The world’s largest event dedicated to the educational, technical, and scientific advancement of ultraviolet (UV) and electron beam (EB) technologies.

CONFERENCE PROGRAM :: Wednesday, May 22

Short Courses
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
IUVA Program
Exhibit Theater
Wednesday, May 22, 2024
8:00 – 10:00 AM

8A: UV LED Equipment

Portable LED Curing Systems- Ready for the Real World?
Holly Steedman, IST INTECH LTD
2nd Generation WICOP Packaging
Carl Gibson, SETi
High current density UVA chip
Marko Hofmann, Seoul Viosys Co., Ltd
Advancements in UV LED Curing Technology
Mike Kay, Excelitas Technologies

8B: Characterization / Kinetics

Delineating Gel Point from Cure Point in Photopolymers for Additive Manufacturing: Insights from Photo-rheology, FTIR, and Physical Property Analysis
Nick Gripp, Applied Molecules
Real Time Stress Imaging of Photopolymer Lattice Structures
Paul Share, Advanced Materials Design
Differential Performance in Physical Properties of Materials Subjected to LED Curing: A Comprehensive Study on Wavelengths, Intensity, and Dose
Cameron Darkes-Burkley, Applied Molecules
Comparison of EB- and X-ray-initiated Polymerizations for Extending Radiation Curing Opportunities
Sage Schissel, PCT Ebeam and Integration, LLC

8C: Formulation I

Reactive Acrylic Copolymers for Use in Low Extractable Coatings
Elaine Ruiz, Arkema
Applications of AI in the Lab: Formula Optimization Using Inverse Design
Sebastian Bernasek, Albert Invent
Self-Matting Acrylic Emulsion Blend in UV-Curable Coating Formulations
Senthil Kumar Rengasamy, BASF
Explore alternative ways of formulating and curing cationic systems
Vanessa Maurin, Perstorp AB
10:00 – 11:00 PM – BREAK
10:00 – 11:00 AM

UV+EB Regulatory Town Hall: Challenges & Opportunities

Join us to review the regulatory landscape for ultraviolet, electron beam, and 3D printing photopolymer materials. We look forward to discussing regulatory challenges and opportunities as we work together to advance UV+EB technology.

Panelists:

  • George R. Fuchs, NAPIM
  • Michael Gould, RAHN USA
  • Shannon Gainey, Huber Corporation
  • Rita Loof, RadTech
11:00 – 12:00 PM

Metal Packaging – Sustainability Defined

(Sponsored by IMDPA)

Panelists:

  • John Clark, Excelitas Noblelight America, Market Manager (Moderator)
  • Kellie Wareham, Sherwin Williams, Global Beverage Marketing Manager
  • Sarah Jacks, INX International Ink Co., Manager Color Perfection
  • Will Parish, Cleveland Steel, Director of Regulatory Affairs
  • Allison Christy, CC Industries, Materials Engineer
11:00 – 1:00 PM

9A: Regulatory

UV Curing – A Proven and Deployable Means of Reducing GHGs, Saving Energy, and Meeting Sustainability Targets in Manufacturing
Jennifer Heathcote, GEW, Inc.

Impact of Current Regulatory Changes on Photopolymers for Cosmetic Coatings and Medical Devices
Kevin M. Sheran, Keystone Industries/ Mycone Dental

Benefits of Utilizing Automation to Meet the Challenges of Managing Regulatory and Safety Compliance
Paul Snowwhite, Applied Molecules

9B: Automotive

Water-borne, energy curable soft feel coatings for Automotive Interiors
Jonathan Shaw, allnex USA Inc.
UV- A Cured Hard Coat Repair for Polycarbonate Head Light Lenses
Michael J Dvorchak, DvorchakEnterprisesLLC.com
The Shift Towards Low Bake and No Paint Solutions in Automotive: Opportunities and Technical Requisites for Radiation Curing
David Whitinger, Applied Molecules
Beyond Dual Cure – Next-generation Universal Black UV Monocoat
WC Peter Tsang, Red Spot Paint & Varnish Company, Inc.

