[1] They have come to the fore because they are considered environmentally friendly and do not use solvents or produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs), or Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAPs),[2] although some materials used for UV coating, such as PVDF[3] in smart phones and tablets, are known to contain substances harmful to both humans and the environment.
UV coatings advantages in this application can be summarized as faster, smaller, and cleaner with no thermal ovens required.
[5] Ultraviolet cured coatings can be applied over ink printed on paper and dried by exposure to UV radiation.
[8] Due to the normally high solids content of UV coating/varnish the surface of the cured film can be extremely reflective and glossy.
Drying is virtually instantaneous when exposed to the correct level of UV light so projects can move quickly into the bindery.
Photographic filters remove ultraviolet to prevent exposure of the film or sensor by invisible light.
After going through each color on the rotary belt, the final image is formed and a special coating is applied to each can to protect the can/colors from wear and tear.
In recent years, manufacturers have formulated ultraviolet curable coatings for applications outside of a factory or laboratory environment.
This technology was first developed and commercialized by Professional Coatings Inc, (Cabot Ar) for substrates such as wood, concrete, vinyl tile and LVT.
They offer the advantage of quick return to service in the case of substrates such as wood, where polyurethanes can take several days before achieving full cure, and longevity in applications such as VCT, where an acrylic finish can be reapplied several times per year and buffed routinely.