UV light curing health and safety issues

UV light curing health and safety issues

   In the past ten years, in the printing industry by UV light curing inks, coatings and adhesives have become very popular. But, the people of UV light curing technology security questions or doubts, fears that UV light curing ink, coating and adhesive would like all chemicals, to human body health and safety of potential hazards. Actually such worry is unnecessary. In many cases, UV light curing material, in fact, there is no this problem.

UV light curing ink and the connection between the health and safety is very important, so that we can correctly treat and deal with UV light curing ink. The purpose of this paper is to find out and UV light curing technology related to the health and safety issues, and compared with traditional printing materials do a comparison of related issues. Because a lot of company production of UV light curing ink, and these companies to have more say in their products. For a specific product, it comes to specific health and safety issues, it is best to producers for consultation and understanding.
  In the printing and production workshop, there are three ways to be exposed to chemicals, namely, ingestion, inhalation and skin contact. Generally, UV light curing inks, UV coating material and UV adhesives containing toxic material very little food, of course, we suggest not absorb these material into the mouth. However, bad health habit will lead to these substances unexpectedly into the mouth. For example, not to wash your hands before meals or not wash clean, hand to touch the food and beverage, can lead to a small amount of poisonous substance into the mouth. Follow health habits, can easily avoid this problem, namely whether touch the UV light curing inks, or traditional ink, must be careful to avoid chemicals from entering the mouth.
  Traditional printing material is a major problem, its chemical compositions containing volatile chemicals, volatile substances can release gases, printing workers in the workshop will inhale toxic gas in the process of breathing. The typical UV ink composition, does not contain solvents and VOC (volatile) material, so little impact on the health of human body. In the table below compares several typical UV light curing materials and several kinds of solvent toxicity and chemical properties. TMPTA is a kind of three hydroxyl methyl acrylate, it is UV light curing materials and electron beam (EB) curing material of a kind of monomer is used. In a lot of UV ink and EB curing materials, the use of the copolymer molecular weight copolymer is much larger than others. But in the copolymer, listed in the table is the same with a lot of the chemical property of the copolymer.
  In addition to the breath and from the mouth of toxic substances in the UV light curing materials intake in the body, the human body skin contact of material also can affect the health of human body, the skin irritation. After watching the above, some might say, UV light curing material and solvent material effect on the human skin. In the idealized environment, such as laboratory tests when the above is correct. But in the real working conditions, there are some differences. This is because the solvent is volatile substances, in general printing workshop, human skin for the duration of the solvent physical contact is very small. And UV material not volatile, long time human body skin contact with the material, wait until after wash it clean. Such a long duration, in the real working environment, the influence of UV ink on the skin than solvent-based materials to human skin.
  UV material is used in acrylate material, if the body skin after contact with may also affect the health of human body. In other words, if a person did not allergic to this kind of material now, but long-term contact can cause skin irritation and allergic reactions. The metabolism of each person is different, so the influence to the health of everyone is also different. Best don't make fun of their own health, no matter when must as far as possible avoid contact with this substance.

  The UV lamp system is the UV light curing involved in another security question. The UV lamp system is the necessary part of UV light curing technology. With other curing used in electronic and heat curing, UV light curing technology in printing production is introduced into the strong UV light. Fortunately, the reflection of light from UV light from the surface of substrates quantity is not big. Mean, if not directly exposed to strong UV light source printer or the reflection surface under UV light, there is usually no need to worry about radiation by a large number of UV energy. The reality is that does not mean that the presence of large amounts of UV light in the visible light. In general, good UV light in the system design is rarely escape of visible light. Escape even if a lot of light, can use a shield to protect. UV light system production business to these common sense is to know, will use a kind of instrument to check the UV light, it is easy to determine whether there is any problem.
  Another health problems associated with the UV lamp is the generation of ozone. Short wave UV light, interaction with oxygen to form ozone. Although there are "no ozone" UV light on the market system, but the negative effect curing light continues to exist obvious, after see negative results, not many people will continue to use this kind of "no ozone" UV lamp system. Many UV lamp system producers to come up with a solution to the problem of ozone, the ozone generated from the work shop excrete, also achieved the purpose of cooling the UV lamp. Because ozone is a kind of active chemicals, went out of the discharge device of ozone-depleting substances will return is decomposed into oxygen.
  UV ink compared with traditional solvent and water-based ink, the other problem when it comes to environmental protection, UV light curing material is superior. UV light curing materials except (VOC) does not contain volatile substances, generally without us superfund amendment and reauthorization treaty (SARA) referred to in article 330, prohibit any chemicals, did not contain hazardous air pollutants (HAP). As long as the UV material is not polluted by contaminants and are usually not the UV light curing materials listed as hazardous pollutants.
  UV light curing technology has no negative impact on the environment advantages, make the south coast air quality management district, California to allow more UV curing and EB curing light printing company into the coast of southern California. The move, to get the attention of the EPA (environmental protection association), and hold a hearing on Capitol hill. Hearing, the EPA said, for the sake of environmental protection, hope to see more and more printing company adopt UV curing and EB electronic technology.
  Using UV light curing technology, often bring a safer working environment. First of all, solvent-based inks are out of printed materials. Because solvent ink drying is slow, the ink layer thickness is hard to dry, so more and more out of the solvent ink printing company. Have the opportunity to come into contact with the traditional solvent ink printing workers, now often favor from UV light curing technology, because the UV ink plate easier to operate. On a narrow rotary press, of course, also have a large number of using UV ink printing. Rather wide rotary press, the use of UV ink is also a kind of trend and tide, UV ink saving work time.
  Therefore, in the printing workshop with UV light curing materials was the trend of The Times. For exposure to UV light curing materials printing production personnel, how to set up correct and safe operation concept? The answer is very simple, that is to be handled correctly and treat in the printing workshop to use chemicals. First of all, the most important thing is to read, understand, and in strict accordance with the UV printing ink manufacturers to provide advice, read and understand after will keep in mind, so involved in the production of health and safety issues can be resolved. Different manufacturers of UV ink and some are different, some products is more safer than others. Because the UV printing ink used in concerned about most is the skin contact with UV ink (breathing and from mouth to won't have what problem), is the best way to avoid or try to make a little exposure to UV ink regulations; Whenever possible, try to wear protective clothing, gloves and glasses, and even can protect the whole face shield; In addition, if a job when he met with UV ink, so the touch area is washed with soap and water. Don't use solvent ink, because it is no good to the health of human body!

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