Adhesion of UV-curable resins containing alkoxysilane monomers on glass surfaces

A study of UV curable systems containing different alkoxysilane monomers coated on glass surfaces was performed with the aim of deeping the knowledge of the mechanism of adhesion between the two phases. Different amounts of monomerscontaining alkoxysilane groups (methacryloiloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, MEPTS, and mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane, MPTS) were introduced in a typical epoxy—acrylic resin network by means of UV curing technique and linked to the network through copolymerization (MEPTS) or chain transfer (MPTS) reaction. After UV curing, the formation of adhesion bonds. between the polymer network and the glass surface was investigated at 100°C and at room temperature. Higher adhesion values and faster bonding formation were obtained by using MPTS monomer with respect to MEPTS. In order to obtain more information about these systems, some XPS analyses on both the sides of the films and on the bulk were performed. Differences in the. atomic content on the two sides of the films are evidenced and discussed. Wetting tension measurements are in agreement with XPS analysis results. On the basis of the surface analyses data, the adhesion results obtained In the presence of the two alkoxysilane monomers are attributed to the different network structures and crosslinking densities.