RadTech UV+EB  

One of the key challenges 3D printed materials are faced with today is achieving high performance comparable to traditionally manufactured thermoplastics or ceramics. Solving this challenge will lead to increase in adoption of UV/LED-based additive manufacturing for production of demanding end-use applications.  Some of the key requirements for such applications are high strength and temperature resistance with moderately high elongation at break as well as ability to retain these properties in presence of water. Desire to match these high-performance targets in a relatively high-crosslinked network calls for innovative material strategies. Arkema’s efforts on developing new materials to solve this technical problem will be discussed.

Plastic waste is a global concern, prompting new recycling mandates and regulations. Brands and industry leaders are seeking innovative approaches to simplify plastic recycling. Arkema has developed new UV resins that facilitate the delamination of UV inks and coatings from plastic substrates and easing recyclability. These resins are tailored to create primers and UV inks based on substrate-specific requirements. By addressing the technical difficulties associated with de-inking, these advancements contribute to more sustainable production practices and support the transition to a circular economy. The technical differences and findings on these new de-inking resins will be presented.

For the world to change, the materials we use must evolve. In the design phase, one of the challenges is to replace virgin fossil feedstocks by feedstocks coming from biomass or recycled origins. The mass balance approach is a virtuous method to accelerate the transition and allow capex intensive supply chains the access to renewable feedstocks. The approach is framed by robust certification schemes applied across the whole value chain to ensure a full traceability from the feedstocks to the end products. We will discuss the benefits of mass balance solutions in UV-LED-EB curable applications, with a special focus on performance coatings, graphic arts and industrial materials, and how they enable industry players to achieve their sustainability and climate goals while enhancing product performance.

The growth of UV LED curing is driven by its low energy consumption and reduced environmental impact. However, it faces limitations in terms of available photoinitiator choice and type, due to the narrow band emission of LED UV light. Amine synergist are a class of resins necessary for use with most type II photoinitiators.  Current regulations have created new needs in the type of amine synergist needed to be used such as faster cure, low migration and less yellowing. Arkema has been working in developing new amine synergist that tackle some of these issues and will be discussed during this presentation.