Problems with UV curing

In the past decade, UV-curable inks, coatings, and adhesives have made great strides and applications have become more common. However, since the birth of UV technology, there have been various misunderstandings and understandings. In fact, UV-curable inks, coatings, and adhesives, like all other chemicals, do have a detrimental effect on human health and safety. However, its harmfulness is not as serious as ordinary chemical substances. Moreover, in the vast majority of cases will be ignored by people. First of all, it is important to know what kind of hazards exist. Only by finding the problem can we solve the problem correctly and properly. This article aims to clarify the current health hazards associated with UV curing and compare it with the hazards associated with common chemicals. There are many suppliers of UV curing products. Some suppliers are responsible. It is best to work with these suppliers to find out what specific problems exist with specific products. In a specific production environment, the assessment of the hazards of chemicals used in the production of humans is generally through the following three basic approaches: ingestion, inhalation and contact. Although it is often said that the toxicity of the raw materials used in UV inks, coatings, and adhesives is generally relatively small, it is better not to use them, so there is no toxicity at all, is it not better? Most people may think that it is a joke. How can someone possibly take in chemicals such as ink, paint, or adhesives? It's incredible. In fact, if the sanitary conditions are relatively poor, it is likely to cause accidental ingestion of chemical substances. For example, if you forget to wash your hands or have not washed clean before eating, you may ingest very few toxic substances during the meal or drink. . This situation should be avoided, and as long as we develop good hygiene habits, we can completely avoid this situation. Whether it is a UV-curable chemical or an ordinary chemical, care must be taken when using it to avoid any chemical ingestion. One of the main problems with the use of common chemicals is that the constituents of these substances contain volatile chemicals. Volatile chemicals may release steam, which is then inhaled by the printing operator. Typical UV-curable materials do not contain solvents and do not contain VOCs (volatile substances). Avoid the harm of human body by inhaling steam. The monomers commonly used in UV-curable materials are generally acrylates, which are used in many UV-cured and electron beam (EB) cured materials. In addition to the hazards of inhalation and ingestion of chemicals, there is a problem with UV-curable materials - skin contact. Skin contact with UV materials can also cause harm to humans. Some people may think: In terms of skin irritation, UV materials are not much different from solvents. From the point of view of laboratory testing, this view may be correct. However, in the real world, the situation is slightly different. Because of the volatility of the solvent, the time during which the skin is exposed to the solvent is relatively short in a particular printing environment. Whereas UV materials are not volatile and do not evaporate, the skin will continue to be exposed to air before the material is washed away. Due to this prolonged skin exposure, UV contact and irritative effects are much stronger and more pronounced in actual production. Acrylate esters in UV-cured materials can cause allergic reactions in humans after a period of exposure. This means that although the human body is not currently allergic, it may cause allergic reactions if the skin is exposed and exposed for a long time (due to industrial/industrial hygiene conditions/poor conditions). Because people's physiques are different, they may have different effects and roles for different people. It is best to avoid contact with chemicals as much as possible. There is no need to take the risk. It is simply a joke to take your life. The second problem in UV curing is about the safety of UV light source systems. UV technology must use UV light sources. The UV curing system adopts a strong UV light source in the production line, and it is cured by UV light irradiation, and it does not require an oven or other heating and drying device. Unfortunately, UV light sources do not reflect on most surfaces. This means that if the operator's line of sight is not directly facing the reflective surface of the light source or reflective object, there is generally no need to worry about large amounts of UV radiation. In fact, UV light can be observed with the naked eye, but this does not mean that there is a lot of UV radiation energy. In general, if the UV light source system is designed and installed properly, the leaked light is extremely small, and if there is a large amount of light leakage, it can usually be locked. Manufacturers of UV light source systems should make a detailed explanation of the relevant precautions. In addition, with the corresponding instruments to detect the UV light source, it can be easily checked whether there is a problem such as light leakage. The third problem in UV curing is the ozone (O3) problem generated by UV light sources. Short-wavelength UV light sources interact with oxygen (O2) to produce ozone (O3). Although ozone (O3) can be eliminated by using an “ozone removal” device, it also has a great adverse effect on curing. Therefore, few people use this ozone removal device. Because of the need to cool the light source system, most UV system manufacturers discharge ozone (O3) out of the work environment through pipes. Because ozone (O3) is highly active, when ozone (O3) passes through the exhaust system, it is generally decomposed into oxygen (02). In addition, from the perspective of environmental protection, UV-curable chemicals are more conducive to environmental protection than conventional solvent-based and water-based technologies. In addition, there are problems with volatile substances (VOCs). In general, UV-curing materials do not contain any compounds that need to be reported to SARA, and they do not contain any air pollution substances (HAP-like substances), which are in line with environmental protection. The regulations also eliminate the issue of solvent recovery. To further clarify the advantages of UV technology, the Southern Coast Air Quality Management Committee (EPA) in California abolished the regulations related to the purchase and use of UV curing equipment and electron beam (EB) curing equipment, and purchased and used UV curing equipment. And electron beam (EB) curing equipment no longer need to apply for and permit procedures. Since UV curing technology and electron beam (EB) curing technology are conducive to environmental protection, many UV curing devices and electron beam (EB) curing devices are soon put into use. The use of UV curing can improve the working environment and is generally safer and more reliable. First, the amount of solvent used is very small. Second, because UV inks are stable and only cure under UV light, UV inks do not “dry” when exposed to UV light on the press. Therefore, the ink does not “dry up” on the press during shutdown, which makes the cleaning work faster and more convenient. This also reduces the amount of solvent used in the press room. Due to the simplicity of the printing process after the use of UV-curing technology, printers who previously dealt with ordinary chemicals are generally more willing to accept and use UV technology. UV technology has application prospects on wide-web printing presses, and the promotion and popularization are just a matter of time. Since UV curing technology has some of the aforementioned problems, how can UV materials be properly used in the application of UV technology? How to reduce the harm of UV materials to the human body and ensure safe production? How to establish a safe and reasonable process? The solution to these problems is to develop the correct operating procedures for the use of all chemical substances in the printing room. This is the best way! The most important thing is to carefully read the operating instructions and related materials, be aware of them, understand and follow these instructions. As long as you truly understand the content and meaning of the content, you can solve it completely even if problems arise. Since the main problem with UV-cured materials is skin contact (either ingestion or inhalation), appropriate protocols should be developed to minimize or eliminate skin contact. For example, wear protective clothing, gloves, glasses, and if necessary, wear a mask that covers the entire head. In addition, protective creams and cleaning fluids are also effective, but they should only be used in conjunction with gloves. If the skin comes in contact with UV material, wash the affected area with soap and water. Do not use solvents. These regulations are nothing more than just to achieve good health care, and no matter what chemical substances are used, they should be implemented strictly in accordance with the operating procedures. In short, because the UV curing technology does not have solvent evaporation problems and improves the production environment, it is beneficial to the human body and the production process itself, and it is also very beneficial to environmental protection. Although there are still some problems at present, they can be controlled or resolved as long as the corresponding regulations are formulated, and have very broad development prospects.