While work on the first issue of 2022 is underway, we paused to see which UV+EB Technology articles from 2021 caught the eyes of our readers. The following stories were the top reads from 2021 for visitors to the website.
1. Matting Optimization: Achieving High-Quality, Ultra-Low Matte Radiation-Curable Wood Coatings
Traditionally formulated for clear systems with typical gloss ranges from satin to high-gloss coatings, recent consumer wood coating trends have gravitated toward much deeper – in some instances, ultra-low – matte finishes.
2. Self-Healing UV Curable Coatings for Wood Substrates
Abrasion and scratch resistance are amongst the most important properties for interior wood products. To protect wood, UV-curable acrylate coatings are used because of their high reactivity that ensures high factory productivity. Despite the good performance of UV-curable acrylate coatings, scratch formation is unavoidable, as wood is a soft substrate.
3. UV-Curable Coatings: Options for Challenging Substrates
The use of UV-curable coatings continues to expand into applications that traditionally have been the domain of other coating technologies. UV-curable materials offer the advantages of faster cure times, shorter production lines, greater energy savings and a reduced environmental impact. UV-curable materials now are found in wood coatings, vinyl flooring, metal coatings, flexible packaging films and electronic assemblies, as well as numerous other applications.
4. Comparing EB and UV: Common Questions
If you’ve ever attended a RadTech conference and/or read an issue of UV+EB Technology, you surely know that ultraviolet (UV) and electron beam (EB) are similar technologies that also are very distinctly different.
5. EB Operation 101
While electron beams are complex machines to build, the day-to-day operation of an EB is quite straightforward. Despite the wide array of possible applications, there are only a few settings to adjust: dose, accelerating voltage and line speed. That’s it! Now, understanding how these parameters and the throughput of the beam apply to achieving a well-cured coating or a sterilized surface might take a few additional paragraphs.