UV CURABLE COATING COMPOSITION WITH IMPROVED SCRATCH RESISTANCE

1 . A coating composition comprising a film forming binder wherein the film forming binder comprises component (A) wherein the component (A) is a polymer having at least one poly(trimethylene ether) repeat unit and in the range of from 1 to 20 ethylenically unsaturated double bonds.

2 . The coating composition of claim 1 wherein component (A) consists of the reaction product of a reactant (1) with a reactant (2) to form a molecule having a 1-2 or a 1-2-1 arrangement; and wherein reactant (1) is H 2 C═C(R)CO 2 H, H 2 C═C(R)CO 2 —R 1 -E, H 2 C═C(R) 1 -E or a combination thereof;

reactant (2) is HO(CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 O) n H, and

wherein R is H or CH 3 ;

each R 1 is independently a divalent linear alkyl radical having in the range of from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a divalent branched alkyl radical having in the range of from 3 to 20 carbon atoms, a divalent cycloalkyl radical having in the range of from 5 to 10 carbon atoms, or a divalent radical having both cycloalkyl and linear and/or branched alkyl portions having in the range of from 6 to 20 carbon atoms;

E is —NCO, —CO 2 H, epoxy, hydroxyl or amine; and

n is in the range of from 5 to 2,000.

3 . The coating composition of claim 1 wherein component (A) comprises the reaction product of reactants (1), (2) and (3) to form a molecule having an arrangement according to;

(1-2) a -(3),

(1) a -(3)-(2) a ,

(1-2) a -(3)-(1) a ,

(1-2) a -(3)-(2) b , or

(1) a -(3)-(2)-(3)-(1) b ;

wherein a is in the range of from 1 to 20; and

b is in the range of from 0 to 20; and

wherein reactant (1) is H 2 C═C(R)CO 2 H, H 2 C═C(R)CO 2 —R 1 -E, H 2 C═C(R)—R 1 -E or a combination thereof;

reactant (2) is HO(CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 O) n H; and

wherein R is H or CH 3 ;

each R 1 is a divalent linear alkyl radical having in the range of from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a divalent branched alkyl radical having in the range of from 3 to 20 carbon atoms, a divalent cycloalkyl radical having in the range of from 5 to 10 carbon atoms, or a divalent radical having both cycloalkyl and linear and/or branched alkyl portions having in the range of from 6 to 20 carbon atoms;

E is —NCO, —CO 2 H, epoxy, hydroxyl or amine;

n is in the range of from 5 to 2,000; and

reactant (3) is a diisocyanate, a polyisocyanate, dicarboxylic acid, a polycarboxylic acid, a dicarboxylic acid ester, a polycarboxylic acid ester, a diepoxide, a polyepoxide, a polyacrylate having carboxylic acid functional groups, polyacrylate having isocyanate functional groups, a polyacrylate having epoxy functional groups, hexamethylene diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate, the isocyanurate of hexamethylene diisocyanate, the isocyanurate of isophorone diisocyanate or a combination thereof.

4 . The coating composition of claim 3 wherein component (A) further comprises a reactant (4); wherein reactant (4) is a molecule having in the range of from 2 to 10 functional groups, at least one of the functional groups are reactive with reactant (2) or (3).

5 . The coating composition of claim 1 wherein the film forming binder further comprises component (B), component (C) or a combination thereof, wherein component (B) comprises one or more molecules having two or more ethylenically unsaturated groups; and wherein component (C) is a polyisocyanate, a polycarboxylic acid, a polyamine, a polyepoxide or a combination thereof.

6 . The coating composition of claim 5 wherein component (B) is hexanediol di(meth)acrylate, trimethylol propane tri(meth)acrylate, pentaerythritol tri(meth)acrylate, pentaerythritol tetra(meth)acrylate, ester (meth)acrylates, urethane (meth)acrylates or a combination thereof.

7 . The coating composition of claim 1 wherein the coating composition further comprises in the range of from 1 to 15 percent by weight, based on the weight of the film forming binder of a photoinitiator; and further comprises organic solvent.

