UV-Cured Coating Resins Made from Renewable Thiolactone Derivatives

A set of multifunctional UV-cured thiol-ene polymer resins was prepared from thiolactone containing monomers and different amine compounds. When applying the derived polymers to steel, the researchers found four beneficial properties.

Aminolysis of the thiolactone moiety enabled the introduction of different side chains and crosslinkers into the polymers.

Good adhesion, high transparency

The glass transition temperature of the polymers varied between 22 and 90 °C, depending on the type and molar ratio of amine-containing compounds relative to the monomer. The properties of the UV-cured thin films were screened using standard tests for coatings, including pencil hardness, impact resistance, and cross-hatch adhesion. Thiolactone-derived polymer films exhibited high transparency of 90%, pencil hardness in the range of 3B-HB, high impact resistance >2 kg m, and good adhesion to steel in dry conditions.