9C: Formulation II

Bridging the Gap with a New Balance of Properties in Radically Cross-Linkable Siloxane Additives
David Chen, Evonik
Chemical Additive Evolution: Heteroleptic POSS cages
Joe Lichtenhan, Hybrid Plastics Inc
Super Dispersants for Pigments
Marcus Hutchins, allnex
Acrylate oligomer as an adhesion promotor for diversity substrate in coating and adhesive industries
Wade Wang, Double Bond Chem. Ind., USA, Inc.
1:00 – 2:00 PM – LUNCHEON
2:00 – 4:00 PM

10A: Global Market Overview

North American UV+EB Market Overview
Michael Gould, Rahn USA

Europe UV+EB Market Overview
David Engberg, Perstorp AB

10B: Composites

Using a UV curing composite process to create styrofoam moulds for casting concrete stairs
David Ivarsson, EFSEN UV & EB TECHNOLOGY
100% Solids Carbon Nanotube Formulations
Joe Lichtenhan, Hybrid Plastics Inc
Utilization of Light Curable Materials for the Sealing and Repair of Composite Structures
Paul Snowwhite, Applied Molecules

10C: Formulation III

Optimization of defoaming and deaeration in UV coatings and inks
Cristobal Garcia, Evonik
Review of High Functionality Oligomers for Hardcoat Applications
Jonathan Shaw, allnex
Formulating UV+EB Coatings Technology With 1.5-Nanometer Heteroatom Titanates & Zirconates
Salvatore J. Monte, Kenrich Petrochemicals, Inc.

Portable LED Curing Systems- Ready for the Real World?

Holly Steedman, IST INTECH LTD

LED curing technology is the Future of creating a sustainable, more efficient drying practice in Automotive and Composite repair applications. New led curable chemistry increases the demand for curing systems suitable for these applications, – but this is not the usual static system we see in printing applications. IST INTECH share the story of the creation of a robust, high-performance system that can withstand these rugged industrial environments.

2nd Generation WICOP Packaging

Carl Gibson, SETi

UVC LEDs have not offered a price performance ratio to be seriously considered for UV curing applications. They usually come in bulky packages and with high investment cost. Seoul Viosys introduces the UVC PIXEL based on its proprietary WICOP technology. This development will enable users of UVC technology to finally apply LEDs as a viable solution to their process or equipment and replace mercury based lamp technologies.

High current density UVC chip

Marko Hofmann, Seoul Viosys Co., Ltd

UV LED curing has penetrated the printing industry in various ways. After 20 years this technology is proven and well accepted. In order to keep up with the growing demands and to conquer the last remaining niches occupied by mercury based lamps, Seoul Viosys has developed a novel UV chip architecture to meet these challenging demands. The new technology is capable to handle unparalleled current densities and provides highest brightness available in the industry.

Advancements in UV LED Curing Technology

Mike Kay, Excelitas Technologies

Advancements in ultraviolet LED curing technology continue to drive the expansion of UV curing capabilities and have contributed to broadening the scope of applications. But what performance characteristics are most important? We will discuss these, why they are important to UV curing applications, and also highlight recent developments in technology that are bringing new capabilities to the forefront.

Delineating Gel Point from Cure Point in Photopolymers for Additive Manufacturing: Insights from Photo-rheology, FTIR, and Physical Property Analysis

Nick Gripp, Applied Molecules

This study undertakes a comprehensive examination of the photopolymerization kinetics of materials commonly used in additive manufacturing, focusing on the discernment of gel point versus cure point. Leveraging the sensitivity of photo-rheology, the onset of gelation is precisely identified, marking the transition from viscous to elastic dominance as the material moves towards network formation. Concurrently, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) offers insights into the chemical transformations, tracking the consumption of reactive groups and the evolution of cross-linking over time. This dual-method approach not only validates the clear distinction between the gel and cure points but also enriches our understanding of the underlying molecular dynamics. Furthermore, a systematic assessment of physical properties at varying stages of curing elucidates the practical implications of these transitions, highlighting differences in mechanical strength, elasticity, and thermal stability. Collectively, this investigation underscores the criticality of distinguishing between gelation and full cure in the realm of additive manufacturing, laying the foundation for optimized process parameters and superior end-use part performance.

