Cross-linking decorative coatings

Polymerization. Thermal polymerization or curing of an ink film at elevated temperatures can foUow many different chemical paths. Condensation and cross-linking reactions may be accompHshed with or without the use of catalysts. However, this method of drying generally has not been widely used for printing inks, except those used for metal and glass decoration, and some clear coatings. 

The drying oils owe their value as raw materials for decorative and protective coatings to their ability to polymerize and cross-link, or dry, after they have been applied to a surface, to form tough, adherent, impervious, and abrasion-resistant... 

A pulsed plasma has been used to prepare pinhole-free films from relatively nontoxic N vinylpyrrolidone.323 The pulsing reduced fragmentation of the monomer and cross-linking. This method should be tried with other monomers. Plasmas are often used for the modification of polymer surfaces.324 These methods are relatively rapid and use no solvent. Decorative coatings of TiN and other inorganic compounds can be applied to metals and other inorganic substrates by sputtering, chemical vapor deposition, plasmas, and such, as described in Chap. 4.325... 

Paint coatings are perhaps the most versatile and widely applied method of corrosion protection, offering a wide range of decorative colours and textures and the ability to coat complex structures. While the formulation and chemistry of paints is complex, the cured paint film consists, in essence, of a cross-linked organic polymer film (or binder ) containing a dispersed filler (pigment) together with additional solids and inhibitors. A broad spectrum of application methods is used but the vast majority of paint is applied by brush, spray or roller. 

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