Photostabilization of cationic UV-cured coatings in the presence of nanoTiO2

The effect of TiO2 nanoparticles for sun-weathering protection of UV-cured coatings is investigated. TiO2 is either introduced in the form of nanoparticles in the photocurable formulations or generated in situ via sol–gel process. Cured films containing comparable amounts of TiO2 were weathered for 800 h under UV irradiation and compared with free-TiO2 coating. The TiO2 presence induces a clear lower mass loss decrease during weathering as well as a lower gel content decrease. The TiO2 screen effect is also confirmed by a lower alkyl-band reduction monitored by FT-IR during weathering. The TiO2 generated in situ via sol–gel gives rise to transparent coatings without interfering with photopolymerization process and therefore without compromising UV-cured film properties.