Storing and Handling Aqueous Coatings in Cold Temperatures
Aqueous coatings formulated for the graphic arts industry may be thermoplastic or thermosetting, solution or emulsion polymer blends. Thermoplastic coatings dominate. They are comprised of approximately 60% water, plus property enhancing components including plasticizers, waxes, surfactants, coalescent aids, antifoams and possibly optical brighteners.
New UV Curing Developments
UV LED Curing Ultraviolet (UV) curing has been historically dominated by the medium pressure mercury arc (Hg) lamp. This technology is now being gradually supplanted by LED (light emitting diode) semiconductor technology designed to produce usable UV curing radiation.
Calculating Aqueous Coating Usage
Customers often ask, “How do we estimate the amount of water based coating that it will take to run a job?” The answer is “Make it easy on yourself”! Request from Cork the Coating Usage Calculator and skip the math below. Estimating Usage There are practical limits to the maximum amount of wet coating that a […]
Foam can be a Problem in Coatings
How Foam is Formed Foam consists of bubbles that are formed when air or a gas is trapped in a liquid or solid substance. Certain conditions are required for foam to be formed. Mechanical work or agitation is required, as are surfactants that reduce surface tension, so that work increases surface area. Also, foam must […]
Color Shift & Aqueous Coatings
The Success of Aqueous Coatings The use of aqueous coatings by the printing industry is, without doubt, a success story that now sees many millions of pounds of coating used annually to protect and enhance the printed material. This success has not always come easy, as the processes of printing involve many variables which must […]
Why and How Viscosity is Measured
Viscosity Overview Viscosity is a measure of a fluid’s resistance to flow. It describes the internal friction of a moving fluid due to its molecular makeup. A high viscosity (thick) fluid resists motion because of high internal friction, while a low viscosity (thin) fluid flows readily because of low internal friction. Viscosity is measured because […]
Folding Carton Paperboard Choices
Substrate Options Superior folding cartons begin with the proper choice of substrate, paperboard with the performance and graphics quality to successfully market the packaged product. The wide variety of substrates available to the folding carton producer make it easy to make the wrong choice. Converters must carefully assess printability, packaged product protection, package design requirements, […]
UV Growth Continues Unabated
Growth of UV Ink in the Global Printing Ink Market UV Ink as a component of the global printing ink market has been forecast to grow at a 15.7% CAGR between 2015-2020 to reach $3.5 billion in 2020. Currently the global market for UV coatings has a value of $3,430. million with a future forecast […]
Differences Between Aqueous and UV Coatings
First and foremost both Aqueous (water-based) and UV coatings have achieved widespread use in the Graphics Arts Industry as competing top coats. Both offer aesthetic enhancement and protection, adding value to a variety of printed products.
Poly (PE) Replacement Barrier Coatings and Test Methods
Why Replace Petroleum Based Extrusion Coated Polyethylene? More and more printers and converters are responding to requests for paper and paperboard coatings that can replace petroleum based extrusion coated polyethylene (PE) or Poly Replacement. Alternative barrier coating products that are safe for the environment are in favor due to brand marketers, and legislative, political, and […]
