Coating properties of UV-curable PUA nanocomposites with modified cellulose nanocrystals

A simple modification of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) was intended for preparing ameliorated nanofillers for UV-curable PUA coatings. This modification was carried out by dispersing CNC in DMSO with 2-isocyanatoethyl acrylate using one-pot system to introduce acrylic groups on the surface of CNC. The dispersity of modified CNC was ensured by solvent exchange method in which can obtain CNC/solvent suspension without any drying step. FT-IR analysis was carried to identify the modification of CNC. The mechanical properties and surface hardness of the UV-cured composite coatings with different modified CNC contents were measured by universal testing machine and pencil hardness tester, respectively.