Real Time Stress Imaging of Photopolymer Lattice Structures

Paul Share, Advanced Materials Design

The bulk mechanical properties of UV cured materials for additive manufacturing applications are characterized by metrics such as tensile, flexural, and compressive strength. Such properties are strongly influenced by UV dose, wavelength, temperature, oxygen, and other variables during the printing and post-processing steps. For lattice structures, there are additional parameters which affect the final part density and localized mechanical properties. The interplay between the process parameters and the lattice design can lead to a non-uniform distribution of stresses over the dimensions of the part geometry, ultimately resulting in inconsistent end-use performance. Results from the application of visualization, analysis, modeling, and optimization tools to photopolymer lattices will be presented.

Differential Performance in Physical Properties of Materials Subjected to LED Curing: A Comprehensive Study on Wavelengths, Intensity, and Dose

Cameron Darkes-Burkley, Applied Molecules

This technical paper presents an investigation into the physical properties of materials subjected to LED curing, specifically evaluating the roles of varying wavelengths, intensity, and doses. The study systematically modifies the LED curing parameters to ascertain their influence on resultant mechanical strength, cure speed, shrinkage, durability, and adhesion. Preliminary findings suggest that shorter wavelengths tend to yield higher tensile strengths, though with a threshold beyond which material degradation is observed. Intensity and dose, meanwhile, exhibit a complex interplay, with optimal results achieved at specific combinations for each material type.

Comparison of EB- and X-ray-initiated Polymerizations for Extending Radiation Curing Opportunities

Sage Schissel, PCT Ebeam and Integration, LLC

In this study, conversion as a function of dose was measured for a series of (meth)acrylates and a diepoxide during EB- and X-ray-polymerization to characterize the impact of the irradiation mode. Monomer chemistry was shown to be a key variable in the comparison of the two technologies, providing guidance for application choices.

Reactive Acrylic Copolymers for Use in Low Extractable Coatings

Elaine Ruiz, Arkema

Acrylic co-polymers can be incorporated into UV resins to enhance a variety of coating properties such as adhesion, flexibility and toughness. In addition to customizing the co-polymer backbone to target specific properties, one can also graft photo-reactive species onto the co-polymer in order to make a self-reacting resin. These systems would provide comparable reactivity and performance to traditional UV/EB formulations, while lowering the risk of extractables in the final product.

Applications of AI in the Lab: Formula Optimization Using Inverse Design

Sebastian Bernasek, Albert Invent

Learn about the transformative role of AI in the lab, emphasizing how machine learning models like Inverse Design accelerate the discovery of optimal raw material substitutes in the formulation process. As organizations look to maximize valuable R&D data in the industry’s fast-moving and competitive environment, we will also explore the importance of a structured data ecosystem in the journey to adopting AI in the lab. Gain valuable insights into innovative strategies reshaping research and development, empowering organizations to streamline discovery and get products to market faster.

Self-Matting Acrylic Emulsion Blend in UV-Curable Coating Formulations

Senthil Kumar Rengasamy, BASF

Typically matting agents are used in the coating formulations to reduce the gloss of coating surface. In the present work, we have developed low gloss aqueous coating formulations without using any matting agents. An advanced acrylic emulsion that can inherently diffuse the incoming incident light rays was successfully developed with a “novel emulsion polymerization process”. The process allowed to develop acrylic emulsion with micron size multimode particle size distribution and polymer chains with gradient Tg, gradient Mw and gradient hydrophobic to hydrophilic polymeric chains. This unique polymer characteristics created two stage stratification during film forming process namely 1) Emulsion particle size dependent stratification before particle rupture 2) Acrylic polymer chain stratification after particle rupture. When blended with water-based UV polymers, this novel polymer effectively diffused the light and produced the coating surface with low gloss properties.

Explore alternative ways of formulating and curing cationic systems

Vanessa Maurin, Perstorp AB

While cationic photopolymerization offers several advantages such as low shrinkage and good adhesion, it represents today a small part of the radiation curing market. There is a need from the industry to increase freedom to formulate by having a broader choice of cationic raw materials and widen the application field.

This presentation intends to explore alternative ways of formulating cationic radiation curable formulations using less conventional ingredients and/or new ways of curing.

UV Curing – A Proven and Deployable Means of Reducing GHGs, Saving Energy, and Meeting Sustainability Targets in Manufacturing

Jennifer Heathcote, GEW, Inc.

