Overview
Reactive monomers set the viscosity, cure speed and final properties of UV- and EB-cured inks, coatings and adhesives. Choosing the functionality and backbone lets a formulator trade flexibility against hardness, tune adhesion and weathering, and keep viscosity low without solvent. Our range runs from mono-functional diluents to hexa-functional cross-linkers, plus methacrylates and oligomers.
Mono-functional acrylates
Low-viscosity diluents for adhesion, flexibility and low shrinkage.
| Code | Monomer |
|---|---|
| OPPEA | o-Phenylphenol ethoxylate acrylate |
| OPP(EO)2A | o-Phenylphenol (EO)2 acrylate |
| CTFA | Cyclic trimethylolpropane formal acrylate |
| PHEA | Phenoxyethyl acrylate |
| PH(EO)2A | Phenol (EO)2 acrylate |
| PH(EO)4A | Phenol (EO)4 acrylate |
| THFA | Tetrahydrofurfuryl acrylate |
| PBA | Phenoxybenzyl acrylate |
| EOEOEA | Ethoxyethoxyethyl acrylate |
| MPEG1000A | Methoxy polyethylene glycol 1000 acrylate |
Di-functional acrylates
The workhorse diluents of UV inks and coatings.
| Code | Monomer |
|---|---|
| DPGDA | Dipropylene glycol diacrylate |
| TPGDA | Tripropylene glycol diacrylate |
| HDDA | Hexanediol diacrylate |
| HDEODA | Hexanediol (EO)2 diacrylate |
| BDDA | Butanediol diacrylate |
| NPGDA | Neopentyl glycol diacrylate |
| NPGPODA | Neopentyl glycol (PO)2 diacrylate |
| HPNDA | Hydroxypivalyl neopentyl glycol diacrylate |
| TEGDA / TTEGDA | Tri- and tetraethylene glycol diacrylate |
| PEG200–600DA | Polyethylene glycol 200, 300, 400 and 600 diacrylate |
| PPG400DA / PPG750DA | Polypropylene glycol 400 and 750 diacrylate |
| BPA(EO)nDA | Bisphenol A ethoxylate diacrylate, n = 3, 4, 8, 10, 20, 30 |
| BPF(EO)nDA | Bisphenol fluorene ethoxylate diacrylate, n = 2 to 30 |
Tri- to hexa-functional acrylates
Cross-linkers for cure speed, hardness and chemical resistance.
| Code | Monomer |
|---|---|
| TMPTA | Trimethylolpropane triacrylate |
| TMP(EO)nTA | Trimethylolpropane ethoxylate triacrylate, n = 3, 6, 9, 15 |
| TMP(PO)3TA | Trimethylolpropane propoxylate triacrylate |
| GPTA | Glycerol propoxylate triacrylate |
| PETA | Pentaerythritol triacrylate |
| THEIC-TA | Tris(2-hydroxyethyl) isocyanurate triacrylate |
| PETTA | Pentaerythritol tetraacrylate |
| PE(EO)nTTA | Pentaerythritol ethoxylate tetraacrylate |
| DTMPTTA | Ditrimethylolpropane tetraacrylate |
| DPHA | Dipentaerythritol hexaacrylate |
Methacrylates
For adhesives, elastomers, dental and electronic materials, and where lower skin sensitisation potential or slower cure is wanted.
| Code | Monomer |
|---|---|
| BZMA | Benzyl methacrylate |
| LMA / IDMA | Lauryl and isodecyl methacrylate |
| C14MA / C16MA / SMA | Tetradecyl, cetyl and stearyl methacrylate |
| PHEMA | Phenol ethoxylate methacrylate |
| THFMA | Tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate |
| MPEG350–1000MA | Methoxy polyethylene glycol methacrylates |
| HDDMA / BDDMA / NPGDMA | Hexanediol, butanediol and neopentyl glycol dimethacrylate |
| EGDMA to TTEGDMA | Ethylene, di-, tri- and tetraethylene glycol dimethacrylate |
| PEG200–600DMA | Polyethylene glycol dimethacrylates |
| CAPA(3)MA / CAPA(5)MA | Caprolactone methacrylates |
| TMPTMA | Trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate |
Oligomers
| Oligomer type | Main effect | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Epoxy acrylate | Fast cure, hardness, chemical resistance, low cost | Coatings and cost-down in inks |
| Aliphatic urethane acrylate | Flexibility, toughness, weathering, low yellowing | Exterior and touch-screen coatings, flexible inks |
| Aromatic urethane acrylate | Flexibility and toughness at lower cost | Interior coatings and inks |
| Polyester acrylate | Pigment wetting, low viscosity | Offset and flexo inks, pigment grinding |
| Acrylic acrylate | Adhesion and weathering | Adhesion-critical coatings |
Acrylate monomers are skin sensitisers and irritants. Ask for the SDS of each grade before handling.