Epoxide blend for polymerizable coating compositions and process

The process of producing an epoxide polymer, comprising:

• forming an essentially solventless mixture, fluid at room temperature, consisting essentially of
• 1. at least one epoxidic prepolymer material having an epoxy equivalent weight below 200, constituting between about 10% and 85% of the weight of the epoxidic materials in the mixture, and selected from the group consisting of
• A. an epoxy resin prepolymer consisting predominantly of the monomeric diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A,
• B. a polyepoxidized phenol novolak or cresol novolak,
• C. a polyglycidyl ether of a polyhydric alcohol, and
• D. a diepoxide of a cycloalkyl or alkylcycloalkyl hydrocarbon or ether,
• 2. an epoxidic ester having two epoxycycloalkyl groups and constituting at least about 15% of the weight of the epoxidic materials in the mixture,
• 3. a monoepoxide having a viscosity at 23.degree.C of less than 20 centipoises and constituting up to about 15% of the weight of the epoxidic materials in the mixture, and
• 4. a radiation-sensitive catalyst precursor which decomposes upon exposure to electron beam or electromagnetic irradiation to provide a Lewis acid effective to initiate polymerization of said epoxidic materials in said mixture;
• applying a portion of the mixture so formed to a substrate;
• and subsequently exposing said mixture on the substrate to electron beam or electromagnetic irradiation to effect substantial polymerization of said epoxidic materials.

The process of producing a coated or imprinted paper product, comprising:

• forming an essentially solventless mixture, fluid at room temperature, consisting essentially of
• 1. at least one epoxidic prepolymer material having an epoxy equivalent weight below 200, constituting between about 10% and 85% of the weight of the epoxidic materials in the mixture, and selected from the group consisting of
• A. an epoxy resin prepolymer consisting predominantly of the monomeric diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A,
• B. a polyepoxidized phenol novolak or cresol novolak,
• C. a polyglycidyl ether of a polyhydric alcohol, and
• D. a diepoxide of a cycloalkyl or alkylcycloalkyl hydrocarbon or ether,
• wherein the sum of the weights of any such polyglycidyl ether of a polyhydric alcohol (C) and of any such diepoxide of a cycloalkyl or alkylcycloalkyl hydrocarbon or ether (D) present does not exceed about 10% of the total weight of said epoxidic prepolymer materials present,
• 2. an epoxidic ester having two epoxycycloalkyl groups and constituting at least about 15% of the weight of the epoxidic materials in the mixture,
• 3. a monoepoxide having a viscosity at 23.degree.C of less than 20 centipoises and constituting up to about 15% of the weight of the epoxidic materials in the mixture, and
• 4. a radiation-sensitive catalyst precursor which decomposes upon exposure to electron beam or electromagnetic irradiation to provide a Lewis acid effective to initiate polymerization of said epoxidic materials in said mixture;
• applying on letterpress apparatus a portion of the mixture so formed to at least predetermined areas of the surface of a paper substrate;
• and subsequently exposing said mixture on the paper substrate to electron beam or electromagnetic irradiation to release said Lewis acid in sufficient amounts to effect substantial polymerization of said epoxidic materials.

The process of producing an epoxide polymer coated or imprinted on a substrate, comprising:

• forming an essentially solventless mixture, fluid at room temperature, consisting essentially of
• 1. at least one epoxidic prepolymer material having an epoxy equivalent weight below 200, constituting between about 10% and 85% of the weight of the epoxidic materials in the mixture, and selected from the group consisting of
• A. an epoxy resin prepolymer consisting predominantly of the monomeric diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A,
• B. a polyepoxidized phenol novolak or cresol novolak,
• C. a polyglycidyl ether of a polyhydric alcohol, and
• D. a diepoxide of a cycloalkyl or alkylcycloalkyl hydrocarbon or ether,
• wherein the sum of the weights of any such polyglycidyl ether of a polyhydric alcohol (C) and of any such diepoxide of a cycloalkyl or alkylcycloalkyl hydrocarbon or ether (D) present does not exceed about 10% of the total weight of said epoxidic prepolymer materials present,
• 2. an epoxidic ester having two epoxycycloalkyl groups and constituting at least about 15% of the weight of the epoxidic materials in the mixture,
• 3. a monoepoxide having a viscosity at 23.degree.C of less than 20 centipoises and constituting up to about 15% of the weight of the epoxidic materials in the mixture;
• and
• 4. a radiation-sensitive catalyst precursor which decomposes upon exposure to electron beam or electromagnetic irradiation to provide a Lewis acid effective to initiate polymerization of said epoxidic materials in said mixture;
• applying on a dry offset press a portion of the mixture so formed to at least predetermined areas of the surface of said substrate;
• and subsequently exposing said mixture on the substrate to electron beam or electromagnetic irradiation to release said Lewis acid in sufficient amounts to effect substantial polymerization of said epoxidic materials.