Solutions to a crisis rarely come from breakthrough technology. Instead, deployable solutions are more likely to arise from established technologies that can be quickly expanded, modified, or repurposed. For printers, coaters, and converters, the most expeditious way to reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions, save energy, and meet sustainability commitments is through UV curing. This paper summarizes evolving global emissions policy and how an increasingly electricity-driven society is creating growth opportunities for radiation curing.

Impact of Current Regulatory Changes on Photopolymers for Cosmetic Coatings and Medical Devices

Kevin M. Sheran, Keystone Industries/ Mycone Dental

The beauty, cosmetics, and medical device industries are facing substantial global regulatory changes as we approach 2024. This presentation highlights regulatory shifts set to shape market dynamics and product formulation of nail coatings and medical devices.

Central to these regulatory modifications is the EU’s new restriction on chemicals and its impact on product efficacy and pricing. In the USA, new Federal laws expand the FDA’s authority to regulate cosmetics while State laws identify priority chemicals demanding extensive testing and validation.

These sectors must proactively adapt to a landscape dominated by regulatory hurdles while striving for a balance between compliance, innovation, and consumer/patient safety.

Benefits of Utilizing Automation to Meet the Challenges of Managing Regulatory and Safety Compliance

Paul Snowwhite, Applied Molecules

In the rapidly evolving world of material science, meeting strict safety and regulatory standards is important, with Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and product labels playing a critical role in ensuring the safe handling and use of materials. However, for enterprises with limited resources, achieving such compliance is challenging, and often contributes to shipment delays. Automating SDS and label creation offers a better solution. The automation journey and its multifaceted benefits are discussed in this presentation.

Water-borne, energy curable soft feel coatings for Automotive Interiors

Jonathan Shaw, allnex USA Inc.

Soft touch coatings provide a popular aesthetic for coatings formulators for markets including consumer electronics, packaging, and automotive coatings. Conventional and energy curable soft feel coatings are often solvent borne, and contain VOC. Waterborne coatings can provide the proper feel, but often do not have the resistance properties that are required. We will present UV curable waterborne resins that when combined with the proper fillers, provide the best of both worlds: haptic qualities, and resistance properties with low to no VOC.

UV- A Cured Hard Coat Repair for Polycarbonate Head Light Lenses

Michael J Dvorchak, DvorchakEnterprisesLLC.com

The automotive industry over the last several decades has pushed the technology for automotive forward head lighting from glass to polycarbonate plastics (PC). Although there are obvious advantages to polycarbonate, such as weight reduction and improved safety, there are also issues with deterioration over time of the ultra violet (UV) cured protective hard coatings used to protect the polycarbonate plastic from impact abrasion, moisture and sunlight.

Today there are an estimated 278 million registered vehicles and 556 million PC UV hard coated head lights in service in the United States. Americans continue to hang onto their cars, minivans and SUVs — many of them first purchased when President Obama was in office — helping to push the average age of the nation’s light-vehicle population to a record high of 12.2 in April of 2023. At the same time, the nation’s aging car and light-truck population is creating pent-up demand that is spurring U.S. new-vehicle sales to new record highs with projections that the total number of cars and light trucks in operation in the U.S. will grow to 318 million by 2028. With this large number of older vehicles in service and the significant growth in volume of the number of vehicles older than 12 years surging over the past five years by more than 20 percent, just a small percentage of deteriorated PC head lights is a large potential refinish market.

Attempts to resolve the issue of deteriorated PC UV hard coats has seen the introduction of everything from tooth paste to OEM style UV-A refinishing hard coats. This paper will review this new and developing UV cure coatings market, and also present a solution based on the use of a UV-A Cured Hard Coat Repair for Polycarbonate Head light Lenses.

The Shift Towards Low Bake and No Paint Solutions in Automotive: Opportunities and Technical Requisites for Radiation Curing

David Whitinger, Applied Molecules

The automotive industry, in its perennial pursuit of efficiency and sustainability, has been gravitating towards low bake paints and even no paint solutions. This paper delves deep into this market trend, analyzing the drivers behind such a transition – from environmental considerations and energy savings to reduced cycle times and cost efficiencies. The move has consequently paved the way for alternative curing methodologies, with radiation curing emerging as a particularly promising candidate. This study examines the opportunities this presents for Visible, UV, electron beam radiation curing, detailing the advantages they offer in terms of speed, uniformity, and reduced energy consumption. However, the transition is not without its challenges. The paper also underscores the technical requirements for radiation curing in this context – from ensuring optimal adhesion on diverse substrates to achieving desired aesthetic finishes and ensuring durability under varied environmental conditions. Conclusively, while the market trend offers a promising avenue for radiation curing technologies, its successful adoption hinges on meeting stringent technical and performance criteria catered specifically to automotive needs.

