Kinetics characterization of a novel photopolymerizable siloxane-modified acrylic resin

An experimental study was carried out for the development and characterization of innovative photopolymerizable siloxane-modified acrylic formulations for possible use as protective coatings. The kinetics of the radical photopolymerization mechanism induced by UV and visible radiations in presence of suitable photoinitiators was studied by a calorimetric analysis by varying the testing conditions (temperature, light power emission, atmosphere). The reactivity, expressed in terms of both heat developed and rate of reaction, was generally found to decrease when the photopolymerization was carried out in air, due the inhibiting action of the oxygen towards the free-radical polymerization. The addition of both a silane coupling agent or a high molecular weight polysiloxane monomer to the acrylic resin was found to reduce the heat of reaction. Experimental data were fitted to a kinetic model to quantify the effects of light intensity and temperature on reaction rates and extent of reaction. A good agreement between the experimental data and the theoretical model was generally found.