Powder coating compositions comprising crystalline urethane acrylates and use thereof

1. A radiation-curable powder coating composition, comprising:

I. a binder composed of at least one crystalline urethane acrylate having a melting point ranging from 40 to 130° C. that is prepared from a polyester formed by the reaction of a dicarboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, aromatic dicarboxylic acid or a combination thereof with a polyol, and

II. auxiliaries and additives.

2. The radiation-curable powder coating composition as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the crystalline urethane acrylate is synthesized by reacting the following components:

I.1) at least one crystalline, hydroxyl-containing polyester having a melting point of 40-130° C. that is prepared from a polyester formed by the reaction of a dicarboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, aromatic dicarboxylic acid or a combination thereof with a polyol,

I.2) at least one polyisocyanate, and

I.3) at least one compound containing at least one alcohol group and at least one polymerizable acrylate group.

3. The radiation-curable powder coating composition as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the polyester I.1 is synthesized from

at least one monomeric dicarboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of dodecanedioic acid, adipic acid, succinic acid, sebacic acid, isophthalic acid, terephthalic acid, hexahydroterephthalic acid and 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid, and

at least one monomeric polyol selected from the group consisting of monoethylene glycol, butanediol, hexanediol, neopentyl glycol, cyclohexanedimethanol, trimethylolpropane and glycerol.

4. The radiation-curable powder coating composition as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the polyisocyanate is at least one polyisocyanate selected from the group consisting of isophorone diisocyanate, hexamethylene diisocyanate, trimethylhexamethylene diisocyanate, dicyclohexylmethyl diisocyanate, 2,2,6-trimethyl-1,4-diisocyanatocyclohexane and norbornane diisocyanate.

5. The radiation-curable powder coating composition as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the polyisocyanate is a follow-on product of at least one polyisocyanate selected from the group consisting of isophorone diisocyanate, hexamethylene diisocyanate, trimethylhexamethylene diisocyanate, dicyclohexylmethyl diisocyanate, 2,2,6-trimethyl-1,4-diisocyanatocyclohexane or norbornane diisocyanate.

6. The radiation-curable powder coating composition as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the follow-on product is an isocyanurate, allophanate, or biuret.

7. A The radiation-curable powder coating composition as claimed in claim 2 , wherein component I.3 is hydroxyethylacrylate.

8. The radiation-curable powder coating composition as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the auxiliaries and additives are UV initiators, leveling agents, light stabilizers, devolatilizers, pigments, fillers, adhesion promoters or further acrylate- and/or methacrylate-functional compounds.

9. The process for preparing a radiation-curable powder coating composition as claimed in claim 1 , comprising combining the binder, the auxiliaries, and the additives.

10. The process as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the crystalline urethane acrylate I is synthesized by reacting the following components:

I.1 at least one crystalline, hydroxyl-containing polyester having a melting point of 40-130° C. that is prepared from a polyester formed by the reaction of a dicarboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, aromatic dicarboxylic acid or a combination thereof with a polyol,

I.2 at least one polyisocyanate, and

I.3 at least one compound containing at least one alcohol group and at least one polymerizable acrylate group.

11. The process as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the polyester I.1 is synthesized from

at least one monomeric dicarboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of dodecanedioic acid, adipic acid, succinic acid, sebacic acid, isophthalic acid, terephthalic acid, hexahydroterephthalic acid and 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid, and

at least one monomeric polyol selected from the group consisting of monoethylene glycol, butanediol, hexanediol, neopentyl glycol, cyclohexanedimethanol, trimethylolpropane and glycerol.

12. The process as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the polyisocyanate is at least one polyisocyanate selected from the group consisting of isophorone diisocyanate, hexamethylene diisocyanate, trimethylhexamethylene diisocyanate, dicyclohexylmethyl diisocyanate, 2,2,6-trimethyl-1,4-diisocyanatocyclohexane and norbornane diisocyanate.

13. The process as claimed in claim 10 , wherein component I.3 is hydroxyethylacrylate.

14. The process as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the auxiliaries and additives are selected from the group consisting of leveling agents, light stabilizers, devolatilizers, pigments, fillers, adhesion promoters and further acrylate- and/or methacrylate-functional compounds.

15. The process as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the binder and the auxiliaries and additives are combined at a temperature of at most 120° C.

16. The process as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the binder and the auxiliaries and additives are combined at a temperature of at most 130° C.

17. The process as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the binder and the auxiliaries and additives are combined in a heatable kneading apparatus.

18. A process for producing a coating, comprising applying the radiation-curable powder coating composition of claim 1 to a substrate.

19. The process as claimed in claim 18 , further comprising curing the composition.

20. The process as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the coating is a glossy coating.

21. The process as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the coating is a mart coating.

22. The process as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of untreated or pretreated metallic substrates, wood, wood materials, plastics, glass or paper.

23. The radiation-curable powder coating composition as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one crystalline, hydroxyl-containing polyester has an OH number of 15-150 mg KOH/g, an acid number of ≦5 mg KOH/g and a melting point of 40 to 130° C.