UV curable polymers with organically modified clay as the nanoreinforcements

UV curable polymers are prevalent in microelectronic applications. Several advantages are associated with UV curing such as rapid cure, solvent free systems, application versatility, low energy requirements, and low temperature operation. To be used in electronics the films must posses the following attributes: high glass transition, barrier properties, low shrinkage, flexibility, and enhanced mechanical properties. The area of polymer-clay nanocomposites have been widely investigated by researchers and improved mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties were reported. Most researchers have attempted nanocomposite formation by melt mixing or in situ polymerization. Little is understood on UV curable nanocomposites. This paper seeks to examine nanoclay-containing polymers using organomodified montmorillonites in UV curable systems and the effects of such clay inclusions on the properties of UV cured films. By x-ray diffraction it appeared that intercalated structures were formed. In the case of an epoxy acrylate formulation an increase in glass transition temperature was observed for formulations containing clay.