SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, AND UV CURING OF ACRYLATE FUNCTIONAL HYPERBRANCHED POLYESTER RESINS

A series of different hyperbranched aliphatic polyester resins with ac rylate functionality have been synthesized, characterized, and UV cure d. The terminal groups have been either benzoates, propionates, or hyd roxyls. The glass transition (T-g) and viscosity of the resins have be en shown to depend on the polarity of the end groups. The increase in viscosity, while the propionate functional resin has the lowest T-g an d viscosity. The acrylates are all free radically UV cured with little or no oxygen inhibition found. The residual unsaturation in the cured films is not detectable with Raman spectroscopy, i.e., less than five percent. The cured films are all hard with a T-g difference varying w ith the structure of terminal groups in the resins.