Experimental and modelling study of the radiative curing of a polyester-based coating

Abstract: This experimental investigation is structured to describe the thermal behaviour of a polyester+TGIC powder coating during infrared curing. The study hence correlates thermal modelling of the cure process and kinetics studies. First, the curing kinetics is determined using DSC experiments and modelling with the software Matlab. The results from this study are then used to study the infrared curing efficiency. Medium wave infrared leads to the fastest cure. Moreover, coupling the thermal modelling of the cure process and the kinetics has enabled us to develop a model predicting the evolution of the temperature and the degree of conversion, using the hypothesis that the paint film and the substrate are at the same temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]