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Volume: 15 | Article ID: art00031_1
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Oxygen Inhibition Effects in UV-Curing Inkjet Inks
Nigel Caiger
Shaun Herlihy
  DOI :  10.2352/ISSN.2169-4451.1999.15.1.art00031_1  Published Online :  January 1999
Abstract

UV-Curing inks have been widely used in “traditional” printing processes such as flexography, gravure and screen for many years. More recently, they have been the subject of considerable attention in the world of inkjet. The attraction of UV-curing inks being the possible environmental benefits of having solvent free formulations, fast “drying” (ie curing) by UV exposure of the ink and excellent final properties of the print.With the ever-increasing speeds of inkjet digital imaging processes the cure speed of UV-curing inks has become a critical aspect of their performance. Due to the inherent need for low viscosity, fast curing inkjet inks are a significant challenge to the inkjet formulator. Various factors affect cure speed some of these being:- ink vehicle chemistry/molecular weight, photoinitiator choice, UV-lamp source, print thickness and lay-down/curing strategy. In addition to these the presence of oxygen can have a detrimental effect on cure speed. This paper examines the effect of oxygen inhibition on the cure speed of drop-ondemand piezo inkjet ink formulations and the potential benefit of nitrogen blanketing during the curing process.

Journal Title : NIP & Digital Fabrication Conference
Publisher Name : Society of Imaging Science and Technology
Publisher Location : 7003 Kilworth Lane, Springfield, VA 22151, USA
Subject Areas :
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 DOI 10.2352/ISSN.2169-4451.1999.15.1.art00031_1
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  Cite this article 

Nigel Caiger, Shaun Herlihy, "Oxygen Inhibition Effects in UV-Curing Inkjet Inks"  in Proc. IS&T Int'l Conf. on Digital Printing Technologies (NIP15),  1999,  pp 116 - 119,  https://doi.org/10.2352/ISSN.2169-4451.1999.15.1.art00031_1

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Copyright © Society for Imaging Science and Technology 1999
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NIP & Digital Fabrication Conference
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2169-4451
Society of Imaging Science and Technology
7003 Kilworth Lane, Springfield, VA 22151, USA
2169-4451(19990101)1999:1L.116;1-
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Articles
Oxygen Inhibition Effects in UV-Curing Inkjet Inks
CaigerNigel
HerlihyShaun
01011999
1999
1
116
119
1999
UV-Curing inks have been widely used in “traditional” printing processes such as flexography, gravure and screen for many years. More recently, they have been the subject of considerable attention in the world of inkjet. The attraction of UV-curing inks being the possible environmental benefits of having solvent free formulations, fast “drying” (ie curing) by UV exposure of the ink and excellent final properties of the print.With the ever-increasing speeds of inkjet digital imaging processes the cure speed of UV-curing inks has become a critical aspect of their performance. Due to the inherent need for low viscosity, fast curing inkjet inks are a significant challenge to the inkjet formulator. Various factors affect cure speed some of these being:- ink vehicle chemistry/molecular weight, photoinitiator choice, UV-lamp source, print thickness and lay-down/curing strategy. In addition to these the presence of oxygen can have a detrimental effect on cure speed. This paper examines the effect of oxygen inhibition on the cure speed of drop-ondemand piezo inkjet ink formulations and the potential benefit of nitrogen blanketing during the curing process.