8 . A method of applying a layer of a coating composition to a substrate, the method comprising the steps of;

1) applying a layer of the coating composition to the substrate;

2) optionally allowing at least a portion of the organic solvent to flash off; and

3) exposing at least a portion of the applied layer of coating composition to radiation to cure at least a portion of the coating composition;

wherein the coating composition comprises a film forming binder wherein the film forming binder comprises component (A) wherein the component (A) is a polymer having at least one poly(trimethylene ether) repeat unit and in the range of from 1 to 20 ethylenically unsaturated double bonds.

9 . The method of claim 8 wherein component (A) consists of the reaction product of a reactant (1) with a reactant (2) to form a molecule having a 1-2 or a 1-2-1 arrangement; and wherein reactant (1) is H 2 C═C(R)CO 2 H, H 2 C═C(R)CO 2 —R 1 -E, H 2 C═C(R)—R 1 -E or a combination thereof;

reactant (2) is HO(CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 O) n H; and

wherein R is H or CH 3 ;

each R 1 is independently a divalent linear alkyl radical having in the range of from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a divalent branched alkyl radical having in the range of from 3 to 20 carbon atoms, a divalent cycloalkyl radical having in the range of from 5 to 10 carbon atoms, or a divalent radical having both cycloalkyl and linear and/or branched alkyl portions having in the range of from 6 to 20 carbon atoms;

E is —NCO, —CO 2 H, epoxy, hydroxyl or amine; and n is in the range of from 5 to 2,000.

10 . The method of claim 8 wherein component (A) comprises the reaction product of reactants (1), (2) and (3) to form a molecule according to;

(1-2) a -(3),

(1) a -(3)-(2) a ,

(1-2) a -(3)-(1) b ,

(1-2) a -(3)-(2) b , or

(1) a -(3)-(2)-(3)-(1) b ;

wherein a is in the range of from 1 to 20; and

b is in the range of from 0 to 20; and

wherein reactant (1) is H 2 C═C(R)CO 2 H, H 2 C═C(R)CO 2 —R 1 -E H 2 C═C(R)—R 1 -E or a combination thereof;

reactant (2) is HO(CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 O)H; and

wherein R is H or CH 3 ;

each R 1 is a divalent linear alkyl radical having in the range of from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a divalent branched alkyl radical having in the range of from 3 to 20 carbon atoms, a divalent cycloalkyl radical having in the range of from 5 to 10 carbon atoms, or a divalent radical having both cycloalkyl and linear and/or branched alkyl portions having in the range of from 6 to 20 carbon atoms;

E is —NCO, —CO 2 H, epoxy, hydroxyl and amine;

n is in the range of from 5 to 2,000; and

reactant (3) is a diisocyanate, a polyisocyanate, a dicarboxylic acid, a polycarboxylic acid, a dicarboxylic acid ester, a polycarboxylic acid ester, a diepoxide, a polyepoxide, a polyacrylate having carboxylic acid functional groups, a polyacrylate having isocyanate functional groups, a polyacrylate having epoxy functional groups, hexamethylene diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate, the isocyanurate of hexamethylene diisocyanate, the isocyanurate of isophorone diisocyanate or a combination thereof.

11 . The method of claim 10 wherein component (A) further comprises a reactant (4); wherein reactant (4) is a molecule having in the range of from 2 to 10 functional groups, at least one of the functional groups are reactive with reactant (2) or (3).

12 . The method of claim 8 wherein the film forming binder further comprises component (B), component (C) or a combination thereof, wherein component (B) comprises one or more molecules having two or more ethylenically unsaturated groups; and wherein component (C) comprises polyisocyanates, polycarboxylic acids, polyamines, polyepoxides and a combination thereof.

13 . The method of claim 12 wherein component (B) is hexanediol di(meth)acrylate, trimethylol propane tri(meth)acrylate, pentaerythritol tri(meth)acrylate, pentaerythritol tetra(meth)acrylate, ester (meth)acrylates, urethane (meth)acrylates and a combination thereof.

14 . The method of claim 8 wherein the coating composition further comprises in the range of from 1 to 15 percent by weight, based on the weight of the film forming binder of a photoinitiator; and further comprises organic solvent.

