{"id":6731,"date":"2017-06-30T08:00:41","date_gmt":"2017-06-30T14:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ulprospector.com\/knowledge\/?p=6731"},"modified":"2017-07-11T11:50:41","modified_gmt":"2017-07-11T17:50:41","slug":"pc-improving-performance-monomers-oligomers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/6731\/pc-improving-performance-monomers-oligomers\/","title":{"rendered":"Improving Performance with Monomers and Oligomers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Properly chosen <em>monomers and oligomers<\/em> provide improved performance in a wide variety of coatings applications, such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>adhesion<\/li>\n<li>chemical resistance<\/li>\n<li>substrate wetting<\/li>\n<li>improved weathering<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A <em>monomer<\/em> can be defined as a molecule that can combine with other molecules to form an oligomer or polymer. An <em>oligomer<\/em> can be described as a molecular complex comprised of a few monomer units. This article will focus on functional monomers and oligomer types that may be used in radiation cure compositions as well as solventless, high solids and waterborne coatings.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6732 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/media\/2017\/06\/ron-monomers-oligomers-1.png\" alt=\"Learn how monomers and oligomers function in inks and coatings applications, as well as how they are used in UV light cure systems.\" width=\"814\" height=\"550\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/ron-monomers-oligomers-1.png 814w, https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/ron-monomers-oligomers-1-300x203.png 300w, https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/ron-monomers-oligomers-1-768x519.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 814px) 100vw, 814px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>As the molecular weight increases in a solution polymer within a monomer type, viscosity increases, solubility decreases and in general compatibility with other resins decrease. Accordingly, with these basic relationships in mind, oligomers can be used to decrease volatile organic compound (VOC) content and application viscosity. Some of the common monomers and oligomers used in <em>light cure systems<\/em> include those in Figure 2.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Figure 2 \u2013 UV Cure Oligomer Types\/Characteristics<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-6737\" src=\"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/media\/2017\/06\/ron-monomers-oligomers-2-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"561\" height=\"192\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/ron-monomers-oligomers-2-1.png 561w, https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/ron-monomers-oligomers-2-1-300x103.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 561px) 100vw, 561px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-6736\" src=\"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/media\/2017\/06\/ron-monomers-oligomers-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"330\" height=\"233\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/ron-monomers-oligomers-3.png 330w, https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/ron-monomers-oligomers-3-300x212.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 330px) 100vw, 330px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-6738\" src=\"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/media\/2017\/06\/ron-monomers-oligomers-4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"338\" height=\"253\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/ron-monomers-oligomers-4.png 338w, https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/ron-monomers-oligomers-4-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 338px) 100vw, 338px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-6739 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/media\/2017\/06\/ron-monomers-oligomers-5.png.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"663\" height=\"160\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/ron-monomers-oligomers-5.png.png 663w, https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/ron-monomers-oligomers-5.png-300x72.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 663px) 100vw, 663px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><u>Table 1. Acrylate oligomer types, their performance effects and use in inks and coatings<sup>1<\/sup><\/u><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"166\"><strong><u>Oligomer Type<\/u><\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"166\"><strong><u>Performance Effects<\/u><\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"166\"><strong><u>Use in Inks and Coatings<\/u><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"166\">Epoxy Acrylate<\/td>\n<td width=\"166\">Increase reactivity, hardness, chemical resistance; decrease cost<\/td>\n<td width=\"166\">Oligomer of choice for coatings; used to lower cost in inks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"166\">Aliphatic urethane acrylate<\/td>\n<td width=\"166\">Increase flexibility, toughness, weathering; multi-functionals increase reactivity, hardness, chemical resistance; decrease yellowing<\/td>\n<td width=\"166\">Increase flexibility or hardness; for touch, weatherable screen inks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"166\">Aromatic urethane acrylate<\/td>\n<td width=\"166\">Increase flexibility, toughness; multifunctionals increase reactivity, hardness, chemical resistance; decrease cost (vs. aliphatic)<\/td>\n<td width=\"166\">Increase flexibility or hardness; not weatherable<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"166\">Polyester acrylate<\/td>\n<td width=\"166\">Increase wetting; decrease viscosity<\/td>\n<td width=\"166\">For pigment wetting, adhesion; oligomer of choice for litho inks due to water balance and printability<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"166\">Acrylic acrylate<\/td>\n<td width=\"166\">Increase adhesion, weathering<\/td>\n<td width=\"166\">Increase adhesion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In addition to monomers and oligomers employed in radiation cure formulations, there is a myriad number of applications where these molecules are employed. For example, oligomers can be nonfunctional, mono functional or multifunctional and be used to enhance performance or environmental properties. Some common oligomer types used in applications in addition to light cure systems include epoxy ester, urethane, epoxy, acrylic, polyester and polycaprolactone. As figure III illustrates, many of these oligomers are functionalized with one or more functional groups to promote crosslinking, flexibility or adhesion.