| The UV-curable monomer has demonstrated, through thorough testing, superior performance compared to commonly used monomers like 1,6-Hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA) and Tetrahydrofurfuryl acrylate (THFA). It offers several key advantages, including low viscosity, high UV curability, reduced cure shrinkage, enhanced flexibility of the cured material, and excellent scratch resistance. |
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| Rapid curability |
| The UV-curable monomer offers superior curability, especially when blended with hexa-functional urethane acrylate, achieving fast curing at low viscosity. This reduces energy consumption, making the process efficient and eco-friendly while enhancing coating hardness and durability for improved production throughput. |
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| Unique balance in scratch resistance and flexibility |
| The UV-curable monomer offers an ideal balance of scratch resistance and flexibility, essential for bendable or moving substrates. It maintains durability without cracking, providing long-lasting protection. Its low solvent use enhances energy efficiency and sustainability, making it a top choice for advanced formulations. |
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| Blended with hexa-functional urethane acrylate |
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| Inks formulation example |
Test procedure: - Warm "Oligomer" and "Monomer 1" to 35°C
- Add the two photoinitiators and the vinyl Caprolactam.
- Let the mixture cool below 20°C.
- Add 2nd set of ingredients.
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| Formulation | UV-curable monomer | Benchmark | | Set of ingredients 1 | | Oligomer | 2 | 2 | | THFA monomer | | 20 | | UV-curable monomer | 20 | | | Photoinitiator 1 | 6 | 6 | | Photoinitiator 2 | 3 | 3 | | Vinyl Caprolactam | 26.12 | 26.12 | | Set of ingredients 2 | | HDDA | | 18.2 | | UV-curable monomer | 18.2 | | | Levelling agent | 0.24 | 0.24 | | In-can stabilizer | 0.24 | 0.24 | | Pigment Dispersion | 20 | 20 |
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| Excellent ink stability |
| The UV-curable monomer exhibits a more gradual increase in viscosity after oven aging compared to the benchmark, highlighting its superior ink stability. |
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| Test: Oven age for 5 days at 60°C |
| | UV-curable monomer | Benchmark | | INK VISCOSITY | | Initial Viscosity @ R.T. cP | 22.7 | 22.5 | | Oven Aged Viscosity @ R.T. cP | 23.3 | 25 | | Increase rate | +3% | +11% | | INK SURFACE TENSION | | Initial mN/m | 29.2 | 31.4 | | Oven aged mN/m | 30.1 | 32.6 | | Increase rate | +3% | +4% |
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| Outstanding print quality and optical properties |
| The UV-curable monomer delivers cleaner prints on plastic substrates compared to the benchmark, with especially good printability on aluminum. It also achieves higher optical density with any color ink, resulting in more vivid prints. . |
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| Print quality evaluated under microscope | A higher number on a scale of 5 indicates a cleaner print. Optical Density: D65 light source and measurement accuracy of 10°. |
| | UV-curable monomer | Benchmark | | Gloss | 95 | 78 | | PRINT QUALITY | | Polypropylene | 5 | 4 | | Polyethylene | 5 | 4 | | Polyester | 5 | 4 | | Paper | 5 | 4 | | Aluminum | 5 | 4 | | OPTICAL DENSITY | | CYAN | 1.32 | 1.10 | | MAGENTA | 1.39 | 1.22 | | YELLOW | 1.30 | 0.99 | | BLACK | 1.62 | 1.47 |
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