UV curing: An ideal technology for floor coatings

Coating flat surfaces more quickly  and sustainably 

Thanks to its almost-instant curing mechanism, low energy consumption and waste, and solvent-free potential, UV curing can help coating manufacturers cut time, costs, and emissions.

To achieve a smooth finish, the distance between UV lamp and substrate must be consistent across the whole area. This means that UV curing is typically most effective on large, two-dimensional surfaces like flooring.

At Covestro, we offer multiple UV-curable resins designed for floor-coating applications, and we’re always looking to finetune and futureproof our portfolio.

Fewer, more functional layers

A key advantage of UV-curable coatings is that you can often apply primer, mid-coat, and top-coat from one multilayer production line. 

And increasingly, UV-curable resins can reduce the number of layers you need altogether. As the technology evolves, some resins now allow you to create a more protective coating. This enables new types of more resilient flooring.

Meeting the ultra-matte demand

Of course, flooring isn’t just about functionality: for consumers, look and feel are just as important. And one growing trend in wood flooring is ultra-matte, natural-look finishes.

This has traditionally been difficult to achieve with UV-cured coatings: the high crosslink density typically results in a glossy finish. Excimer curing makes it easier to finetune your coating’s haptics and optics  because the lamp cures only the top layer – but this can also mean lower resistance.

We’re working on energy-curable resin technologies to bridge this gap between performance and consumer preference. For instance, our  Excimer-curable resin NeoRad™ U-65, or our easy-to-matt resin NeoRad™ U6282. Both are designed to produce coatings that are ultra-low-gloss but still with high protection. 

Exploring safer solutions with oligomers

One limitation of traditional UV-curable resins is that their high reactivity can be a potential safety risk for workers and consumers.

That’s why we continuously explore new technologies that enable safer UV curing, especially in the face of increasingly strict legislation. We’re especially interested in emerging oligomer technologies – which, as larger molecules, are less volatile.

Toward  even more sustainable UV-cured floor coatings

Indeed, safety and sustainability will be a top priority in the evolution of all coating technologies over the next few years. With all its sustainability benefits, we’re expecting UV technology to grow quickly – and we’re looking ahead to make our UV-curing technologies even more sustainable for the future.

This includes exploring partly bio-based UV-curable resins, resins that can be cured with LED lamps, and continuing to phase out PVC. All while keeping performance, protection, and personalization in mind.