TAGS: UV/EB Technology Sustainability / Natural Coatings Automotive Coatings
A new bio-based photocuring technology has been developed by a Bowling Green State University professor and graduate student. Dr. Jayaraman Sivaguru, distinguished research professor and associate director of the BGSU Center for Photochemical Sciences, and fifth-year doctoral student Sruthy Baburaj developed an eco-friendly compound.
It can be used in photocuring systems to strengthen surfaces on objects such as lenses, automotive coatings and semiconductors and is an alternative to traditional fossil-fuel-derived materials.
Suitable for Material Formulations for Automotive Coatings
Through a grant from the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program, Baburaj presented the technology to more than 100 industrial professionals including many at Fortune 500 companies across the United States to assess its market viability.
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In many of the meetings, the scientists expressed significant interest in trying the technology,” said Baburaj, who is studying photochemical sciences at BGSU. “
They told me there’s a need for our material and asked when it would be available for commercial use. It was inspiring to see that kind of response to our technology.”
The bio-based photoinitiator reacts with ultraviolet or visible light to rapidly transform a dispensable fluid into a robust solid material. Applications include resins for semiconductors, material formulations for automotive coatings and ophthalmic lenses, among many others. Its light source can be tailored based on the end user's curing process.
Sivaguru and Baburaj said their customizable technology offers numerous advantages over current methodologies, including its use of non-toxic materials, improved safety during manufacturing, sustainability, cost savings and high performance.
Source: Bowling Green State University