Toagosei Annual R&D Report “TREND” – Issue No. 12

The UV-curable SQ Series is an organic-inorganic hybrid material combining photopolymerizable groups with a silsesquioxane backbone. Cationic OX-SQ and radical AC-SQ grades can serve as UV curable resin, photocurable resin, crosslinkable resin, hard coating material, optical coating material, or functional coating components. Their nanohybrid structure combines hardness, transparency, heat resistance, and resin compatibility.

For hard coat and surface protection coating applications, OX-SQ TX-100 forms a 5H–6H pencil-hardness film and improves acetone resistance immediately after UV curing when blended with an alicyclic epoxy. AC-SQ forms a 6H hard film on glass. These results support high hardness coating, scratch resistant coating, anti scratch coating, abrasion resistant coating, plastic protective coating, and clear hard coating design to improve coating hardness and address poor scratch resistance or surface damage. The cured materials retain high modulus at elevated temperature and show 5% weight-loss temperatures of 390–400°C in nitrogen, supporting heat resistant resin, heat resistant coating, and chemical resistant coating concepts.

OX-SQ SI-20 contains silicone segments and creates a hydrophobic, water repellent coating surface with strong oil-based ink repellency. It can be evaluated for anti smudge and anti fingerprint coating concepts where improved water repellency and resistance to fingerprint stains are required. Repellency remained after 2,000 dry-wipe cycles, demonstrating abrasion resistance and contamination resistance.

Cationic OX-SQ cures in thin films without oxygen inhibition and shows low curing shrinkage of 2–5%; measured values were 2.6% for TX-100 and 4.6% for SI-20. These properties support low shrinkage resin, low curing shrinkage coating, and low warpage resin design intended to reduce warpage or cracking after curing. OX-SQ ME-20 provides high transparency and glossy surfaces for optical resin, high transparency resin, optical clarity, and protective coating applications.

AlleRemove™ ZTP-170 is an organic–inorganic composite allergen reduction agent for anti-allergen treatment of textiles, filters, and interior materials. As an anti-allergen additive and textile-finishing anti-allergen agent, it combines an inorganic base with a polyphenol-based organic component and interacts with allergen proteins through two inactivation mechanisms. ELISA testing showed more than 99% inactivation of the house-dust mite allergen Der f II (Der f 2) and cedar pollen allergen Cry j 1 using ZTP-170 powder. Cotton/acrylic fabric coated at 2 g/m² with an acrylic binder achieved more than 99% inactivation for both, supporting dust mite allergen reduction and cedar pollen allergen reduction in coated products.

ZTP-170 is a pale-yellow, near-white fine powder with a particle size of a few micrometers, minimal coloration, and easy processing. It can be used as a coating additive for allergen reduction and as an anti-allergen textile treatment applied with an acrylic or urethane binder. After heating treated nonwoven fabric at 120°C for 18 hours, almost no discoloration occurred and the Cry j 1 inactivation rate remained above 99%. Because the organic active component is carried on an inorganic material, the agent resists leaching during washing and maintains high activity after laundering. These results support heat resistance, water resistance, wash durability, and long-lasting anti-allergen coating concepts.

Applications include anti-allergen filter coatings for air purifiers; anti-allergen car-interior treatments for car seats and mats; anti-allergen bedding additives for sheets, pillows, and comforter filling; anti-allergen mask materials; and treatments for carpets, clothing, wallpaper, and flooring materials. ZTP-170 has shown activity against cat and Japanese cypress allergens. Safety tests found rat acute oral toxicity LD50 above 5,000 mg/kg and a rabbit primary skin irritation index of 0. It can be combined with antimicrobial agents or KESMON deodorants to create multifunctional materials providing both allergen reduction and deodorization.