Colloquium

Monday 23 May 2022

Speaker

Patrice Roose

Affiliation

Allnex, Belgium SA/NV, Drogenbos, Belgium

Title

Inks, Coatings and Beyond: A Journey in Radical Cure Technology

Location

Room A2 (A115-A117) of CSD Building (ground floor, north wing).

Time

16:00

Language

English

Abstract

In the thrust towards a sustainable world, new materials development will increasingly rely on the design and use of energy-efficient processes. With its favorable energy footprint, free-radical polymerization activated by UV light, or photopolymerization, already achieved solid acceptance in the field of industrial coatings and inks for multiple substrates including wood, paper, plastic and glass more than two decades ago.

The unique light-controlled resolution in space and time, along with pioneering developments in demanding areas such as dental materials or security glazing, raised photopolymerization to a successful, widespread technology in an expanding number of areas such as structural adhesives, bioengineering, electronics, photonics, multidimensional printing etc. Today new applications of photopolymerization linked to the energy transition, such as light-weight materials, energy storage and encapsulation are emerging, with an enhanced focus toward bio-based precursors.

For resin suppliers however, the vast number of applications requires knowledge in a wide-range of areas from fluid processing to material definition in order to match the desired product profiles likely involving flow, wetting, drying, adhesion, appearance, resistance (stain, solvent, mechanical, corrosion, fire, weathering), transport or barrier (electrical, thermal, permeation) and optical aspects. In particular, recurrent challenges are often faced in terms of reactivity, toughness, adhesion or gloss. In this lecture some developments based on deeper technical and scientific insights are highlighted.