Dendrimeric Structures in UV Curing Systems

UV Curing Systems and the Use of Dendrimer Structures UV (ultraviolet) curing is a system in which high-intensity ultraviolet light is used for the instantaneous curing and drying of coatings and adhesives. UV curing can be adapted to coating, printing, decoration and the assembly of various products and materials. Ultraviolet curing is a high-speed process. The curing operation is achieved through polymerization rather than evaporation. The main advantage of UV curing is the speed it brings to production. In addition to accelerating production, defects and errors are significantly reduced because the time required for dust or other particles in the air to come into contact with the material is minimized. Another distinct advantage of ultraviolet curing is that since there is no need to wait for drying during production, less floor space is required in facilities for products nearing completion. This creates good productivity throughout the entire manufacturing process. On the other hand, UV-cured adhesives have become a fast alternative that can replace two-component adhesives. In this way, concerns such as ratio mixing, solvent removal and potential shelf life are eliminated. Ultraviolet-cured adhesives are used in many different sectors. These include automotive, cosmetics, food, science, pharmaceutical, medical, education and art [1]. The UV-curable acrylic resin market size was USD 4.6 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 7.3 billion in 2026 [2,3]. Dendrimers are defined as the most important fourth class of polymers, known as dendritic polymers, following cross-linked, linear and branched polymers. They are three-dimensional macromolecules with a highly branched, highly regular structure that grows from a multifunctional core. With these structural characteristics, they possess quite interesting physical and chemical properties. The symmetric addition of new groups starting from the core allows dendrimers to grow exponentially, and the functionality of these structures depends on the cores used, the terminal groups and the empty spaces [5]. Dendrimer solutions have significantly lower viscosity than conventional polymers. The rapid hardening of a regular monomer depends on the presence of multifunctional branches that increase molecular weight in a molecule, the complexity of the molecular structure and significantly internal viscosity. It is very difficult to balance viscosity with curing speed using a conventional monomer. However, a dendrimer can be used in a new coating formulation with high UV-reactive structure but low viscosity to accelerate curing and improve certain optical properties of the coated film. Although notable progress has been recorded in various applications of dendrimers as mentioned above, research on the use of dendrimers in UV curing processes is insufficient [6]. Research on the production of UV-curable dendrimer resins is being conducted at İzel Kimya Research and Development Center. The development of these resins and similar monomers will provide advantages in many fields such as dental, coating, paint and molding and will contribute to a sustainable economy.   References 1. http://www.rotalab.com/tr/urunler/yuzey-kurleme-sistemleri/ultraviyole-uv-kurleme.html 2. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/3d-printing-industry analysis#:~:text=The%20 global%203D%20printing%2market,21.5%20million%20units%20by%202030 3. https://www.turkchem.net/biyo-esasli-uv-ile-kurlenebilir-recineler.html 4. https://rimotec.nl/uv-curing/ 5. Şener, Muhammed. Investigation Of Flotation Behavior Of PAMAM Dendrimers In Industrial Minerals. Doctoral Dissertation, İnönü University, 2019. 6. Harmandar, K. Providing Catalytic Properties to PAMAM Type Dendrimers, Master's Thesis, Yıldız Technical University, 2016. 7. Gillani, S. S., Munawar, M. A., Khan, K. M., & Chaudhary, J. A. (2020). Synthesis, characterization and applications of poly-aliphatic amine dendrimers and dendrons. Journal of the Iranian Chemical Society, 17(11), 2717-2736. 8. Rwei, S. P., & Chen, J. D. (2012). Investigating the UV-curing performance for polyacrylated polymer in dendritic and regular conformation. Polymer bulletin, 68(2), 493-505.   Bahtiyar Yanar - Research and Development Researcher İzel Kimya Dr. Cemil Dizman - Research and Development Director İzel Kimya