New Materials Developments Recognized by RadTech With Potential Applications in Automotive, Aerospace, Electronics and Printing Industries

BETHESDA, MD - RadTech, the non profit trade association for ultraviolet and electron beam curing technologies is pleased to announce "Best Papers" for the upcoming biennial Conference RadTech 2016, May 16-18. Chicago, IL, http://www.radtech2016.com.  

Best Student Paper:

"Combining oxiranes and oxetanes to enhance kinetics and improve physical properties"
Sara Kaalberg, University of Iowa; Co-Author: Pofessor Julie L.P. Jessop

This paper deals with advances in Cationic photopolymerizations, which can result in significant cost savings to users.  For example, the addition of oxetane monomers to epoxide formulations dramatically reduces both formulation viscosity and reaction time, as well as enabling control of polymer flexibility.  These systems could be advantageous in applications such as automotive and aircraft coatings that have large surface areas or complex geometries, microelectronic encapsulation that would benefit from low viscosity formulations, or protective coatings on rolled substrates that require immediate green strength while final properties are achieved during storage.

Best Overall Paper:

"Design of New 3-Ketocoumarins for UV LED Curing"
Marika Morone, IGM Resins. Co-Authors: Andrea Bernini Freddia, Gabriele Norcinia

The aim of this work is to develop a new photoinitiator for LED lamps (365 nm and 395nm) able to overcome limitations of existing products, while retaining high reactivity and solubility. Because the major market for LED are graphic arts, the first targets are to develop a new product for this field. This new photoinitiator is suitable for printing inks such as off-set, flexo, screen and inkjet inks, but also for all the applications which require high speed and low oxygen sensitivity.