<\/p>\n<p><u>Table 2. Examples of Oligomers Employed in Various Coating Applications<\/u><\/p>\n<table width=\"487\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\"><strong>Oligomer Type<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"155\"><strong>Functional Groups<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"218\"><strong>Potential Applications in Coatings<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\"><strong>Silane<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"155\">&#8211; SH, &#8211; Si-OH, -OH<\/td>\n<td width=\"218\">Solvent free, multiple cures possible<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\"><strong>Acrylic<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"155\">&#8211; OH<\/td>\n<td width=\"218\">2K Urethanes, aminoplast cure<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\"><strong>Brominated Epoxy<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"155\">\u00a0Oxirane<\/td>\n<td width=\"218\">Flame retardant, cure with polyamines<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\"><strong>Polyester urethane<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"155\">&#8211; OH<\/td>\n<td width=\"218\">Flexible topcoats, cure with \u2013NCO, aminoplasts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"113\"><strong>Polycaprolactone<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"155\">&#8211; OH<\/td>\n<td width=\"218\">Cure with \u2013NCO, aminoplasts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>In addition to the oligomer types described in Table 2, there are a host of other oligomers that are used primarily to reduce viscosity and VOC in coatings or to enhance flexibility, adhesion, weathering and substrate wetting.<\/p>\n<p>As a class, the oligomers that are utilized to reduce viscosity in a formulation are commonly called <em>reactive diluents<\/em>. A reactive diluent performs two functions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>to reduce viscosity similar to that of a solvent<\/li>\n<li>to react with the resin and cross-linker in the coating and thus become part of the cured coating film<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The table below provides a number of examples of the types of functionalities that are available in oligomers that are classified as <em>reactive diluents <\/em>and the compositions they are used in.<\/p>\n<p><u>Table 3. Examples of Functionalities in Oligomeric Reactive Diluents<\/u><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"166\"><strong>Functionality<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"249\"><strong>Coating Application<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"166\">Acrylate<\/td>\n<td width=\"249\">Radiation cure<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"166\">Vinyl<\/td>\n<td width=\"249\">Radiation cure<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"166\">Isocyanate<\/td>\n<td width=\"249\">Urethanes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"166\">Oxirane<\/td>\n<td width=\"249\">Epoxy based coatings<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"166\">Mercaptan<\/td>\n<td width=\"249\">Epoxy based coatings<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"166\">Silane<\/td>\n<td width=\"249\">Multiple resin types<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"166\">Hydroxyl<\/td>\n<td width=\"249\">Aminoplast or isocyanate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"166\">Acetoacetate<\/td>\n<td width=\"249\">Crosslink with amino or isocyanate functionality<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3>Resources<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Radtech, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.radtech.org\/images\/printers-guide-new\/ChemistryPrimer_2016update_PROOF.pdf\">Printers\u2019 Guide: UV\/EB Chemistry and Technology<\/a><\/li>\n<li>UL Prospector, <a href=\"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/3778\/pc-uv-led-curable-coatings-wait-can-cure-speed-light?st=31\">UV-LED Cureable Coatings<\/a> by Ronald Lewarchik, February 5, 2016<\/li>\n<li>Organic Coatings, Science and Technology, Third Addition, wicks et.al., Wiley Interscience, 2007<\/li>\n<li>UL Prospector raw material search engine<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Properly chosen monomers and oligomers provide improved performance in a wide variety of coatings applications, such as: adhesion chemical resistance substrate wetting improved weathering A monomer can be defined as a molecule that can combine with other molecules to form &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/6731\/pc-improving-performance-monomers-oligomers\/\">Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":6742,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[228],"ppma_author":[1249],"class_list":{"0":"post-6731","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-paint-coatings","8":"tag-material-deep-dive","9":"entry"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Monomers and Oligomers: Characteristics, functions, and applications<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how monomers and oligomers function in inks and coatings applications, as well as how they are used in UV light cure systems.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/6731\/pc-improving-performance-monomers-oligomers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Monomers and Oligomers: Characteristics, functions, and applications\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn how monomers and oligomers function in inks and coatings applications, as well as how they are used in UV light cure systems.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/6731\/pc-improving-performance-monomers-oligomers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Prospector Knowledge Center\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-06-30T14:00:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-07-11T17:50:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/9034981_1200x630.