Radiation Chemistry in EB-and UV- Light-Cured Inks
The dynamics of novel ink evolution have been a direct function of the regulations stipulated by governmental and other enforcement agencies. In the United States, the EPA in its policy statement1 recommended drastic reduction in the use of volatile organic compounds (VOC) that might be released to the environment from various products and applications.
Until the early 1970s, ink chemistry was based entirely on organic solvents. The coatings industry in general relied on low-solids solvent systems (~10% solids). Such a high solvent content resulted in the release of a large amount of VOCs. During this period, chemists depended heavily on the molecular weight aspect of the polymeric materials to fine-tune the performance characteristics of the system. Naturally, high-molecular-weight polymers demanded high solvent/solid ratios.