Acrylated amine oligomers are not a new class of chemistry for UV/EB applications. These oligomers are an upgraded subset of tertiary amines, which are well known to increase the cure response of UV-cured acrylate systems. The acrylated amines combine at least one unsaturated acrylate group and a tertiary amine on the same molecule through a number of different, novel structures. The acrylated amine oligomers are used in formulations where there are concerns about the mobility of non-reactive, low-molecular-weight tertiary amines on the final coating’s properties. Also, acrylated amines can participate in the photopolymerization, just like any other acrylate monomer or oligomer that is present.
Traditionally, tertiary amines have been used in graphic art coatings when running at high speeds with thin, low-viscosity coatings. The tertiary amine can serve two purposes in these formulations. First, to act as an abstractable hydrogen site for Norrish Type II photoinitiators to create a highly reactive free radical for initiating polymerization of the acrylate formulation components. Second, the alkyl-amino radical can react with oxygen present in the coating to create a non-propagating peroxy radical. That peroxy radical can then react with a more tertiary amine, create another alkyl-amino radical and repeat the cycle (Stephen C. Lapin, 2014). There is much literature describing this process in more detail.