15 . A substrate coated by a layer of a dried and cured coating composition wherein the coating composition comprises a film forming binder wherein the film forming binder comprises component (A) wherein the component (A) is a polymer having at least one poly(trimethylene ether) repeat unit and in the range of from 1 to 20 ethylenically unsaturated double bonds.

16 . The substrate of claim 15 wherein component (A) consists of the reaction product of a reactant (1) with a reactant (2) to form a molecule having a 1-2 or a 1-2-1 arrangement; and wherein reactant (1) is H 2 C═C(R)CO 2 H, H 2 C═C(R)CO 2 —R 1 -E, H 2 C═C(R)—R 1 -E or a combination thereof;

reactant (2) is HO(CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 O) n H; and

wherein R is H or CH 3 ;

each R 1 is a divalent linear alkyl radical having in the range of from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a divalent branched alkyl radical having in the range of from 3 to 20 carbon atoms, a divalent cycloalkyl radical having in the range of from 5 to 10 carbon atoms, or a divalent radical having both cycloalkyl and linear and/or branched alkyl portions having in the range of from 6 to 20 carbon atoms;

E is —NCO, —CO 2 H, epoxy, hydroxyl and amine; and n is in the range of from 5 to 2,000.

17 . The substrate of claim 15 wherein component (A) comprises the reaction product of reactants (1), (2) and (3) to form a molecule having an arrangement according to;

(1-2) a -(3),

(1) a -(3)-(2) a ,

(1-2) a -(3)-(1) b ,

(1-2) a -(3)-(2) b , or

(1) a -(3)-(2)-(3)-(1) b ;

wherein a is in the range of from 1 to 20; and

b is in the range of from 0 to 20; and

wherein reactant (1) is H 2 C═C(R)CO 2 H, H 2 C═C(R)CO 2 —R 1 -E H 2 C═C(R)—R 1 -E or a combination thereof;

reactant (2) is HO(CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 O) n H; and

wherein R is H or CH 3 ;

each R 1 is a divalent linear alkyl radical having in the range of from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a divalent branched alkyl radical having in the range of from 3 to 20 carbon atoms, a divalent cycloalkyl radical having in the range of from 5 to 10 carbon atoms, or a divalent radical having both cycloalkyl and linear and/or branched alkyl portions having in the range of from 6 to 20 carbon atoms;

E is —NCO, —CO 2 H, epoxy, hydroxyl and amine;

n is in the range of from 5 to 2,000; and

reactant (3) is a diisocyanate, a polyisocyanate, a dicarboxylic acid, a polycarboxylic acid, a dicarboxylic acid ester, a polycarboxylic acid ester, a diepoxide, a polyepoxide, a polyacrylate having carboxylic acid functional groups, a polyacrylate having isocyanate functional groups, a polyacrylate having epoxy functional groups, hexamethylene diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate, the isocyanurate of hexamethylene diisocyanate, the isocyanurate of isophorone diisocyanate or a combination thereof.

18 . The substrate of claim 17 wherein component (A) further comprises a reactant (4); wherein reactant (4) is a molecule having in the range of from 2 to 10 functional groups, at least one of the functional groups are reactive with reactant (2) or (3).

19 . The substrate of claim 1 wherein the film forming binder further comprises component (B), component (C) or a combination thereof, wherein component (B) comprises one or more molecules having two or more ethylenically unsaturated groups; and wherein component (C) comprises polyisocyanates, polycarboxylic acids, polyamines, polyepoxides and a combination thereof.

20 . The substrate of claim 19 wherein component (B) is hexanediol di(meth)acrylate, trimethylol propane tri(meth)acrylate, pentaerythritol tri(meth)acrylate, pentaerythritol tetra(meth)acrylate, ester (meth)acrylates, urethane (meth)acrylates and a combination thereof.

21 . The substrate of claim 15 wherein the coating composition further comprises in the range of from 1 to 15 percent by weight, based on the weight of the film forming binder of a photoinitiator and further comprises organic solvent.