ULTRAVIOLET AND ELECTRON BEAM (UV/EB) CURED COATINGS,

0,72
MB INKS AND ADHESIVES

99
stron

4271
ID UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

2001
rok

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DISCLAIMER . ii

FORWARD iii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS . v

FIGURES . viii

TABLES ix

ACRONYMS USED IN THIS REPORT . x

INTRODUCTION 1

BACKGROUND . 2

PART I: THE BASICS . 3

WHAT ARE UV/EB-CURED MATERIALS? 3

Review of Conventional Coatings, Inks and Adhesives . 4

UV/EB-Cured vs. Conventional Coatings, Inks and Adhesives 5

WHERE ARE UV/EB-CURED MATERIALS USED? 6

DO UV/EB FORMULATIONS USE CONVENTIONAL RESINS? 9

HOW ARE UV/EB MATERIALS CURED? . 10

DO UV/EB-CURED MATERIALS NEED SPECIAL EQUIPMENT? . 12

Curing Units 12

Printing and Roller Coating . 13

Spray Painting . 13

Other Application Techniques . 14

PART II: THE DETAILS . 15

UV/EB RADIANT ENERGY 15

HOW IS UV/EB RADIANT ENERGY GENERATED? . 15

UV Sources 15

EB Sources . 20

WHAT IS UV/EB IONIZING RADIATION? . 22

HOW DEEPLY DOES IONIZING RADIATION PENETRATE? . 24

UV Ionizing Radiation 24

EB Ionizing Radiation 24

UV/EB-CURING 26

HOW DO UV/EB COATINGS, INKS AND ADHESIVES FORM? 26

Free Radical Polymerization . 27

Cationic Polymerization 28

Crosslinking 28

HOW DO PHOTOINITIATORS WORK? . 29

DOES PRODUCTION RATE DEPEND ON COATING THICKNESS? . 29

WHY HAS THERE BEEN GROWTH IN 3D CAPABILITIES? 30

HOW IS EXTENT OF CURING MEASURED? 31

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT AFFECTS CURING? 33

PART III: EMISSIONS, HEALTH AND SAFETY . 34

WHAT AIR POLLUTANTS ARE EMITTED FROM UV/EB-CURED MATERIALS? . 34

VOC Emissions 34

Fine Particulate Emissions 35

HAP Emissions 35

Odorous Emissions . 36

Ozone and N02 Emissions 36

HOW ARE EMISSIONS FROM UV/EB-CURED MATERIALS MEASURED? . 36

WHAT ABOUT WORKER HEALTH AND SAFETY? 37

What Health and Safety Concerns Does UV/EB Radiant Energy Present? . 37

How Can Workers Be Protected Against UV/EB Ionizing Radiation? 38

What Health and Safety Concerns Do Hazardous Components In UV/EB-Cured Materials Present?

39

What About Worker Hygiene? . 43

COST CONSIDERATIONS . 46

ARE UV/EB-CURED MATERIALS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN CONVENTIONAL COATINGS, INKS

AND ADHESIVES? . 46

SUMMARY . 49

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF USING UV/EB-CURED COATINGS, INKS AND ADHESIVES?

49

WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES OF USING UV/EB-CURED COATINGS, INKS AND

ADHESIVES? 50

CONCLUSIONS . 50

REFERENCES . 51

GLOSSARY OF TERMS 55

APPENDIX A: ULTRAVIOLET AND ELECTRON BEAM RADIATION VS. RADIOACTIVITY A-1

APPENDIX B: EXAMPLES OF UV/EB COATING AND INK USE . B-1

APPENDIX C: EPA METHOD 24: DETERMINATION OF VOLATILE MATTER CONTENT, WATER

CONTENT, DENSITY, VOLUME SOLIDS, AND WEIGHT SOLIDS OF SURFACE COATINGS . C-1



APPENDIX D: DEFINITION OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOC) D-1

APPENDIX E: HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS (HAP) . E-1