The development of new products and processes to reduce energy consumption is key to achieve a sustainable industry while adhesive and sealant industry becomes more demanding in applicability and performance. High performance and reliable systems to satisfy increasing demand calls for bonding-on-demand solutions.
Novel UV-LED photopolymerization is a high sustainable option for the adhesive and sealant industry to satisfy the bonding-on-demand requirements because it can help to reduce time and energy while maintaining the desired mechanical properties.
In this work, UV-LED photopolymerization has been developed in epoxy-based systems, both free radical and cationic, with the aim to obtain different technologies ready-to-market. However, current solutions still face difficulties without clear answer: long irradiation time, geometry constraints or high price are in the way for these chemistries to gain its place. In this context, the UV-LED frontal polymerization -a less time and energy consuming strategy, can overcome these challenges.
Co-author(s): Pol Ulier, Jordi Arbusà, Francisco Ripoll, Núria Agulló, Salvador Borrós