Photolatent Effect Additives for Coatings

By J. Benkhoff, K. Dietliker, K. Powell, T. Jung, K. Studer, E.V. Sitzmann

Photolatent additives play a crucial role in the coatings industry. These are thermally stable or latent materials that become reactive after they absorb a photon. Photolatent initiators and catalysts are well known examples of these types of additives.

Photoinitiators are required for photo-induced polymerization, which can
be used to cure coatings. The thermally stable photoinitiators serve as triggers and turn an otherwise dormant or latent system into an active one once they are activated by light.

Using light as a trigger is an important way to gain better control in the way coatings are made and, in cer­tain cases, how they can be used. Light also can be used to generate other effects as well. For example, photolatent colorants are colorless and once activated by light they chemically change to produce new colors. Photolatent fragrances, as the name suggests, are addi­tives that generate pleasant aromas or fragrances once they are photoactivated.