SIOEN INDUSTRIES & DECEUNINCK

Each year hundreds of millions m2 of PVC coated textiles are being lacquered with solvent-based lacquers worldwide. Since such lacquers typically consist of 10% solids and 90% solvents, this implicates enormous energy costs for drying and huge emissions of VOCs/CO2 to the environment (solvents are burned > CO2 emission). Since mid 2008 Sioen Industries and Deceuninck have jointly worked on the development of thermoplastic UV coatings that can replace solvent based systems on short term. Due to unique combinations of monomeric and oligomeric species we have identified formulations that can be applied onto the PVC substrate via traditional rotogravure followed by UV curing under a set of UV lamps for instantaneous drying. The resulting materials combine good welding properties (thermal and HF) with similar mechanical properties, thermal and UV stability, flexibility, etc. as solvent based products.

> Bert Groenendaal

> +32 476 984 379

> Belgium