UV-curable ResinARONIX
We are continuing to carefully balance industrial development and environmental conservation at a high level. We have established technologies that make our products completely toluene free and we ensure our manufacturing is in harmony with people and the environment.
Characteristics of ARONIX
ARONIX is the product name for special acrylic monomers and oligomers. Regarding acrylic monomers, we offer various monofunctional acrylates effective for improving ease of handling and adhesion, bifunctional acrylates effective for adjusting hardness and improving film strength, and multifunctional acrylates with high film strength and hardness, which are widely used in hard coats, inks, color resists, etc. Acrylic oligomers are designed to offer the properties needed for various applications. Among these, polyester acrylate has been widely used for painting and coating since Toagosei was the first to succeed in mass-producing it in Japan. We also offer urethane acrylate, epoxy acrylate, and many other products in addition to those featured in the catalog. Furthermore, we have developed our own original blending and evaluation technologies, which make use of the ARONIX UV Series which have long been successfully used with adhesives and coatings. Do not hesitate to contact us when blending these products.
- 1. Environment-friendly products (solvent-free)
- In order to respond to solvent regulations (the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register) and to improve the work environment (odor, flammability), inks and paints are rapidly changing to water-based (emulsion and water-soluble systems) and solvent-free (powdered paints and UV-curable Resin) systems. For UV-curable Resins, the system can be completely solvent-free. A high-solid system (high solid content) with a small amount of organic solvent and water-soluble UV-curable Resins can be selected depending on the application.
- 2. Energy conservation and faster manufacturing
- UV-curable resins normally cure instantaneously when exposed to UV light.
The drying time conventionally required for heat-dried paints, which can be solvent or water based, and for systems cured by crosslinking of melamine, epoxy, or urethane groups, is eliminated. Since no drying oven is needed, energy is conserved, productivity is improved (increased line speed), and manufacturing facilities can be made smaller. In addition, ARONIX can be used on materials that are not heat resistant. - 3. Wide range of product designs
- Various properties of cured products can be designed. The number of reactive groups in a resin molecule can be adjusted, or the types of resins or their skeletal structure can be changed. If the resin has numerous reactive groups in one resin molecule, a highly cross-linked structure can be obtained as the cured product. This highly cross-linked structure increases the hardness as well as heat resistance and chemical resistance of the coated film. If resin with one reactive group per resin molecule is mixed in, crosslinking density can be decreased, resulting in a flexible coated film.
Because the reaction only takes place in areas exposed to light, it is possible to control the reaction using masking or similar means to react only the necessary parts.
Use as Light-curable Materials
With light-curable materials, the polymerization of UV-curable Resins is promoted by radicals and cations generated from initiators with exposure to light. Given the advantage of this reaction, UV-curable Resins are widely used in a number of fields.
Generally, when UV-curable Resins are used, the quantities of solvents used can be kept to a minimum, enabling the design of products that are friendly with both the global environment and the work environment. In addition, light curing has the following advantages.
- 1. Curing takes little time
- Short curing times improve production efficiency and energy efficiency (energy conservation) as well as save space. It is also useful for materials vulnerable to heat.
- 2. The curing process is easy to control
- Reaction takes place only in the areas exposed to light. This allows the curing to be controlled. For example, it is possible to use masking to cause curing only in the necessary part.
Light-curable inks and paints
Characterized by their high curing speed, light cured inks, or ultraviolet light (UV) cured inks, have been in use since around 1970 for sheet-fed printing and web offset printing. Lately, their applications have expanded to gravure inks and inkjet inks. They are indispensable materials for a range of resist inks that take advantage of image forming properties.
Light cured, or UV cured, coating agents are widely used for protective coatings and hard coatings for paper, wood, plastics, and metals, and are also used for other everyday products, including beverage cans, fiber optic materials, and mobile phones.
Electron beam cured coating agents
Radical polymerization is a method of hardening the coating surface using an electron beam. It does not involve the use of light initiators. It has applications with light blocking materials including metallic films and pigments. It also increases adhesiveness. Despite these features, it is subject to limitations relating to facilities and has yet to gain widespread use.
Light-curable adhesives
As with other types of adhesives, light-curable adhesives produce polymers through a polymerizing reaction and harden to produce an adhesive capability. They are unique in that a chain of polymerization reactions is triggered by light irradiation. Furthermore, they do not require mixing of two different fluids, they offer freedom in the set time and they exhibit high stability. In recent years, they have enjoyed enormous demand for use in DVDs and other data storage applications.
Resist materials
These are used in both etching and solder resists. Materials that include carboxylic acid to boost their alkaline developing ability are used. In recent years, use in LCD color filters has progressed.
They are also used in press plates for flexography printing used in newspaper printing and the like.
Epoxy Resin Modification
Amine curable epoxy resin modification
The acrylic group reacts with polyamine as a curing agent. By using this reaction known as Michael addition, a small amount (normally around 5%) of ARONIX is added to amine cured epoxy resin to improve low-temperature curing performance, compatibility with fillers, and adhesiveness.
Plastic Cross-linkers and Modifiers
The high reactivity of ARONIX may be put to work by adding it to synthetic rubber, polyvinyl chloride and other different plastic materials, pastes and emulsions to cross-link and modify physical properties (hardness, strength, heat resistance, weather resistance, chemical resistance, and the like), to improve adhesiveness, and so on. Moreover, ARONIX may be added in small quantities, normally 5% or less, to modified silicone sealant or polyurethane sealant to add special features, such as surface drying properties and increased weather resistance.