The process of producing a coated or imprinted paper product, comprising:

• forming an essentially solventless mixture, fluid at room temperature, consisting essentially of
• 1. at least one epoxidic prepolymer material having an epoxy equivalent weight below 200, constituting between about 10% and 85% of the weight of the epoxidic materials in the mixture, and selected from the group consisting of
• A. an epoxy resin prepolymer consisting predominantly of the monomeric diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A,
• B. a polyepoxidized phenol novolak or cresol novolak,
• C. a polyglycidyl ether of a polyhydric alcohol, and
• D. a diepoxide of a cycloalkyl or alkylcycloalkyl hydrocarbon or ether,
• wherein the sum of the weights of any such polyglycidyl ether of a polyhydric alcohol (C) and of any such diepoxide of a cycloalkyl or alkylcycloalkyl hydrocarbon or ether (D) present does not exceed about 10% of the total weight of said epoxidic prepolymer materials present,
• 2. an epoxidic ester having two epoxycycloalkyl groups and constituting at least about 15% of the weight of the epoxidic materials in the mixture,
• 3. a monoepoxide having a viscosity at 23.degree.C of less than 20 centipoises and constituting up to about 15% of the weight of the epoxidic materials in the mixture, and
• 4. a radiation-sensitive catalyst precursor which decomposes upon exposure to electron beam or electromagnetic irradiation to provide a Lewis acid effective to initiate polymerization of said epoxidic materials in said mixture;
• applying on a dry offset press a portion of the mixture so formed to at least predetermined areas of the surface of a paper substrate;
• and subsequently exposing said mixture on the paper substrate to electron beam or electromagnetic irradiation to release said Lewis acid in sufficient amounts to effect substantial polymerization of said epoxidic materials.

The process of producing a coated or imprinted paper product, comprising:

• forming an essentially solventless mixture, fluid at room temperature, consisting essentially of
• 1. at least one epoxidic prepolymer material having an epoxy equivalent weight below 200, constituting between about 10% and 85% of the weight of the epoxidic materials in the mixture, and selected from the group consisting of
• A. an epoxy resin prepolymer consisting predominantly of the monomeric diglycidyl ether of bispenol A.
• B. a polyepoxidized phenol novolak or cresol novolak,
• C. a polyglycidyl ether of a polyhydric alcohol, and
• D. a diepoxide of a cycloalkyl or alkylcycloalkyl hydrocarbon or ether,
• wherein the sum of the weights of any such polyglycidyl ether of a polyhydric alcohol (C) and of any such diepoxide of a cycloalkyl or alkylcycloalkyl hydrocarbon or ether (D) present does not exceed about 10% of the total weight of said epoxidic prepolymer materials present,
• 2. an epoxidic ester having two epoxycyloalkyl groups and constituting at least about 15% of the weight of the epoxidic materials in the mixture,
• 3. a monoepoxide having a viscosity at 23.degree.C of less than 20 centipoises and constituting from about 2% to about 15% of the weight of the epoxidic materials in the mixture, and
• 4. a radiation-sensitive catalyst precursor which decomposes upon exposure to electron beam or electromagnetic irradiation to provide a Lewis acid effective to initiate polymerization of said epoxidic materials in said mixture;
• applying on a gravure press a portion of the mixture so formed to at least predetermined areas of the surface of said paper substrate;
• and subsequently exposing said mixture on the paper substrate to electron beam or electromagnetic irradiation to release said Lewis acid in sufficient amounts to effect substantial polymerization of said epoxidic materials.

The process of producing a coated or imprinted metal product, comprising:

• forming an essentially solventless mixture, fluid at room temperature, consisting essentially of
• 1. at least one epoxidic prepolymer material having an epoxy equivalent weight below 200, constituting between about 10% and 85% of the weight of the epoxidic materials in the mixture, and selected from the group consisting of
• a polyglycidyl ether of a polyhydric alcohol and a diepoxide of a cycloalkyl or alkylcycloalkyl hydrocarbon or ether,
• 2. an epoxidic ester having two epoxycycloalkyl groups and constituting at least about 15% of the weight of the epoxidic materials in the mixture,
• 3. a monoepoxide having a viscosity at 23.degree.C of less than 20 centipoises and constituting up to about 15% of the weight of the epoxidic materials in the mixture, and
• 4. a radiation-sensitive catalyst precursor which decomposes upon exposure to electron beam or electromagnetic irradiation to provide a Lewis acid effective to initiate polymerization of said epoxidic materials in said mixture;
• applying a portion of the mixture so formed to at least predetermined areas of the surface of a metal substrate;
• and subsequently exposing said mixture on the paper substrate to electron beam or electromagnetic irradiation to release said Lewis acid in sufficient amounts to effect substantial polymerization of said epoxidic materials.