Radcure Coatings and Inks: COST & PERFORMANCE

2 Day Conference
G-Mex Centre, Manchester, UK, 20 - 21 June, 2006

Conference Programme

Note: The organisers reserve the right to change papers and speakers, if necessary.

Day One

09.15 - 10.20: Registration
10.20 - 10.30: Opening Remarks

Session 1: Tuesday 20 June 2006, 10.30 - 12.30

Moderator: Richard Holman, PRA

1. Radcure: The Cinderalla of Compliant Technologies?

Dr Helma Jotischky
PRA, UK

2. Photoinitiators Old and New: Food for Thought

Mr Arthur Green
Consultant, UK

3. Packaging and Migration of UV Materials, Formulating the Way to Succeed

Mr John Cunningham
IGM Resins Ltd, UK

The paper will address many of the current issues concerning the migration of c omponent materials or their reaction products from the cured coating and discuss some ways to help minimise this.

The paper will consider the following points

· Overview of current situation

· What do these figures mean?

· Where does the migrating material come from?

- How do we minimise migration

· New chemistry

- Cost of toxicity testing

4. The Role of Hyperdispersants in Universal Pigment Dispersions for UV Coatings

Mr Mark Sudder
Noveon Division, Lubrizol Ltd, UK

The dispersion and stabilisatin of pigments in such systems can be problematical. Many coating manufacturers use polymeric hyperdispersants to address the technical issues directly associated with unsatisfactory pigment dispersion. The advancement of hyperdispersant technology has led to the availability of specialised hyperdispersants, designed to meet the growing needs of the radiation cured applications.

This paper will outline how a dispersant can play a key role in formulating a pigment dispersion range which can be universal to many printing applications, therefore rationalising UV cured pigment colorants and offering a cost effective solution to the radiation cured coatings and ink manufacturer.

Session 2: Tuesday, 20 June 2006, 14.00 - 16.30

Moderator: Dawn Skinner, Fusion UV Systems & Secretary General of RadTech Europe

5. Alternative UV Radiometry and Process Verification for Difficult Configurations

Mr Richard Stowe
Fusion UV Systems Inc, USA

Traditional filter-detector radiometry typically uses instruments that are very adaptable to conveying systems through UV curing systems. But, special difficulties in making on-line radiometric measurements are encountered in web, or roll-to-roll systems, and in multipoint 3-D systems.

Web systems present a physical problem for in-line radiometry. Although lamps can be monitored with static methods, it is difficult to measure the actual process exposure of a web surface. 3-D processing presents some new and different problems for radiometry. For optimized lamp positioning and process verification, this could require irradiance and energy measurements at almost every point on the surface. For both of these processes, establishing exposure specifications and alternative methods of radiometric verification of UV exposure and process radiometry, using radiachromic films are explored. Methods of correlation to radiometry are discussed.

6. New LED Light Sources for UV Curing

Mr Richard Little
Jenton International Ltd, UK

7. Aspects of Radcure in Electronics - PWBs. Past Successes, Current Hurdles and Future Challenges

Dr Grant Bradley
Electra Polymers & Chemicals Ltd, UK

This paper comprises a review of the use of Radcure in the PWB (Printed Wiring Board) sector of the electronics industry covering both development of the needs of the electronics industry and the evolution of a coatings sector to supply it. The background to and developments from the last 20 years are surveyed. Current trends and challenges, both technological and legislative are summarised with emphasis on the raw materials employed and the environmental issues faced respectively. Finally, an attempt is made to extrapolate from current developments and drivers into the future of this particular Radcure sector.

8. Dual Process Synergy at Work

Mr Brian Heys
Hydrophilm Ltd, UK

For the past twenty five years we have been involved in the traditional spray coating of thermoplastic materials,primarily Acrylics and Polycarbonates, applying hard cotings to improve their abrasion and chemical esistance for use in numerous applications demanding excellent long term transparency. The coating process was completed by using "the new kid on the block" Radiation Curing and many benefits were achieved over thermal curing as a result.

In our new Selectacoat process Radcure continues to play an essential rle but from our perspective it is now the traditional element in our dual process and the "latest kid on the block" is Ink Jet Technology. This Paper details our new process and highlights the compatibility of Radiation Curing and the resultant Synergy.

