The Solvent Extraction and Analyses of Non-Crosslinked Components of UV-Polymerized Films

摘要

This research project involves the development of laboratory techniques and experimental protocols for the solvent extraction and identification of unpolymerized and/or non-crosslinked components of ultraviolet (UV)-polymerized films. It is part of a larger, long-term investigation designed to accurately determine the effects of UV dose (total energy) and peak irradiance on the amount and type of material that can be extracted from cured films of model acrylated aliphatic urethane-based UV formulations with compositions similar to those of a typical UV dear coating. Work is underway to select the optimum extraction solvent, to optimize the actual extraction procedures, and to develop size-exclusion chromatographic (SEC) techniques to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the solvent-extracted material. Since solvent-extractable components, by definition, are not chemically bonded into the three-dimensional crosslinked polymer network, the ability to experimentally determine the amount, composition, and average molecular mass of such components may be useful for elucidating a practical understanding of the effects of UV light on the kinetics of the UV polymerization process. Such data may also be beneficial in commercial applications where the quantity of solvent-extractable material must be minimized. The purpose of this poster presentation is to report on the results obtained from this project to date.