Talking About UV Monomers: The "Four Heavenly Kings"
Release time:
2025-05-19
In the UV industry, the "Four Heavenly Kings" of monomers are generally recognized as TMPTA, TPGDA, DPGDA, and HDDA. This classification is mainly based on usage ranking. Monomers with high usage often represent their fundamental and universal nature, indirectly confirming the important position of these four types of monomers in the field of UV curing.
However, as a UV industry practitioner, I attempt to redefine the "Four Heavenly Kings" from the perspective of performance and function, proposing the following new viewpoint:
- Trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA)
- Pentaerythritol triacrylate (PETA)
- 1,6-Hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA)
- Isobornyl acrylate (IBOA)
I call these the new "Four Heavenly Kings" of monomers because they form the core backbone of most UV/EB curing formulations. Their unique chemical structures provide diverse properties, making them widely used and functionally comprehensive monomers in this field.
Wide Applicability: These four monomers are used in almost all UV/EB curing fields, including coatings, inks, adhesives, 3D printing, and electronics.
Performance Balance: Each monomer offers a unique combination of properties, enabling formulators to develop diverse light-curing products.
Synergistic Blending: These monomers are often used in combination to balance flexibility, hardness, curing speed, and adhesion in a single formulation.
High Production Volume Advantage: These monomers are produced on a large scale globally, making them cost-effective and readily available.
Monomer | Chemical Structure | Key Characteristics | Main Applications |
TMPTA | Trifunctional acrylate | High crosslink density, fast curing, excellent hardness | Coatings, adhesives, 3D printing, varnishes |
PETA | Tri/Tetrafunctional acrylate | Extremely high crosslink density, excellent hardness, high brittleness | High-strength coatings, 3D printing resins, rigid adhesives |
HDDA | Difunctional acrylate | Balanced reactivity, good flexibility, low shrinkage | Flexible coatings, inks, 3D printing |
IBOA | Monofunctional acrylate | Low viscosity, good flexibility, weather resistance | Weather-resistant coatings, flexible adhesives, 3D printing |
Currently, (meth)acrylate monomers have developed to hundreds of types, and the categories continue to expand. It is not easy to select four representative monomers from such a complex system – it is impossible to cover everything comprehensively, and there are no absolutely irreplaceable varieties. For example:
Although TPGDA can be considered the king in terms of usage and cost control, I had to exclude it due to the limitation of four slots.
Although TMPTA faces challenges from regulations, its comprehensive technical indicators are still irreplaceable, so it retains its place.
The above viewpoints are only a periodic summary of my personal industry experience, intended as a humble contribution to spark discussion, and I sincerely request colleagues in the industry for corrections and discussions. Welcome to leave comments and exchange ideas!
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2025-12-22
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