Ashland's DREWRAD(TM) UV Curable Resins Provide New Options for Food Package Printers
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BOONTON, NJ - DREWRAD 150 UV curable resin from Drew Industrial, a business group of Ashland Specialty Chemical, a division of Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH), opens a new set of options for food package printers by providing flexible curing times without the use of photo-initiators. Photo-initiators were needed to trigger resin curing in older technology systems.
UV cured systems have been limited in their applications in food packaging due to migration of components of the coatings, inks and adhesives into the food itself. Research shows that DREWRAD 150 resin has extremely low levels of extractable compounds upon UV cure, while providing excellent performance in demanding food packaging applications. The capability of DREWRAD 150 resin to be cured very efficiently in the absence of added photoinitiator makes this possible.
"We're very excited about the capabilities of this technology and the significant interest generated in DREWRAD 150 resin for food packaging and the entire DREWRAD product line," said Matthew Sheridan, product manager. "The Ashland chemists who are responsible for these product developments should be recognized for advancing the capability of UV curable raw materials for ink and coatings applications beyond what was capable only a few years ago."
DREWRAD resins production methods allow flexibility in structural and functional features so that specific customer needs can be met. The unique attributes of this resin allow for its elements to be manipulated to specific customer specifications. DREWRAD resins can cure into a flexible substrate as a soft, flexible material with good adhesion and high elongation for packaging, or can be manipulated to cure as a hard, rigid material for durable surface protection.
DREWRAD resins also can provide cure-rate improvements so higher line speeds for productivity improvement and cost reduction can be achieved.Because ink and coatings manufacturers are now provided options not previously available, demand for DREWRAD resins has increased and Ashland has added additional production capacity.
Drew Industrial, a business group of Ashland Specialty Chemical, is a major supplier of specialty products and services for the paint and coatings, industrial water treatment, commercial and institutional water treatment, wastewater treatment, pulp and paper processing and mining markets.
Ashland Specialty Chemical, a division of Ashland Inc., is a leading, worldwide supplier of specialty chemicals serving industries including adhesives, automotive, composites, metal casting, merchant marine, paint, paper, plastics, watercraft and water treatment. Visit www.ashspec.com to learn more about these operations.
Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH) is a FORTUNE 500 chemical and transportation construction company providing products, services and customer solutions throughout the world. To learn more about Ashland, visit www.ashland.com
