Electron beam curing printing applications

Conveyor belt and moving web reactors give a piston-flow reaction environment. The polymer layer is usually thin enough so that heat transfer is not a serious issue, but the confinement of vapors to meet environmental requirements can be expensive. Thus waterborne or condensation polymerizations without by-products (eg polyurethanes) are preferred. Ultraviolet and electron beam curing is common. Applications include photographic and xerographic films, breathable fabrics, coated abrasives, and printed films, as well as polymers manufactured on belt flakers. 

At present, systems cured by ultraviolet light or electron beams [12-14] are used primarily in wood coatings, which contain very little or no pigment they are employed to a lesser extent in paper coating and other applications. In contrast to the printing field, the comparatively thick layers in which paint systems... 

In the past, electron beam radiation was applied to produce PSA exclusively however, recent improvements in UV curing technology (precise UV dose control, suitable photoinitiators) permit UV to be used to produce pressure-sensitive adhesives. PSA formulations can vary in consistency from low-viscosity liquids up to solids melting at 80°C (176°F). Therefore, applications may vary from screen printing to roll coating to melt extrusion. Coat weights for most PSA materials vary from 1 to 10 g/m. ... 

Radiation can induce certain desired chemical reactions. It can, for example, be used in the making of plastic, or to graft plastic to other materials. Some polymers whose cross-linkage is induced by radiation can be tailored to shrink when heated—a desirable property in some packaging applications. The wood and printing industries make extensive use of electron-beam radiation to cure surface coatings. 

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