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Preparation of Transparent and Scratch-Resistant Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Coatings: Role and Mechanism of Silane-Modified Nano-SiO2
Summary
Scientists developed a new coating that makes plastic surfaces much harder and more scratch-resistant by adding tiny glass particles (nano-silica) to a clear protective layer. The coating improved hardness by nearly 50% while staying completely see-through, which could help reduce plastic wear and breakage in everyday items like eyeglasses, phone screens, and food containers. This matters for human health because stronger, more durable plastics may shed fewer microplastic particles into our environment and bodies when they don't scratch and degrade as easily.
Optical plastics possess excellent optical and mechanical properties but are limited by poor surface hardness and scratch resistance. Herein, UV-curable organic–inorganic hybrid coatings were developed to enhance scratch resistance while maintaining high optical transparency. Nano-silica sols were prepared via tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) hydrolysis and surface modified with silane coupling agents (KH-560, KH-570, and KH-550) to improve their dispersion and interfacial reactivity in a polyurethane acrylate (PUA) matrix. The modified nano-silica was incorporated into a UV-curable PUA system to fabricate transparent composite coatings. The influences of nano-silica type and loading on hardness, flexibility, wettability, scratch resistance, and UV–visible transmittance were systematically evaluated. Modified nano-silica markedly improved pendulum hardness and scratch resistance, with hardness increasing by nearly 50%, while flexibility remained nearly unchanged. Although hydrophobicity and optical transmittance slightly decreased with increasing nano-silica content, the transmittance remained above 90% at 4 wt% loading. For KH-550 modified systems, strict pH control (pH 8.0) and ammonia removal were critical for sol stability. This work offers a feasible approach for fabricating scratch-resistant, transparent UV-curable coatings for optical plastics.
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