Session 3: Wednesday 21 June 2006, 09.30 - 12.30

Moderator: R. Stephen Davidson, Citifluor Ltd, UK

9. Nanostructured Thiol-Ene Photopolymerized Networks

Dr Charles Hoyle1,2, Tolecia Clark2, Askim Senyurt1, Srgei Nazareko1, Huanyu Wei1, Trenton Gould3, Scott Piland3, Joe Lichtenhan4 and Sukhendu Hait4
1Schoold of Polymers and High Performance Materials
2Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
3School of Health and Human Performance
University of Southern Mississippi, USA

Tiol-ene polymerizations proceed very rapidly in air upon exposure to light, either with or without photoinitiators present. Three types of functionalized monomers, decavinyl polyoligomericsilsesquioxane (vinyl POSS), hexadecyl thiol and vinyl ester functional hyperbranched esters, and multifunctional acrylates, have been incorporated into thiolene matrices to give nanostructured materials with properties that reflect the phase separated nature of the highly crosslinked networks. Properties such as tuned glass transitions, hardness, impact resistance, mar resistance, and reduced flammability have been achieved by incorporation of these nanoparticles into the thiol-ene networks via nanoparticles dispersed into photocured networks. A complete morphological analysis including AFM, TEM and nanoindentation characterization will be used to inerpret the nacroscopic physical and mechanical properties exhibited by these unique networks.

10. Dual Cure Systems Based on Partially Acrylated Polyols for UV or Thermally Cured Coatings

Mr David James*, Henrik Bernquist, Pia Appelkvist, Peter Sandell & Kent Sörensen
Perstorp, Sweden

Traditional UV curing systems based on acrylate monomers and oligomers lack flexibility or adhesion on difficult substrates. 2 pack isocyanate coatings (2K), on the other hand, lack reactivity and productivity. By combining both chemistries and intrinsic advantes while bypassing respective disadvantages, dual cure systems based on 2 pack isocyanate coatings and UV formulations open up new horizons for formulators. To the opposite of simple blends of conventional acrylates monomers/oligomers and 2 pack isocyanate formulations, we present in this paper dual functionality monomers and and oligomers bearing hydroxyl and acrylate groups (partially acrylated polyols) allowing crosslinking and the formation of interpenetrating polymer network (IPN's) between the acrylates and the polyurethane networks. Even non-UV exposed areas are crosslinked and film forming can take place.

These new high solid systems are suitable for interior and exterior applications for various end uses in original equipment manufacturer (OEM), car refinishes, plastic coatings or cotings for 3D and complex shapes with shadow areas (non UV exposed).

11. Application of Sol-gel Chemistry to Radiation Curing

Dr Celine Croutxe-Barghorn
University of Haute-Alsace, France

12. New Photopolymers for Rapid Prototyping

Dr Robert Liska, M. Schuster, R. Infuehr, C. Turecek, C. Fritscher, B. Seidl, W. Schmidt, L. Kuna, A. Haase, F. Varga, H. Lichtenepper & J. Stampfl
University of Technology, Austria

Rapid Prototyping by means of stereolithography using different types of photopolymers has gained increasing interest since cellular structures can be built at high resolution with sub-µm feature sizes. Beside digital light processing and microstereolithography, rapid prototyping based on two photon absorption photopolymerization techniques will be presented. Soluble photopolymers were developed to substitute cross-linked photopolymers as mould materials and extend the variety of materials which can be cast. With these moulds, the processing of bio-inspired ceramic composites with a controlled architecture from a macroscopic scale down to the nanometer range is possible. Another example will be the development of biophotopolymers based on commercially available reactive diluents and modified gelatine for the fabrication of cellular bone replacement materials. Biocompatibility was investigated by osteoblast-like cells. '

13. Meeting the Challenge of UV Curable Powder Coatings

Ms Dawn Skinner
Fusion UV Systems Inc,UK

The concept of combining the technologies of powder coatings and UV curing looked to be an ideal match. Two environmentally friendly techniques, each with their own strengths: high perforamnce, highly resistant coatings provided by powder and the speed of production, compact curing ovens and the ability to be applied onto many substrates including heat sensitive materials in the case of UV curable coatings. Together they promised the ideal of highly durable coatings applied to heat sensitive materials.

Technical difficulties in manufacturing and formulating the coatings, together with commercial hurdles for the cost of powder application equipment or UV curing installations has resulted in a much slower growth rate than was origianlly predicted.

This paper will reveiw the background to the development of UV curable powder coatings and the current status of the technology. Using a recent, scuccessful installation as a casestudy, it will describe the performance advantages and specifications of a UV curable powder coatings for industrial pvc floor tiles. It will go to review the commercial status of the application reviewing the cost of various stages of the operation outlining the hurdles that had to be overcome and the eventual advantages of the operation.

Session 4, Wednesday 21 June 2006, 14.00 - 15.30

Moderator: Richard Holman, PRA, UK

14. The Relationship Between Physical Test Parameters and Application

Properties for Urethane Acrylate Resins in Formulations

Mr Paul Kelly, Carole Bell & Alistair Little
Schenectady Europe, UK

15. Hydrolytically Stable Self-etching Dental Enamel-dentin Adhesive

Dr Ulrich Salz
Ivoclar Vivadent AG, Liechtenstein

Question & Answer Session

Chaired by Prof Stephen Davidson & Dr Richard Holman