| abstract |
A curable composition for coating eyeglass lenses and other transparent substrates and capable of producing a hard coating, the index of refraction of which can be easily matched, through proper formulating, to the index refraction of the substrate to be coated to thereby avoid visible interference fringes. The composition comprises, in an organic solvent, a plurality of acrylate or methacrylate-functional monomers or oligomers and specifically including a (meth)acrylate-functional monomer having an (meth)acrylate-functionality of at least three and, when cured by itself, having a predetermined index of refraction. Optionally and preferably, the coating composition includes as well a different (meth)acrylate monomer having a functionality of one or more and, when cured by itself, exhibiting a different predetermined index of refraction. Desirably included in the composition is a polymerization catalyst capable of catalyzing polymerization of the (meth)acrylate monomers or oligomers in response to actinic radiation or thermal activation. The composition also includes a colloidal sol of a metal compound, preferably the oxide, of a metal such as antimony, antimony pentoxide being preferred. |