The 90-minute tutorial, designed in collaboration with RadTech North America, was presented by Michael Dvorchak, strategic UV specialist, BMS LLC and a member of the RadTech Board of Directors. During his presentation, Dvorchak provided a concise overview on the fundamentals of radiation curing coatings, their benefits and limitations. He also addressed the basic chemistry involved, typical formulation characteristics, as well as common applications of UV curing coatings.

In addition to demonstrating its expertise by leading this tutorial, BMS also showcased its broad portfolio of radiation-curing coatings materials, which offer solutions for a wide variety of substrates and applications, at their booth during the ACS show.

This included Bayhydrol® UV, a line of waterborne, radiation-curing polyurethane dispersions suitable for wood and plastics coating, as well as Desmolux® coating raw materials, which are solvent-free, radiation-curing acrylates. Through the specific choice of products, either rigid or flexible structures can be created in the coating, enabling the properties of the final film to be varied over a wide range. Bayhydrol UV and Desmolux can also be used for dual-cure applications.

BMS also highlighted a new product, Desmolux XP 2666, which is the first allophanate urethane acrylate. Coatings based on Desmolux XP 2666 are noted for their high resistance to chemicals and mechanical stress, and they also have very high weather stability.

Two-component polyurethane coatings containing little or no solvent apart from water emit at most minimal amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOC) into the environment. The problem is, however, that they need a long time to cure on plastic or wooden surfaces because these substrates can normally not be heated to high temperatures without suffering damage.

Binders from BMS' Bayhydrol UV range, on the other hand, make it possible to formulate coatings that are both environmentally friendly and cure very quickly under UV light. Depending on the available equipment, the curing process - which covers drying and UV crosslinking - can be shortened to less than five minutes. With the new Bayhydrol UV XP 2649 polyurethane dispersion, it is now possible for the first time to formulate UV-crosslinking coating systems for the soft-touch coating of plastics.

The short curing time needed for the UV coatings means higher productivity for the coating process as a whole - without impairing the tactile or resistance properties in any way. Coatings formulated on the basis of cosolvent-free Bayhydrol UV XP 2649 are just as insensitive to water and solvents, for example, as the two-component polyurethane coatings otherwise used for this application.

"We have succeeded in developing a new class of binders with a performance that will quickly make its mark on the coatings market," says Dvorchak.

Bayer MaterialScience LLC is one of the leading producers of polymers and high-performance plastics in North America and is part of the global Bayer MaterialScience business with nearly 15,400 employees at 30 sites around the world and 2007 sales of 10.4 billion euros. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction, medical, and sports and leisure industries. Our inorganic basic chemicals unit produces chlorine and related essential products for the chemicals industry. Let us give life to your vision. Bayer MaterialScience - Where VisionWorks.

Bayer Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is a subsidiary of Bayer AG, an international health care, nutrition and innovative materials group based in Leverkusen, Germany. In North America, Bayer had 2007 net sales of 8.1 billion euros and employed 16,800 at year end. Bayer's three subgroups, Bayer HealthCare, Bayer CropScience and Bayer MaterialScience, improve people's lives through a broad range of essential products that help diagnose, prevent and treat diseases; protect crops and enhance yields; and advance automobile safety and durability.

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