With suitable formulations, FREEcure enables photoinitiator-free or reduced-photoinitiator UV curing. The high proportion of short-wave UV radiation supports direct photochemical initiation and crosslinking, opening up new possibilities for coating processes in the wood and furniture industry.
Increasing demands on modern coating processes
In the wood and furniture industry, requirements for production speed, surface properties and coating systems are increasing. Conventional UV processes use photoinitiators to initiate polymerization. At the same time, oxygen inhibition can affect curing at the surface.
FREEcure addresses these challenges with a high proportion of short-wave UV radiation, thereby expanding the possibilities of UV curing.
FREEcure – a new approach to UV curing
FREEcure uses an increased proportion of short-wave UV radiation. With formulations designed for this purpose, this spectral range supports direct photochemical initiation and crosslinking. This allows suitable coatings to be cured without photoinitiators or with a reduced photoinitiator content.
Technical optimizations to lamp and plasma technology, materials, reflectors, filters and electronic controls increase the UVC proportion compared with the corresponding standard configuration.
FREEcure is suitable for both appropriate 100% UV systems and water-based UV dispersions. Water-based systems require appropriate physical pre-drying.
Applications in the wood and furniture industry
For suitable applications, FREEcure enables production speeds of 30 to 50 m/min per UV unit. Depending on the application and process requirements, the high UVC output can reduce the number of UV units required.
A lower number of UV units can reduce the space required as well as the electrical energy demand and maintenance requirements of the curing system.
The actual results and savings achievable depend on factors including formulation, coating thickness, substrate, production speed, required degree of cure, system configuration and reference system.
Wide range of applications
Potential applications include high-speed roller coating lines, kitchen and furniture surfaces, colored water-based UV coatings, and combinations of LED UV for depth curing and FREEcure for surface curing.
FREEcure thus expands the possibilities for photoinitiator-free and reduced-photoinitiator UV curing processes in the wood and furniture industry.
