Press Release: Kuraray develops new photocurable elastomer

Tokyo – Japanese chemicals company Kuraray has developed a new photocurable elastomer, the company has announced.

The technology enables good control of the molecular weight as well as the distribution of the elastomer and the photocurable portions within the molecular structure of a polymer – a process that yields superior curability and elasticity compared with other photopolymers on the market.

Rapid UV curable photopolymers have been developed for a wide variety of fields, including adhesives and coatings, due primarily to their excellent workability.

Besides being indispensable to the manufacture of displays and electronic components, they are also used as the medium for 3D printing.

With this newly developed proprietary photocurable elastomer, Kuraray will continue exploring a range of markets, especially adhesives, coatings and moulding materials.

Using its proprietary living anionic polymerisation technology, which enables the precise design of polymers, Kuraray has created such thermoplastic elastomer products as Septon, which has superb mouldability, and Kurarity, an acrylic elastomer with superior elasticity, transparency and weather resistance.

Using the know-how cultivated through these endeavours we have now successfully developed a photocurable elastomer, the market for which is expected to expand in a wide range of fields.