UV Radiation Curing of Surface Coatings Based on ENR-Cycloaliphatic Diepoxide-Glycidyl Methacrylate System by Cationic Photoinitiators-Optimization of Process Variables Through Response Surface Methodology

By R.N. Kumar, Woo Choon Kong, Abusamah Abubakar

This paper reports on the results of the ultraviolet curing of surface coatings based on cycloaliphatic diepoxide-epoxidized natural rubber (ENR)-glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) system with a cationic photoinitiator. The results reported in our earlier publication¹ showed that ENR acts as a toughening agent for the otherwise brittle epoxy resin, and that GMA functions as a crosslinking agent in the system and promotes adhesion between the elastomeric domain and the resin matrix.

In this paper, the results of the effect of operating variables on the properties of the cured film are reported. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to collect data and to establish the functional relationships between operating variables and performance characteristics of the cured coatings.

The data are represented in three-dimensional response surface plots. These plots not only enable the interpretation of results, but also allow the determination of the optimum treatment combinations required to maximize the properties of the surface coatings.