Radiation-curable formulations comprising silica and dispersant and featuring enhanced corrosion control on metal substrates

1. A radiation-curable formulation comprising

A) at least one ethylenically unsaturated radiation-curable resin,

B) at least 5% by weight of silica, based on the total formulation,

C) at least one adhesion promoter,

D) at least one ethylenically unsaturated radiation-curable reactive diluent, and

E) at least one dispersant selected from the group consisting of lecithin, a fatty acid, an alkylphenol ethoxylate of a fatty acid, and a salt of a fatty acid, present in an amount of from 0.5% to 5% by weight based on the total weight of the formulation,

wherein said at least one radiation-curable resin is a polyesterurethane acrylate.

2. The radiation-curable formulation according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of the resins A) is 5% to 95% by weight based on the total weight of the formulation.

3. The radiation-curable formulation according to claim 1 , wherein said silica is a precipitated silica.

4. The radiation-curable formulation according to claim 1 , wherein said silica is a precipitated silica having a pore volume of from 2.5 to 15 ml/g and a specific surface area of from 30 to 800 m 2 /g.

5. The radiation-curable formulation according to claim 1 , wherein said silica is a fumed silica.

6. The radiation-curable formulation according to claim 1 , wherein said silica is a hydrophobic fumed silica.

7. The radiation-curable formulation according to claim 1 , wherein the fraction of silica B) as a proportion of the total formulation is 5% to 25% by weight based on the total weight of the formulation.

8. The radiation-curable formulation according to claim 1 , wherein the silica is in powder form.

9. The radiation-curable formulation according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one adhesion promoter is at least one selected from the group consisting of a phosphoric acid and a phosphonic acid, and is present in amounts from 0.1% to 10% by weight based on the total weight of the formulation.

10. The radiation-curable formulation according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one reactive diluent is at least one selected from the group consisting of isobornyl acrylate, hydroxypropyl methacrylate, trimethylolpropane formal monoacrylate, tetrahydrofurfuryl acrylate, phenoxyethyl acrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, dipropylene glycol diacrylate, tripropylene glycol diacrylate, hexanediol diacrylate, pentaerythritol tetraacrylate and lauryl acrylate.

11. The radiation-curable formulation according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of D) in the formulation is 5% to 90% by weight based on the total weight of the formulation.

12. The radiation-curable formulation according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of a photoinitiator, a pigment, and a further adjuvant.

13. The radiation-curable formulation according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of the resins A) is 10% to 39% by weight based on the total weight of the formulation.

14. The radiation-curable formulation according to claim 1 , wherein the fraction of silica B) as a proportion of the total formulation is 10% to 20% by weight based on the total weight of the formulation.

15. The radiation-curable formulation according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of D) in the formulation is 10% to 70% by weight based on the total weight of the formulation.

16. The radiation-curable formulation according to claim 1 which is in the form of a liquid.

17. The radiation-curable formulation according to claim 1 wherein the adhesion promoter does not comprise phosphoric acid.

18. The radiation-curable formulation according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one dispersant is selected from the group consisting of a fatty acid, an alkylphenol ethoxylate of a fatty acid, and a salt of a fatty acid.

19. The radiation-curable formulation according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one dispersant is lecithin.

20. The radiation-curable formulation according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one reactive diluent is a propoxylated or ethoxylated derivative of a compound selected from the group consisting of isobornyl acrylate, hydroxypropyl methacrylate, trimethylolpropane formal monoacrylate, tetrahydrofurfuryl acrylate, phenoxyethyl acrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, dipropylene glycol diacrylate, tripropylene glycol diacrylate, hexanediol diacrylate, pentaerythritol tetraacrylate and lauryl acrylate.

21. A radiation-curable formulation comprising

A) at least one ethylenically unsaturated radiation-curable resin,

B) at least 5% by weight of silica, based on the total formulation,

C) at least one adhesion promoter,

D) at least one ethylenically unsaturated radiation-curable reactive diluent, and

E) at least one dispersant selected from the group consisting of lecithin, a fatty acid, an alkylphenol ethoxylate of a fatty acid, and a salt of a fatty acid, present in an amount of from 0.5% to 5% by weight based on the total weight of the formulation,

wherein said silica is a precipitated silica having a pore volume of from 2.5 to 15 ml/g and a specific surface area of from 30 to 800 m 2 /g.

22. A cured coating obtained by curing the formulation according to claim 1 on a substrate.

23. A cured composition obtained by curing the radiation-curable formulation according to claim 1 , in the form of a primer, an intercoat, a topcoat, a clearcoat, or a combination thereof.

24. A method for making a coating, comprising coil coating and curing the radiation-curable formulation according to claim 1 on a substrate.

25. A radiation-curable formulation comprising

A) at least one ethylenically unsaturated radiation-curable resin,

B) at least 5% by weight of silica, based on the total formulation,

C) at least one adhesion promoter,

D) at least one ethylenically unsaturated radiation-curable reactive diluent, and

E) a lecithin dispersant in an amount of from 0.5% to 5% by weight based on the total weight of the formulation.

26. A radiation-curable formulation comprising

A) at least one ethylenically unsaturated radiation-curable resin,

B) at least 5% by weight of silica, based on the total formulation,

C) at least one adhesion promoter,

D) at least one ethylenically unsaturated radiation-curable reactive diluent, and

E) at least one dispersant selected from the group consisting of a fatty acid, an alkylphenol ethoxylate of a fatty acid, and a salt of a fatty acid, present in an amount of from 0.5% to 5% by weight based on the total weight of the formulation.