Method for transferring an embossed structure to the surface of a coating, and composite employable as embossing mold

A method for transferring an embossed structure to at least a part of a surface of a coating composition (C2a) using a composite (S1C1), said method comprising at least the steps (1), (2-i) and (3-i) or (2-ii) and (3-ii), and also at least step (4) and optionally step (5-i) or (5-ii)

• (1) providing a composite (S1C1) composed of a substrate (S1) and an at least partially embossed and at least partially cured coating (C1);
• and
• (2-i) applying at least one coating composition (C2a) to at least a part of a surface of a substrate (S2) to provide composite (S2C2a);
• (3-i) at least partially embossing the coating composition (C2a) of the composite (S2C2a) using composite (S1C1) to provide composite (S1C1C2aS2);
• or
• (2-ii) applying at least one coating composition (C2a) to at least a part of an at least partially embossed and at least partially cured surface of composite (S1C1) and at least partially embossing the coating composition (C2a) using composite (S1C1) to provide composite (S1C1C2a);
• (3-ii) optionally applying a substrate (S2) to at least a part of the surface, formed by coating composition (C2a), of the composite (S1C1C2a) to give a composite (S1C1C2aS2);
• and
• (4) at least partially curing the at least partially embossed coating composition (C2a) optionally applied to a substrate (S2) which throughout the duration of the at least partial curing is in contact with the composite (S1C1) to provide a composite (S1C1C2) or (S1C1C2S2);
• and
• (5-i) optionally removing composite (C2S2) within the composite (S1C1C2S2) from the composite (S1C1) to restore the composite (S1C1) provided in step (1);
• or
• (5-ii) optionally removing coating (C2) within the composite (S1C1C2) from the composite (S1C1) to restore the composite (S1C1) provided in step (1);
• wherein a coating composition (C1a) used for producing the at least partially embossed and at least partially cured coating (C1) of the composite (S1C1) used in step (1) and restored in step (5-i) or step (5-ii) is a radiation-curable coating composition, comprising
• (a) 5 to 45 weight % of at least one crosslinkable polymer and/or oligomer,
• (b) 40 to 95 weight % of at least one reactive diluent,
• (c) 0.01 to 15 weight % of at least one photoinitiator, and
• (d) 0 to 5 weight % of at least one additive;
• where (i) the stated total amounts of the components (a), (b), (c), and (d) are each based on the total weight of the coating composition (Cla), and (ii) the total amounts of all components present in the coating composition (Cla) add up to 100 weight %;
• wherein the at least one crosslinkable polymer and/or oligomer (a) comprises a total amount of at least 25 weight % based on the total weight of all crosslinkable polymer and/or oligomer comprised in the coating composition (Cla), of at least one silicone (meth)acrylate oligomer.