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Epoxy Acrylates: A High-Performance Monomer for UV-Curable Coatings and Inks

2023/5/24

Epoxy acrylates are a type of acrylate monomers that contain epoxy groups in their structure. Acrylates are the salts, esters, and conjugate bases of acrylic acid, which have a vinyl group that can undergo free radical polymerization. Epoxy acrylates are formed by the reaction of epoxy resins with acrylic acid or methacrylic acid. They have a molecular formula of CnH2n+2O4 and a molecular weight of 198.22 g/mol.

Epoxy acrylates are widely used in UV-curable coatings and inks because of their high reactivity, chemical resistance, and high gloss. They can be cured by ultraviolet light or electron beam in a fast and efficient process that does not require solvents or heat. They can also be modified with various additives and diluents to achieve different properties and viscosities for different applications.

Some of the advantages of epoxy acrylates are:

High hardness: Epoxy acrylates provide excellent mechanical properties and durability to coatings and inks, even under harsh conditions.
Chemical resistance: Epoxy acrylates are resistant to acids, alkalis, solvents, oils, and water, making them suitable for industrial and outdoor applications.
High gloss: Epoxy acrylates impart a high level of gloss and clarity to coatings and inks, enhancing their aesthetic appeal.
Pigment wetting: Epoxy acrylates have good wetting properties for pigments and fillers, resulting in uniform color distribution and coverage.
Low odor: Epoxy acrylates have low odor and low volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions, making them environmentally friendly and safe for indoor uses.


Some of the applications of epoxy acrylates are:

Wood coatings: Epoxy acrylates are used as top coatings, primers, and fillers for wood products such as furniture, flooring, joinery, and flatstock. They provide high gloss, adhesion, water resistance, abrasion resistance, and weatherability.
Plastic coatings: Epoxy acrylates are used as coatings for flexible and rigid plastics such as PVC, PET, ABS, PC, PS, and PP. They provide high gloss, adhesion, chemical resistance, flexibility, and hardness.
Metal coatings: Epoxy acrylates are used as coatings for metals such as steel, aluminum, copper, brass, and zinc. They provide high gloss, adhesion, corrosion resistance, abrasion resistance, and hardness.
Inks: Epoxy acrylates are used as binders for UV-curable inks for printing on paper, plastic, metal, wood, glass, and ceramic substrates. They provide high gloss, color strength, chemical resistance, scratch resistance, and fast curing.


Epoxy acrylates are a versatile monomer that can be used to create UV-curable coatings and inks with various applications in different fields. They are an important building block for the synthesis of high-performance materials that have superior performance and functionality.