Interview: Energy-saving LEDs and sustainable innovations in radiation curing
David Engberg from Perstorp talked to our COLOURS & COATINGS editor Bettina Hoffmann about the latest innovations in radiation curing. The technology is experiencing a surge of innovation, driven primarily by the focus on more sustainable solutions. From the development of renewable raw materials to the increased use of energy-saving LEDs, the technology is opening up new possibilities, particularly in growing segments such as wood coatings and 3D printing.
What innovations are there in the field of radiation curing?
David Engberg: Radiation curing is an ever-evolving technology to meet market demands. At the moment, I would say that the need for more sustainable solutions is driving a lot of innovation. Although radiation curing as a technology is inherently very sustainable, as it uses little energy and contains few volatile organic compounds, there is still room for further innovation. The development of renewable raw materials is one example of this, where new resins are being developed from biologically renewable and recycled materials that also meet high performance requirements. Another example is the increasing interest in and development of UV polyurethane dispersions as a water-based UV-curing coating technology, particularly for wood coatings.
The increased use of energy-saving LEDs as an alternative to conventional light sources is also being driven by growing sustainability goals in relation to energy consumption. Compliance with legal requirements is another market need that is being met by new innovations aimed at finding new raw materials with a safer profile. As legal requirements become more stringent, new safer resins and photoinitiators are being developed.
Which segments are particularly important and growing for radiation-curing systems?
Engberg: Traditionally, the most important segments within radiation curing have been wood coatings and printing inks and overprint varnishes. These two segments are still important and are also showing good growth as companies using traditional solvent-based technologies discover the advantages of radiation curing. In recent years, the market has seen a trend towards greater customisation in production and printing. As a result, segments such as additive manufacturing (3D printing) and digital inkjet printing have seen very strong growth figures. And although both of these technologies have been available for some time, a great deal of development and optimisation work is still being carried out that will further support growth.
One of the newer segments to discover the potential benefits of radiation curing is coil coating. The coil coating industry has traditionally relied on solvent-based technologies, but increasing regulatory pressure and the drive for sustainability have made radiation curing an attractive option. There are, however, performance challenges to meet the requirements for adhesion strength and flexibility at a competitive cost, but this will be a very attractive segment with a lot of potential for radiation curing as a technology.
