UV-Curable Composition for Digital Printing Substrates

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional UV-curable compositions for digital printing face challenges in achieving excellent mechanical resistance, rapid curing, and broad substrate adhesion while minimizing the use of harmful photoinitiators and reducing raw material costs.

Innovation Solution

A UV-curable composition comprising monofunctional acrylate or methacrylate monomers with specific monocycloaliphatic, heterocyclic, and bicyclic radicals, combined with a Norrish type I photoinitiator, which allows for rapid curing, improved adhesion to various substrates, and reduced photoinitiator amounts, enhancing mechanical robustness and weather resistance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If large quantities of photoinitiators are used to achieve required reactivity, then curing speed improves, but harmful substances increase and raw material costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecuring speedVSAvoidharmful substances
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical parameters of the monomer system by using specifically designed monofunctional acrylate and methacrylate monomers with particular functional groups. This parameter change enables the system to achieve high reactivity and fast curing with significantly reduced photoinitiator content, thus reducing harmful substances while maintaining productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite monomer system combining specific acrylate and methacrylate monomers that work synergistically. This composite approach allows the system to achieve enhanced curing performance with lower photoinitiator loading, resolving the contradiction between curing speed and harmful substance content

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Productivity

If high proportions of multifunctional acrylate monomers are used to achieve required reactivity, then curing speed improves, but adhesion spectrum to various substrates is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecuring speedVSAvoidadhesion spectrum
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by using monofunctional monomers with specific functional groups tailored for different substrate types. Each monomer component is designed with particular properties that provide localized adhesion optimization for specific substrate materials, thereby expanding the overall adhesion spectrum while maintaining fast curing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal monomer system where the combination of specific acrylate and methacrylate monomers provides multi-functional performance. The system achieves both rapid curing and broad substrate adhesion by incorporating monomers that can interact with various substrate chemistries, making the composition adaptable to diverse materials

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If conventional UV-curable compositions are used, then adhesion to substrates is achieved, but mechanical stress resistance is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesubstrate adhesionVSAvoidmechanical stress resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by incorporating specific monomer functional groups that pre-establish strong bonding capabilities with substrates before curing. The monomer structure is designed in advance to provide optimal adhesion and mechanical strength development, ensuring both good substrate attachment and resistance to mechanical stress after curing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The composition achieves excellent reactivity, rapid curing, and strong adhesion to multiple substrates with reduced photoinitiator usage, lowering health risks and production costs while maintaining mechanical robustness and weather resistance.

Implementation Method 1

UV-curable composition comprising monofunctional acrylate or methacrylate monomers with specific monocycloaliphatic, heterocyclic, and bicyclic radicals, combined with a Norrish type I photoinitiator, which allows for rapid curing

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhotopolymerization: Photopolymerisation

Data Source

PatentEP3549988B1Uv-curable composition for coating or printing a substrate and/or a substrate surface
Publication Date: 2023.08.30 MARABU GMBH & CO KG

AI summary

The invention relates to a UV-curable composition for coating or printing, in particular digital printing, of a substrate and/or a substrate surface, comprising: - a monofunctional acrylate monomer/methacrylate monomer with a substituted or unsubstituted monocycloaliphatic hydrocarbon residue, - at least one monofunctional acrylate monomer/methacrylate monomer with a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic, non-aromatic organic residue, - at least one monofunctional acrylate monomer/methacrylate monomer with a substituted or unsubstituted bicyclic, non-aromatic hydrocarbon residue, and - at least one photoinitiator.The invention further relates to a method for coating and/or printing, in particular digital printing, of a substrate and/or a substrate surface, a kit and a substrate coated or printed, in particular digitally printed, with the UV-curable composition.