No longer the new kids on the block, ultraviolet (UV) and electron beam (EB) technologies are firmly entrenched in the package printing industry. In the last decade, usage of UV/EB curing and inks has continued to grow to the degree that it can no longer be fairly characterized as new. Yet, many converters continue to ignore the benefits of UV/EB for no other reason than doing so would constitute change. packagePRINTING sat down with a few industry experts this month in an attempt to dispel some of the long-held misconceptions against UV/EB curing and inks. Myth: UV/EB materials are unsafe Tony Bean,
Tony Bean
Industry experts weigh in on the who, what, when, where, and why of the post-cure process. by Jessica Millward, Associate Editor THE APPARENT "chemistry mystery" occurring after a UV ink is cured significantly impacts the appearance of a finished printed product. Supplier sleuthing has led to these conclusions: WHAT is (and what isn't) post-cure? Though used throughout the industry, the term "post-cure," in many cases, is technically a misnomer. Rob Stendahl, corporate technical support supervisor for Akzo Nobel, clarifies: "Post cure only takes place with cationic UV-curable inks. The more common type of UV inks is cured through a UV-induced free radical polymerization
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