UV-curable resins for printing inks, paper & board packaging, and more
A wide range of resins for multiple applications
UV curing is a well-established technology in printing and packaging (P&P) applications – particularly when it comes to inks, paper & board, and flexible packaging.
At Covestro, we offer a broad range of UV-curable resins for multiple P&P applications and printing techniques – including offset, flexo, gravure, and screen-printing. These resins include esters, multifunctional monomers, oligomers (polyesters and urethanes), amine-modified acrylics, amine synergists, and solid acrylics.
With this portfolio, we aim not just to deliver top performance, but also to address emerging P&P trends.
Technologies to tackle migration
One of the most important trends in food packaging – whether for direct or non-direct contact – is the increasingly strict legislation around migration.
Minimizing migration can be difficult with UV-curable resins: their small photoinitiator molecules can migrate if not fully polymerized on the printing press.
At Covestro, we offer technologies to address this challenge. These include AgiSyn™ 717, a low-migration resin based on multifunctional polyester acrylate chemistry. This technology gives coating manufacturers greater control over the synthesis process, allowing them to minimize the formation of small, migratable molecules like monomers.
Looking further ahead, we are also exploring self-initiating resin technologies that can minimize migration by building photoinitiators into the resin’s structure from the very beginning.
Bringing energy curing to cans
As part of the wider shift away from solvent-borne technologies, there’s also increasing interest in bringing energy curing – particularly electron beam (EB) technology – to metal packaging like cans.
Traditionally, it has been difficult for energy curing to provide sufficient adhesion on metal – especially given the fast cure response of EB systems. Metal substrates are also more prone to deforming during curing.
Addressing these challenges requires significant retooling of existing equipment, such as lights. The transition will take several years – but we are continually working with our customers, partners, other resin producers, and industry bodies to accelerate it.
Opening even more possibilities for energy curing in P&P
As these trends develop, we’ll continue exploring energy-curable resin chemistry to address them – including:
- Next-generation low-migration resins for offset lithography food-packaging inks
- Fast-curing, self-curing, and self-initiating resins
- Hybrid resins that can be cured using multiple kinds of energy sources – supporting the transition from mercury to LED lamps
- Energy-curable resins with the mechanical properties needed for monomaterial packaging
- Resins containing up to 75% bio-based content
And we’re always open to discussing new innovations with you – so don’t hesitate to reach out!
“The low-migration and self-initiating technologies we’re working on have the potential to become some of our most impactful innovations.”
Key benefits
- Non-solvent content: Our portfolio is formulated without solvents and includes partly bio-based resins.
- High-purity: The purity of our UV resins for P&P helps maximize their physical performance.
- Addressing migration: We continually explore low-migration technologies for our food-packaging resins.
- Hybrid possibilities: We’re working on resins that can be cured with multiple types of lamp.
