Posts

Showing posts from December, 2018

Ink Changes in Flexo Printing

Image
The flexographic printing market isn't slowing down—due to the wide range of package applications, cost and environmental concerns, more and more companies are using flexo printing for their final products. As a result, printers are trying to find innovative ways to take a better final product to their clients, at a more affordable rate, while cutting down on their own waste and ink use. The solution for printers across the globe is Gelflex EB ink . The revolutionary ink has been engineered by Techno Solutions and supported by Energy Sciences Inc. (ESI), the world leader in electron beam (EB) systems and solutions. The idea behind Gelflex EB ink was simple: provide a new ink for CI flexo that will provide year over year cost reduction, while eliminating excess waste, and producing less dot gain. Gelflex-EB increases the productivity of the printing operation, by being liquid enough for all CI flexo printing operations, but at the same time can thicken rapidly, which eff

Electron Beam Cross-Linking of Polyolefin Film Packaging Applications

Image
Radiation cross-linking comprised of gamma rays from a Co60 source and even high-energy electron cross-linking from > 1 MeV accelerators have been commercial since 1960s. These applications were mostly for the wire and cable industry, rubber tires and some high-barrier shrink film applications for meat packaging introduced by Cryovac.  Since the development of low-voltage electron beam accelerators in the range of less than 300 kV – in particular in the 125 kV range – EB cross-linking has found new applications and markets, particularly in the packaging industry. This report will discuss these markets, along with the properties achieved by electron beam irradiation of polyolefin films used in packaging. In addition, the theory of  electron beam crosslinking will be discussed in detail. Introduction When irradiated either by gamma rays from a Co60 source or high-energy electrons generated by electron accelerators, polymers either cross-link or undergo chain scissi