Applications

Electron beam processing is an essential technology for hundreds of companies. Some of the major application categories are listed below.
  • Plastic Film Crosslinking
  • Printing - curing("drying") inks and coatings
  • Release Coatings
  • Transfer and Direct Metalization
  • Graft Polymerization
  • Laminating Adhesives
  • Surface coating on wood, plastics and metal

Process

Electron beam processing is a method for efficiently transferring electrical energy into a substance to change its material properties for a specific purpose. The processed material is often a plastic sheet or film which is "crosslinked" by the electron beam, or special ink or coating which is "cured" or "dried" by the beam. Enhanced material properties which result are, for example, higher melting temperature for plastic film and increased solvent resistance for coatings.

Benefits

There are important environmental benefits in addition to manufacturing process and product performance benefits. The process is very energy efficient and the special 100% solids inks and coatings contain no solvents, therefore no VOC's are produced.

Examples

Food packaging materials are often electron beam processed before the package is formed and filled. Much, if not most, of the plastic shrink wrap used for meat and poultry packaging, and the printing ink on many folding cartons, flexible packages, and liquid packages is electron beam processed.