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Introduction
The application of radiation curing has, until now, been son ewhat restricted by limitations
inherent in the chemistry of free-radically initiated acrylates. As a result the penetration of
the coating industry by radiation curing lags behind that achieved by the other so-called "new"
coating technologies. The cationically initiated epoxide systems do not suffer the same
limitations and have therefore been utiised in different market segments, oftàn with more
demanding requirements.
To illustrate this, I will first discuss some established applicatkins for the cationic chemistry
to identify what beneficial properties it has to offer. These properties have suggested the
possibility of major new applications, amongst which we can highlight two under active
development in the European laboratories of Union Carbide and its customers.
My contention is that this chemistry has an important contribution to make towards meeting
stringent environmental and performance requirements in the coating industry beyond the
existing bounds of radiation curing.
