Process for producing low gloss coating surface by radiation curing

A method for producing a cured coating with a low gloss surface from a radiation curable coating composition, comprising:

• (1) applying a radiation curable coating composition on a substrate,
• (2) irradiating the radiation curable coating composition from step (1) with UV light having wavelengths essentially in the range from 231 to 280 nm, affording a coating with a partially cured surface layer with reduced gloss, wherein UV light having wavelengths essentially in the wavelength range from 231 to 280 means that at least 60% of the actinic radiation power of the applied radiation source in step (2) is provided by UV light in the wavelength range of from 231 to 280 nm,
• followed by
• (3) finish curing the coating from step (2) with actinic radiation, thereby fixating the partially cured surface layer with reduced gloss and affording the cured coating with the low gloss surface,
• wherein step (2) and step (3) are performed in air;
• and
• wherein the radiation curable coating composition comprises a photoinitiation system comprising one or more photoredox active compounds and one or more redox active compound, wherein a photoredox active compound is a compound which generates an excited state after absorbing light in the 231 to 280 nm wavelength range and when in the excited state the photoredox active compound is able to oxidize or reduce a redox active compound that is able to be oxidized or reduced by the excited state of a photoredox active compound.