Sustainability and going green have become a trend in the industry. Therefore, developing strategy for solventless systems that would meet end-use performance requirements has become increasingly important.
It would eliminate all solvents in the coating system, whether VOC solvents such as hydrocarbons or VOC-exempt ones such as fluorocarbons. Solventless formulations in each of three silicone cure mechanisms of condensation, addition and UV were investigated.
While siloxanes, readily available in a wide range of viscosities, were used as diluents, siloxane-free systems were also investigated. As coatable viscosity and desirable shelf-life were the basic requirements for such a formulation, design of experiments (DOE) from formulator's perspective was addressed to control these parameters and to develop strategies.