4-hydroxybutyl acrylate

Application Fields

Relying on "flexible segments + dual reactivity," 4-HBA stands out in high-end materials requiring high flexibility and controllable crosslinking:

UV Curing Materials:

As a reactive diluent used with photoinitiators in UV-curable coatings (such as plastic coatings and fiber optic coatings), the double bond undergoes rapid polymerization (curing time < 5 seconds), and the hydroxyl group crosslinks with isocyanate prepolymers in the system. The resulting coating combines high flexibility (elongation at break > 200%) and scratch resistance (pencil hardness 2H), with adhesion to substrates (cross-hatch test grade 0) superior to HEA systems.

3D Printing Resins: Compounded with epoxy acrylates, the flexible segments improve the brittleness of the resin after curing (impact strength increased by 40%), making it suitable for printing elastic components (such as biomimetic robot joints).

Waterborne Polymer Materials:

Waterborne Polyurethane (WPU) Modification: Copolymerized with WPU prepolymers, the hydroxyl groups participate in crosslinking to enhance the water resistance (water absorption < 15%) and solvent resistance (resistant to > 100 ethanol wipes) of the film, used in leather finishing (soft hand feel after film formation, fold resistance > 100,000 times).

Acrylic Emulsions: Copolymerized with butyl acrylate and methacrylic acid to prepare construction sealants; the flexible segments allow the sealant to maintain elasticity at -40°C (low-temperature elastic recovery rate > 90%), outperforming hydroxypropyl acrylate (HPA) modified systems.

Medical and Biomaterials:

Hydrogels: Copolymerized with N-vinylpyrrolidone (NVP), the hydroxyl groups impart hydrophilicity and biocompatibility (cell viability > 95%) to the hydrogel, with a water absorption capacity of up to 800 times its own weight, used in wound dressings (promoting tissue repair) and sustained-release drug carriers (adjustable release period of 1-7 days).

Biodegradable Materials: Graft copolymerized with polycaprolactone (PCL), a network structure forms after double bond polymerization, and the hydroxyl groups improve the compatibility between the material and human tissue, used in absorbable surgical sutures (degradation period of 3-6 months).

Adhesives and Sealants:

Structural Adhesives: Copolymerized with epoxy resins, the hydroxyl groups enhance hydrogen bonding with metals (such as aluminum and steel), achieving a shear strength of 25 MPa (30% a increase over unmodified versions), with a temperature resistance range of -50 to 120°C, suitable for bonding aerospace components.

Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives: Modifying styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) block copolymers, the flexible segments improve initial tack (180° peel strength > 7 N/25mm), and the hydroxyl groups increase adhesion to polar films (such as PET), used in high-end packaging tapes.