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ron Lewarchik\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/media\/2017\/06\/9034981_150x150.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ron Lewarchik\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ulprospector.ul.com\\\/6731\\\/pc-improving-performance-monomers-oligomers\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ulprospector.ul.com\\\/6731\\\/pc-improving-performance-monomers-oligomers\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ron Lewarchik\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ulprospector.ul.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/21b1c19e5a3e88e83d018aeeeb06d5c1\"},\"headline\":\"Improving Performance with Monomers and Oligomers\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-06-30T14:00:41+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-07-11T17:50:41+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ulprospector.ul.com\\\/6731\\\/pc-improving-performance-monomers-oligomers\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":634,\"commentCount\":3,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ulprospector.ul.com\\\/6731\\\/pc-improving-performance-monomers-oligomers\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ulprospector.ul.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2017\\\/06\\\/9034981_600x400.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Material Deep Dive\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Paint &amp; 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Lewarchik, President and CEO of Chemical Dynamics, LLC, brings 40 years of paint and coatings industry expertise to his role as a contributing author with the Prospector Knowledge Center. As a contributing writer, Ron pens articles on topics relevant to formulators in the coatings industry. He also serves as a consultant for the Prospector materials search engine, advising on issues related to optimization and organization materials within the database. Ron's company, Chemical Dynamics, LLC (www.chemicaldynamics.net), is a full-service paint and coatings firm specializing in consulting and product development based in Plymouth, Michigan. Since 2004, he has provided consulting, product development, contract research, feasibility studies, failure mode analysis and more for a wide range of clients, as well as their suppliers, customers and coaters. He has also served as an Adjunct Research Professor at the Coatings Research Institute of Eastern Michigan University. As such, Ron was awarded a sub-grant from the Department of Energy to develop energy-saving coating technology for architectural applications, as well as grants from private industry to develop low energy cure, low VOC compliant coatings. He taught courses on color and application of automotive top coats, cathodic electro-coat and surface treatment. His experience includes coatings for automotive, coil, architectural, industrial and product finishing. Previously, Ron was the Vice President of Industrial Research and Technology, as well as the Global Director of Coil Coating Technology for BASF (Morton International). During his fourteen-year tenure with the company, he developed innovative coil coating commercial products primarily for roofing, residential, commercial and industrial building, as well as industrial and automotive applications. He was awarded fifteen patents for new resin and coating formulas. From 1974 to 1990, Ron held positions with Desoto, Inc. and PPG Industries. He was the winner of two R&amp;D awards for coatings utilizing PVDF resins, developed the first commercial high solids automotive topcoat and was awarded 39 U.S. patents for a variety of novel technologies he developed. He holds a Masters in Physical Organic Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh and subsequently studied Polymer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. Ron lives in Brighton, Michigan with his family. 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Lewarchik, President and CEO of Chemical Dynamics, LLC, brings 40 years of paint and coatings industry expertise to his role as a contributing author with the Prospector Knowledge Center. As a contributing writer, Ron pens articles on topics relevant to formulators in the coatings industry. He also serves as a consultant for the Prospector materials search engine, advising on issues related to optimization and organization materials within the database. Ron's company, Chemical Dynamics, LLC (www.chemicaldynamics.net), is a full-service paint and coatings firm specializing in consulting and product development based in Plymouth, Michigan. Since 2004, he has provided consulting, product development, contract research, feasibility studies, failure mode analysis and more for a wide range of clients, as well as their suppliers, customers and coaters. He has also served as an Adjunct Research Professor at the Coatings Research Institute of Eastern Michigan University. As such, Ron was awarded a sub-grant from the Department of Energy to develop energy-saving coating technology for architectural applications, as well as grants from private industry to develop low energy cure, low VOC compliant coatings. He taught courses on color and application of automotive top coats, cathodic electro-coat and surface treatment. His experience includes coatings for automotive, coil, architectural, industrial and product finishing. Previously, Ron was the Vice President of Industrial Research and Technology, as well as the Global Director of Coil Coating Technology for BASF (Morton International). During his fourteen-year tenure with the company, he developed innovative coil coating commercial products primarily for roofing, residential, commercial and industrial building, as well as industrial and automotive applications. He was awarded fifteen patents for new resin and coating formulas. From 1974 to 1990, Ron held positions with Desoto, Inc. and PPG Industries. He was the winner of two R&amp;D awards for coatings utilizing PVDF resins, developed the first commercial high solids automotive topcoat and was awarded 39 U.S. patents for a variety of novel technologies he developed. He holds a Masters in Physical Organic Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh and subsequently studied Polymer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. Ron lives in Brighton, Michigan with his family. 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