Beyond Dual Cure – Next-generation Universal Black UV Monocoat

WC Peter Tsang, Red Spot Paint & Varnish Company, Inc.

Dual-cure coatings were once perceived to deliver the best combined performance from both thermal and UV-cured paints. However, such technology comes with a multitude of application challenges typically addressed with an unsustainable “second-pass”. Dual-cured paints are also extremely line-specific. Our next-generation, single-component, UV monocoat provides a high-gloss piano black automotive interior finish that rivals performance of traditionally thermally cured basecoat / clearcoat systems. Performance and merits of this more application-friendly UV technology will be discussed.

Bridging the Gap with a New Balance of Properties in Radically Cross-Linkable Siloxane Additives

David Chen, Evonik

Siloxane-based additives have long been used in coatings and printing inks to control surface properties. In radiation curing resins, acrylate-functionalized siloxane additives have the benefit of cross-linking into the coating. This presentation will go over the benefits of a new radically cross-linkable siloxane in different radiation-cure coatings. This additive bridges a gap in the portfolio of cross-linkable siloxane additives, presenting a unique balance between the and the associated tradeoff in compatibility.

Chemical Additive Evolution: Heteroleptic POSS cages

Joe Lichtenhan, Hybrid Plastics Inc

The landscape for additives is changing as OEMs begin to adopt nanoscopic topology in order to deliver more value at even lower loadings. Apart from nanofillers, the simplest and most widely available nano-chemical additives are Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (POSS) cages. POSS are manufactured in 1-step from commodity organosilane surface coupling agents. They differ from traditional coupling agents and fillers, by being a molecular union of both.

The new generation 3 systems are referred to as heteroleptic cages because they combine more than one type of coupling agent functionality onto the high modulus cage core. This enables heteroleptic cages to deliver multiple coupling agent effects through a single nanoscopic molecule. The wetting, leveling, dispersion and crosslinking capability of acrylic, epoxy, and peg heteroleptic POSS will be described.

Super Dispersants for Pigments

Marcus Hutchins, allnex

A chemical company used to run a commercial that talked about “they don’t make the color they make it brighter”. Making that color brighter is not a simple task as no pigment is the same even if that pigment is within the same color pallet not to mention it has to offer specific color strength and density for a multitude of applications. This color pallet continues to grow as brand owners and consumers continue to expand their visual sensors in the appearance of their buildings, company logos, electronics, goods packaging, etc. This all starts with taking that large pigment, filler, or colorant and reducing that pigment down to a size where it can be dispersed into a liquid or material. This is where the waltz between science and engineering begins. Engineers have developed a number of pieces of equipment such as bead mills, sand mills, or cowls to break down the larger pigment into smaller and easier-to-handle particles for incorporation. The science behind keeping those from re-agglomerating is the bigger challenge as the pigment response under those shearing conditions can vary based on the pigment type and the chemistry involved. This paper will focus on several dispersants that help improve the wetting and retort the agglomeration of inorganic and organic pigments across conventional and energy-curable (UV/EB) resin chemistries.

Acrylate oligomer as an adhesion promotor for diversity substrate in coating and adhesive industries

Wade Wang, Double Bond Chem. Ind., USA, Inc.

UV coating and adhesion challenges affect durability and costs. Diverse substrate compositions hinder single resin fit. Double Bond Chemical excels with UV-curable oligomer. Skillful functional group manipulation and molecular weight control yield remarkable adhesion on plastics (PC, PMMA, ABS), glass, and metal. Besides that, Oligomer’s structure also offers peel ability in BG Tape and stability for protective coating in extreme conditions.

