Radiation curable materials – principles and new perspectives

Increasing environmental concerns and the ensuing legislation to cut emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been major driving forces behind the development of radiation cured coatings over the past 25 years. Today radiation cured coatings are known for their good overall performance and their excellent resistance against chemical and physical surface damages. Advanced photoinitiator systems allow the light stabilisation of UV‐curable formulations and the outdoor application of the coating. The rapid curing, combined with the possibility of immediate processing of the coated objects opens the way for radiation curing – in 100%‐, water based‐, and dual cure systems as well as for radiation curable powder coatings – for a wide variety of application.