By Namgoo Kang, Ph.D.; Ken Myers; Mark Adams; Andrew Sandt and William C. Miles, Ph.D., Penn Color, Inc. The adhesion of energy-curable coatings is a subject of great interest, particularly for substrates that are low energy (i.e. plastics) or in the joining of substrates with different surface energies.1 Advantages of energy-curable coatings are that they often are very … [Read more...] about Enabling Energy-Curable Adhesion Through Polymer Design
2022 Quarter 1
Mighty Buildings’ 3D-Printed Sustainable Homes
By Liz Stevens, writer, UV+EB Technology Oakland, California-based construction company Mighty Buildings is a cutting-edge builder using 3D printing, robotics and automation to create stylish, affordable and sustainable factory-built homes. The company’s custom-designed 3D printer extrudes a proprietary thermoset composite, which hardens into a lightweight but stone-like … [Read more...] about Mighty Buildings’ 3D-Printed Sustainable Homes
LED Measurement Solutions for Adhesive Applications
UV LEDs with peak spectral outputs between 365-405 nanometers (nm) are increasingly being used to cure adhesives, but converting a process from mercury to LED may involve more than “turning on” an LED and “turning off” a mercury source. It is important to work with your supplier/formulator to test, evaluate and – if needed – make changes to the formulation. Three parameters A … [Read more...] about LED Measurement Solutions for Adhesive Applications
A Long-Lived EB: Machine Function and Maintenance, Part 1
Did you know there still are electron beams in operation that were manufactured over 30 years ago? With relatively few moving parts and a solid industrial build, electron beams are prone to long lifetimes; however, true longevity, as with most machines, comes from establishing and performing good maintenance practices. By understanding a bit about how an EB functions and what … [Read more...] about A Long-Lived EB: Machine Function and Maintenance, Part 1
Intermolecular Attractive Forces: The Key to Understanding Polymer Properties, Part 2
In this edition of “Professor’s Corner,” a discussion of Intermolecular Attractive Forces is continued. In Part 11, the subject was introduced, and London Dispersion Forces (LDFs) were discussed. These are the forces of attraction exhibited by all atomic, ionic or molecular materials, even those that are completely non-polar. In this edition, we will look at the attractive … [Read more...] about Intermolecular Attractive Forces: The Key to Understanding Polymer Properties, Part 2