Low-gloss dry-erase coating formulation

1. A low-gloss dry-erase coating formulation comprising a mixture of:

an acrylate silica blend for reducing gloss by blending silica and by forming an incompatible phase during curing to produce microroughness, wherein the acrylate silica blend is present in said coating formulation in an amount between about 25 and 65 percent by weight, and wherein the acrylate silica blend comprises: (i) between about 30 and 50 weight percent dipropylene glycol diacrylate, (ii) between about 10 and 30 weight percent isodecyl acrylate, (iii) between about 30 and 50 weight percent polyester acrylate, and (iv) between about 0.1 and 20 weight percent silica;

an acrylate selected from a group consisting of an aliphatic urethane acrylate and a polyester acrylate for enhancing physical properties of the mixture, wherein said acrylate is present in said coating formulation in an amount between about 5 and 35 percent by weight; and

a polyfunctional reactive diluent for increasing crosslink density and the hardness, toughness, and chemical resistance of the surface coated with said mixture, when reacted with other oligomers and monomers of said mixture, wherein said polyfunctional reactive diluent is present in said coating formulation in an amount between about 20 and 50 percent by weight.

2. A coating formulation according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one minimal-yellowing photoinitiator for initiating photopolymerization of chemically unsaturated prepolymers and monomers of said mixture.

3. A coating formulation according to claim 2 , comprising at least two photoinitiators.

4. A coating formulation according to claim 3 , wherein said photoinitiator comprises 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-propan-1-one.

5. A coating formulation according to claim 3 , wherein said photoinitiator comprises 1-hydroxy-cyclohexyl-phenyl-ketone.

6. A coating formulation according to claim 2 , wherein said photoinitiator comprises α-hydroxyketone.

7. A coating formulation according to claim 2 , wherein said photoinitiator is present in an amount between about 0.5 and 5 percent by weight.

8. A coating formulation according to claim 2 , wherein said photoinitiator is responsive to ultraviolet radiation.

9. A coating formulation according to claim 1 , further comprising a polymeric dispersant for stabilizing the silica in said mixture.

10. A coating formulation according to claim 9 , wherein said polymeric dispersant comprises a carboxy functional polyacrylate.

11. A coating formulation according to claim 9 , wherein said polymeric dispersant is present in an amount between about 0.05 and 2 percent by weight.

12. A coating formulation according to claim 1 , further comprising a solvent compatible with said mixture.

13. A coating formulation according to claim 12 , wherein said solvent is selected from the group consisting of acetates, aromatics, and their combinations thereof.

14. A coating formulation according to claim 1 , wherein the acrylate silica blend is present in said coating formulation in an amount between about 30 and 50 percent by weight.

15. A coating formulation according to claim 1 , wherein said acrylate comprises an aliphatic urethane acylate, wherein said aliphatic urethane acrylate comprises:

urethane acrylate in the amount of between about 40 to 60 weight percent of said aliphatic urethane acrylate; and

tripropyleneglycol diacrylate in the amount of between about 40 to 60 weight percent of said aliphatic urethane acrylate.

16. A coating formulation according to claim 1 , wherein said aliphatic urethane acrylate is present in said coating formulation in an amount between about 5 and 35 percent by weight.

17. A coating formulation according to claim 1 , wherein said polyester acrylate is present in said coating formulation in an amount between about 5 and 35 percent by weight.

18. A coating formulation according to claim 1 , wherein said polyfunctional reactive diluent comprises polyfunctional erythritol polyacrylates.

19. A coating formulation according to claim 1 , wherein said polyfunctional reactive diluent comprises dipentaerythritol monohydroxy pentaacrylate.

20. A coating formulation according to claim 1 , wherein said polyfunctional reactive diluent is present in said coating formulation in an amount between about 30 and 40 percent by weight.

21. An electron beam curable coating formulation according to claim 1 .

22. A low-gloss dry-erase coating formulation comprising:

an acrylate silica blend present in the coating formulation in an amount between about 25 and 50 percent by weight, wherein the acrylate silica blend comprises: (i) between about 30 and 50 weight percent dipropylene glycol diacrylate, (ii) between about 10 and 30 weight percent isodecyl acrylate, (iii) between about 30 and 50 weight percent polyester acrylate, and (iv) between about 0.1 and 20 weight percent silica;

an acrylate selected from a group consisting of an aliphatic urethane acrylate and a polyester acrylate present in the coating formulation in an amount between about 5 and 30 percent by weight;

a polyfunctional reactive diluent present in the coating formulation in an amount between about 25 and 45 percent by weight; and

at least one photoinitiator present in the coating formulation in an amount between about 0.5 and 4.5 percent by weight.

23. A low-gloss dry-erase coating formulation according to claim 22 , further comprising a polymeric dispersant present in the coating formulation in an amount between about 0.05 and 1.5 percent by weight.

24. A low-gloss dry-erase coating formulation according to claim 22 , further comprising a solvent.

25. A process for making a low-gloss dry-erase hardcoat comprising:

applying a low-gloss coating formulation that includes an acrylate silica blend, said acrylate silica blend comprising: (i) between about 30 and 50 weight percent dipropylene glycol diacrylate, (ii) between about 10 and 30 weight percent isodecyl acrylate, (iii) between about 30 and 50 weight percent polyester acrylate, and (iv) between about 0.1 and 20 weight percent silica, an acrylate selected from a group consisting of an aliphatic urethane acrylate and a polyester acrylate, a polyfunctional reactive diluent, at least one photoinitiator, a polymeric dispersant, and a solvent on a pre-treated substrate;

drying said solvent from said coating formulation; and

exposing said coating formulation on said pre-treated substrate to a radiation selected from a group consisting of electron beam and ultra violet radiation.

26. A process according to claim 25 , wherein the step of drying the solvent from the coating formulation comprises drying by heat treatment of the coating formulation.