Using a UV curing composite process to create styrofoam moulds for casting concrete stairs

David Ivarsson, EFSEN UV & EB TECHNOLOGY

Casting concrete is an important process in the building industry to efficiently produce structural elements for various purposes. Casting of stairs is notoriously demanding, as the complex shape requires elaborate moulds. ODICO, a Danish robotics company has developed a new fast process using Styrofoam as the main material, to replace traditional expensive wooden moulds. The inexpensive Styrofoam is cut to shape by a robot arm, after which a composite layer is created with UV putty and glass fibre to improve the structural integrity of the mould and give it a smooth, strong finish, with good release properties. This paper will look into how UV curing plays a crucial role in this innovative process.

100% Solids Carbon Nanotube Formulations

Joe Lichtenhan, Hybrid Plastics Inc

Not all nanotubes (CNTs) are created the same. Yet with proper formulation they can be coaxed into providing similar ESD effects. The key to formulating with CNTs are (i) disentanglement (ii) dispersion and (iii) in-situ spacing.

In this work we describe how CNTs benefit from the use of rigid, nanoscopic POSS additives to control the surface area, volume around the CNT. In epoxy formulations, cured via cationic and thermal methods, a critical ESD concentration for long CNTs was found at 20 ppm loadings while short CNTs required 200 ppm loading levels. Coating properties will also be discussed relative to cure method and CNT type.

Utilization of Light Curable Materials for the Sealing and Repair of Composite Structures

Paul Snowwhite, Applied Molecules

This paper explores the efficiency, efficacy, and applications of light curable materials in sealing and repairing composite structures, emphasizing their rapid curing properties and potential advantages over traditional methods.

1. Introduction: Background on composite materials and their applications.
Common challenges in repairing and sealing composites.

2. Light Curable Materials:
An Overview Definition and types.
Curing mechanism.
Advantages over traditional methods.

3. Mechanism of Action:
Photoinitiators and their role.
UV and visible light sources for curing.
Rate and depth of cure.

4. Applications in Sealing and Repairing Composites:
Surface preparation and application methods.
Adhesion and mechanical properties post-cure.
Potential limitations and challenges.

5. Advantages of Light Curable Materials:
Rapid curing time.
Reduced labor and equipment costs.
Environmentally friendly with reduced waste.
Potential for automation in industrial applications.

6. Case Studies:
Examples of real-world applications where light curable materials have been successfully used.
Comparative analysis with traditional methods.

7. Future Trends and Developments:
New formulations and advancements in light curable materials.
Potential areas of application in aerospace, automotive, and other industries.

8. Conclusion:
A summary of the findings and potential future directions in the domain of light curable materials for sealing and repairing composites.

Optimization of defoaming and deaeration in UV coatings and inks

Cristobal Garcia, Evonik

Defoamers and deaerators are widely used to address macro and micro foam in UV coatings and inks. There are different types of defoamers and deaerators available, such as siloxane and polymeric additives, which can be chosen based on the printing technology and end-use application. For instance, the defoamer used in UV flexographic printing ink that needs to be laminated or recoated would be different from the deaerator used to control foam in UV screen printing as PCB coating.

This presentation will discuss the mechanisms of defoaming and deaeration, important aspects to consider when selecting defoamers for different applications, and the balance between defoamer efficacy and compatibility. In addition, the performance of foam control and coating defects will be reviewed in different types of coatings and inks.

Review of High Functionality Oligomers for Hardcoat Applications

Jonathan Shaw, allnex

UV curable oligomers can produce highly crosslinked networks that have high scratch and/or abrasion resistance depending on aspects such as functionality, equivalent weight, Tg, etc. However, there are always tradeoffs. Higher functionality creates higher shrinkage, which can result in curl, cracking, and brittleness. Incomplete conversion can have a detrimental effect on weatherability. We will compare a series of high functionality oligomers in terms of viscosity, scratch, abrasion, toughness and weatherability to help formulators select the appropriate oligomer for their application.

Formulating UV+EB Coatings Technology With 1.5-Nanometer Heteroatom Titanates & Zirconates

Salvatore J. Monte, Kenrich Petrochemicals, Inc.

1.5-Nanometer Heteroatom Titanates and Zirconates as invented and developed by the author since 1973 are shown to functionalize non-silane reactive substrates; increase flow and strength of polymers via catalysis thus allowing a reduction in monomer; catalyze and copolymerize polymer blends – allow in situ recycling if addition and condensation polymers; and other patented applications disclosed in several thousand ACS CAS abstracted works.