UV-cured coatings based on waterborne resins and SiO₂ nanoparticles

The UV curing technique in combination with the use of waterborne resins is very attractive since it gives the opportunity to get solid coatings by means of ecofriendly processes. We found that it is possible to use such UV curable water-based formulations as matrices for the preparation of nanocomposites in which the filler is generated in situ by means of the sol-gel chemistry. We prepared silica-based nanocomposites and characterized them comparing their performances with those of the silica-free coatings. Moreover, the article discusses the influence of the addition of a coupling agent between the organic and inorganic phase on the final properties of the nanocomposite.