The advantages of ultraviolet light (UV) adhesives, coatings and inks have been demonstrated in many applications over the past decade. This has been fueled by an accelerated drive toward environmentally safe systems and improved economics of processing techniques. Additionally, this has driven raw material suppliers to develop and deliver an ever-increasing supply of UV-reactive monomers, oligomers and photoinitiators to the formulator.
Until recently, one of the largest adhesives markets, pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs), remained entrenched in the conventional realm of solvent-based, waterborne and hot melt systems. Recent developments of novel liquid rubbers and UV-curable styrenic block copolymers, and further understanding of the effects of resin modifiers, tackifiers and fillers on the UV-curing process, have resulted in UV PSAs breaking through to this large market segment of adhesives.