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What is UV flexo ink?

Date: Jun 26 2024  From: Star Color   

UV Flexo Ink is a special ink used for flexographic printing, which features rapid curing through ultraviolet (UV) light exposure. The research and application of this ink are mainly aimed at improving printing efficiency, enhancing printing quality, and meeting environmental protection requirements. Here are the detailed explanations of UV Flexo Ink:

1. UV Curing
   UV Flexo Ink undergoes UV curing, where photoinitiators produce radicals or cations under UV light, thereby initiating polymerization reactions of monomers and oligomers and rapidly curing into a film. The curing time is usually between 0.1 to 3 seconds, greatly improving production efficiency compared to traditional heat-curing inks.

2. Environmental Performance
   UV Flexo Ink contains little or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), complying with strict environmental protection regulations. According to the standards of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), the VOC content needs to be lower than 250g/L, while most UV inks have VOC content below 50g/L. This makes UV Flexo Ink the preferred choice for food packaging, pharmaceutical packaging, and other fields with high requirements for environmental protection and safety.

3. Excellent Printing Quality
   UV Flexo Ink boasts high color density and vibrancy, resulting in more saturated and glossy prints. Its high adhesion and abrasion resistance ensure the durability of printed products. Additionally, UV ink has excellent chemical resistance, resisting erosion from various chemicals.

4. Wide Application Fields
   UV Flexo Ink is widely used on various substrates such as labels, packaging, cartons, plastic films, and metal foils. In the global label printing market, UV Flexo Ink accounts for approximately 40% of the market share, and this proportion is still growing.
   
   
   UV flexographic printing display

5. Technical Specifications
   Viscosity: The viscosity of UV Flexo Ink typically ranges from 100 to 500 centipoise (cP), suitable for high-speed printing demands of flexographic equipment.
   Solid Content: The solid content is usually between 70% and 100%, indicating fewer volatile components and greater environmental friendliness.
   Color Density: UV inks have high color density, usually between 1.4 and 1.8, providing excellent color representation.

6. Market Prospects
   According to Smithers Pira's report, the global UV Flexo Ink market is expected to reach $1.5 billion in 2023, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 6.5%. This growth is mainly driven by environmental protection regulations and the increasing demand for high-quality printed products across various industries.

UV Flexo Ink, with its rapid curing, high quality, environmental friendliness, and wide application fields, has become an essential component of modern flexographic printing and has vast development prospects in the future.

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