Uv-curable Release Coating and Adhesive Formulations Containing Vinylethers

Vinylether monomers offer unique properties for UV/EB curing due to their efficiency as reactive diluents and their ability to undergo both cationic homopolymerization and free-radical copolymerization. The benefits derived from the inclusion of vinylethers into commercial UVcurable epoxysilicone formulations include viscosity reduction, improved cationic photoinitiator miscibility, and lower costs. The addition of up to 60 wt.% of monovinylethers to epoxysilicone systems maintains the release performance, resulting in high-performance coatings and valuable cost savings. On the other hand, divinylethers may be used to impart a controlled release behavior to the epoxysilicone systems. Vinylethers may also be used in the formulation of acrylate-free pressure-sensitive adhesives and laminating adhesives. In this paper, we have first elucidated the advantages offered by the inclusion of vinylethers in UVcurable release coatings, followed by a discussion of UV curable pressure-sensitive and laminating adhesive formulations based on vinylethers.