8. Light-curing inks

8.1 Introduction

The coating, inks and adhesives industries are facing increasingly stringent constraints in terms of solvent emissions, drying times, energy consumption and final product properties.

The use of radiation (UV or electron beam) to polymerize and thus dry the ink film is a highly satisfactory response to these constraints.

Under the action of suitably selected UV radiation, the photoinitiators decompose and a very rapid chain polymerization...