In the coating and paint field of study, cure is usually though of as the chemical reaction between

functional groups that results in cross-linking of a system by one or more of a variety of schemes
including polymerization of monomers, rearrangement, condensation or elimination, reaction with
adventitious moisture or oxygen, as well as others. This chapter will mainly be concerned with cross-
linked systems and cure will be taken to mean reaction that results in a thermoset or network-
formed coating, unless otherwise indicated.

The film might still be brittle and have poor chemical resistance, but such factors may not be
important in certain intances. However, strength properties will be markedly improved as a cross-
linking agent is added, adn the system is allowed to react under proper temperature conditions for
an appropriate length of time.

High molecular weight polymers can form coating films with high gloss and good mechanical
properties, however, to achieve such useful properties, the applied solids must be low due to the
high viscosities involved when such large-size molecules are used. In the coatings arena, usually low
molecular weight polymers or oligomers comprising a relativelt small number of chain units that
either have one.

If a cross-linking agent is present in the powder coating, the cure system must be orchestrated in
such a manner that liquefaction and flow take place before significant network formation occurs.
Very slow reactions occur in thermoset systems that cure by reaction of adventitious oxygen with
unsaturation in the oligomeric molecules.