Preparation of UV-Curable Low Surface Energy Polyurethane Acrylate/Fluorinated Siloxane Resin Hybrid Coating with Enhanced Surface and Abrasion Resistance Properties

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Surface Chemistry
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Low surface energy coatings offer excellent hydrophobicity but often lack durability and long-term performance.
• Improving abrasion resistance and sustained hydrophobicity is crucial for practical applications of these advanced materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize ultraviolet (UV)-curable fluorosiloxane copolymers as reactive additives.
• To enhance the mechanical durability and surface hydrophobicity of polyurethane acrylate (PUA) coatings.
• To investigate the impact of these additives on coating performance during friction-annealing cycles.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of UV-curable fluorosiloxane copolymers.
• Formulation of PUA coatings with varying amounts of fluorosiloxane additives.
• Evaluation of surface hydrophobicity using water contact angle (WCA) measurements.
• Assessment of mechanical durability through friction tests and annealing treatments.

Main Results:

• Addition of fluorosiloxane copolymers significantly increased surface hydrophobicity, with a WCA rising from 58° to 144° at 2 wt.% addition.
• The hybrid films exhibited enhanced abrasion resistance, withstanding approximately 60 cycles of friction at 20 kPa pressure.
• Microstructural changes in the annealed films were correlated with improved hydrophobic properties.

Conclusions:

• Fluorosiloxane additives are effective in boosting both hydrophobicity and abrasion resistance of PUA coatings.
• The developed hybrid films show great promise for applications requiring durable low surface energy characteristics.
• This research addresses key limitations in current low surface energy coating technologies.