New Directions in UV Stabilization of Protective Paints and Substrates

Abstract

The paper is focused on the improvement of the paint and substrate protection against UV radiation using new types of UV stabilizers. The UV absorbers are chemically built in the polymer chain by covalent bonds either in the polymer synthesis (thermoplastics) or in polymer crosslinking (thermosets). In comparison with conventional low-molecular-weight UV stabilizers used as additives, the built-in stabilizers cannot be extracted from the polymer matrix. A concentration of ca. 3.2 g m⁻² of stabilizer is sufficient to protect both paints and substrates. The paints and coatings based on synthetic polymers with a built-in UV stabilizer have lower gloss loss and color changes in comparison with the unstabilized ones. The lifetime of both paints and substrates thus markedly increased.