A new class of silicone resins for coatings

A new class of silicone has been developed for coatings or as coating additives. Cycloaliphatic silane monomers were prepared and reacted into more easily handled cyclic oligomers. These cyclic oligomers were ring-opened into siloxane polymers. The polymers were functionalized with a variety of groups, including: amino, glycidyl epoxide, cyclohexene epoxide, acrylic, and alkoxysilane. The cycloaliphatic silicones have been designed for a number of different curing conditions: (1) ambient temperature-cure (amino and glycidyl epoxide), (2) cationic ultraviolet (UV)-cure (cyclohexene epoxide), (3) radical UV-cure (acrylic), and (4) moisture-cure (alkoxysilane). The end usages thus far have been focused on silicone coatings; however, usage as coating additives will be a focus for future research. The cycloaliphatic silicone has been UV-cured with mixed sol-gel precursors for usage as aerospace coatings. The cycloaliphatic silicones have also been ambient temperature-cured for release coatings, and have application as anti-fouling coatings. The inherent low surface energy makes the cycloaliphatic silicones prime candidates for surface tension additives.