic-radiation curing polymer. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  comprising applying the actinic radiation while maintaining a temperature of at most 150° C. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein applying the actinic radiation forms a skin on the outside of the coating. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9  comprising a moisture curable silylated composition comprising adding to the composition a sufficient amount of an actinic-radiation curing acrylate polymer or acrylate monomer. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein applying the actinic radiation forms a skin on the outside of the coating.