When Roy Krohn sought to develop an ultraviolet (UV)-curable conductive ink, he knew that he was ahead of his time. He just didn’t know how far. Today the founder of Allied PhotoChemical, Inc., is starting to truly grasp just how much the entire UV industry has evolved since the company’s founding in 1996.

Over the last few decades, regulatory, environmental and safety issues placed a myriad of restrictions on where, what, how, when and who could manufacture and apply conventional solventborne inks and coatings. While the early UV hybrid (thermal and UV) cationic cure systems offered promise, no single technology has been developed to address the variety of finishing needs. In reality, there probably will not ever be a single technological panacea to accomplish this daunting task.

However, recent advances in raw materials, product formulations and manufacturing techniques have enabled the development of several innovative products that address most of the environmental and safety concerns. One of the most significant developments to emerge within the last few years is the true 100% UV-curable solids product pioneered by Krohn. With advantages such as improved economics, a broad range of colors and effects, compatibility with a variety of substrates, and an environmentally friendly approach, the 100% UV-curable solids product is opening new markets for today’s finishing professionals.

What Are "True 100% UV-Curable Solids"?

For a given 100% UV-curable solids product, the physical appearance is similar to its solventborne counterpart in terms of rheology, processing, application and aesthetics. The free-radical, “true 100% UV-curable solids” technology varies from cationic 100% UV solids technologies by cure mechanism and VOC content. Cationic 100% solids systems can possess up to 5% VOC and/or solvents to aid flow and adhesion, and most hybrid UV technologies evolve intermediate or decomposition products such as acetaldehyde, normal vinyl pyridines, vinyl caprolactum or isocyranates at more stringent temperatures. The free-radical product contains zero VOCs, as well as zero hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) and zero normal vinyl pyridines (NVPs), even when tested at more stringent conditions, such as a 180 °C bake test. Several key benefits of the free-radical 100% UV solids products include:

• improved operating economy;
• improved finish quality;
• energy savings;
• environmental friendliness; and
• easier regulatory compliance.

Economic Advantages

Additionally, no heat is needed to drive cure reactions to produce the final coating. For finishing operations that use solventborne systems, drying or curing paint is usually the limiting factor to throughput and productivity. While other steps within the process can be accomplished in minutes or even seconds, curing often can take hours, and costs are significant in terms of time, as well as in the expense of floor space for large ovens, long conveyor runs, additional tooling, energy and other associated costs, such as work-in-process. With free-radical 100% UV solids, intense ultraviolet light activates a catalyst for the polymerization (curing) process. Curing occurs almost instantaneously, and the size of the UV oven is not a direct function of system line speed or capacity. As a result, companies using the free-radical 100% UV solids products can reduce conveyor costs, energy consumption and processing time, and can increase throughput without using large amounts of valuable floor space. In one particular analysis, the cost reduction from converting from 100% heating to 100% UV solids resulted in a savings of over $250,000 per year on electric energy alone.

The cost per pound of free-radical 100% UV solids is another important factor. Finishers already familiar with conventional solventborne paints for metal have been accustomed to prices in the $55 - 85 per gallon range at 40 to 60% solids. The free-radical 100% UV solids product typically costs in the $70 - $120 per gallon range but can provide a coverage of 1,600 ft2 at 1 mil thickness (dry) - almost twice the coverage of an equivalent solventborne paint. Additionally, the film thickness of free radical 100% UV solids can usually be reduced, while providing the same performance as solventborne paints. When considering the total process cost savings that can be achieved through increased productivity and reduced energy consumption, the free-radical 100% UV solids product can provide a significant economic advantage.

Design Flexibility

The next phase of development was a 100% UV solids clear coating, which has been used in applications ranging from architectural coatings to pre-fabricated wood log cabins. The clear coating also served as a base formulation for opaque color UV coatings, which were introduced in early 2002. Other advances have included unique colors and effects, such as silver inks and electrofluorescents.

While UV technology has been used for a number of years in applications such as clear coats on wood surfaces, automotive headlamps, and CD and DVD coatings, the added design flexibility possible with the free-radical 100% UV solids products is expanding UV technology into more traditional areas of the paint market, such as direct-to-metal and outdoor applications. The products are also being used in some non-traditional areas. For example, Oryon Technologies is using the free-radical 100% UV solids system in its new Elastolite™ flexible E-L display, which has been incorporated into a backpack by Lands’ End under the Cool Blue™ trademark. The technology can be seen from 1,000 feet away and is targeted at kids walking to school during dawn or dusk. Other innovative applications based on the free-radical 100% UV solids system continue to be developed.

Expanding the UV Market

For more information, visit www.alliedphotochemical.com.