UV curing and thermal drying: principles and application selection
When it comes to drying/curing methods in industrial processes, two popular methods are thermal drying and UV curing. Both methods are used to convert liquid or semi-liquid materials into a solid form through the use of heat or UV radiation.While both methods have the same goal of curing a substance, there are some significant differences between them.
Heat drying is a process that involves applying heat to an ink or coating on a substrate to accelerate its hardening time. Heat drying is commonly used for substances such as epoxies, powder coatings, and certain types of adhesives.Heat is typically provided by large gas-fired hot ovens, forced hot air dryers, or infrared lamps. The temperature and duration of the curing process depend on the specific substance being cured. These drying lines can be quite long, depending on the target production rate and drying time requirements for the ink or coating. Thermal drying can be used for a wide variety of coatings, including epoxy, polyester, acrylic, and polyurethane coatings. These coatings can be applied to a variety of substrates, such as metals, plastics, and composites.Some coatings may require special formulations to ensure proper drying during the heat drying process. For example, some coatings may require the addition of driers or accelerators to increase drying efficiency or reduce drying time.
UV curing technology demonstrates significant advantages over thermal drying in terms of energy consumption and production efficiency. This difference stems primarily from differences in the two technologies' operating principles and energy conversion efficiency. UV curing consumes significantly less energy than thermal drying.
Research indicates that UV curing technology consumes only 10%-20% of the energy of thermal curing processes. This significant difference in energy consumption is primarily due to UV curing's high energy conversion efficiency. UV light sources convert a large portion of input energy into usable ultraviolet light, while thermal drying processes require significant amounts of heat, which is inevitably lost during the heat transfer process.
UV curing technology also excels in production efficiency. Its curing speed is extremely fast, typically completing the curing process in just 0.1-10 seconds. In contrast, thermal drying techniques often require several minutes or even longer to achieve the same curing effect. This significant difference in time directly affects production efficiency, making UV curing technology particularly suitable for high-speed production lines and mass production. UV-cured coatings typically have a higher crosslink density, which directly leads to better mechanical properties and chemical resistance. For example, UV-cured coatings typically exhibit higher hardness, improved impact resistance, and excellent chemical resistance. These characteristics make UV curing technology particularly suitable for applications requiring long-term outdoor use, such as exterior architectural coatings or protective coatings for automotive parts. Overall, the proper curing of UV-curable resins depends on several factors, including the type of resin used, the application method, the UV light source, and the environmental conditions during the curing process. Following the manufacturer's instructions and conducting appropriate testing can help ensure that the resin has cured correctly and achieved the expected properties.
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