	US 12,331,203 B2
	Method of improving actinic cure of energy curable inks and coatings
John G. Tiessen, Northlake, IL (US); and Juanita M. Parris, Carlstadt, NJ (US)
Assigned to Sun Chemical Corporation, Parsippany, NJ (US)
Filed by SUN CHEMICAL CORPORATION, Parsippany, NJ (US)
Filed on Mar. 19, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/609,865.
Application 18/609,865 is a continuation of application No. 17/761,005, granted, now 11,976,202, previously published as PCT/US2021/027201, filed on Apr. 14, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/010,152, filed on Apr. 15, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0228804 A1, Jul. 11, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C09D 11/101 (2014.01); B41M 7/00 (2006.01)

CPC C09D 11/101 (2013.01) [B41M 7/0081 (2013.01)]

12 Claims

1. A method for applying a layered construct of inks and/or coatings on a substrate, comprising:

a) providing a substrate;

b) providing one or more energy-curable compositions (A), comprising:

i) one or more energy curable polymers, monomers and/or oligomers comprising reactive functional groups capable of polymerizing or crosslinking under actinic radiation; and

ii) 0 wt % to 12 wt % of one or more photoinitiators, based on the total weight of composition (A);

c) providing a non-energy-curable composition (B), comprising:

i) resins that do not comprise reactive functional groups capable of polymerizing or crosslinking under actinic radiation, and

ii) 1 wt % to 20 wt % of one or more photoinitiators, based on the total weight of composition (B);

wherein composition (B) comprises no components that are polymerizable when exposed to actinic radiation, and

d) applying the compositions on the substrate, wherein one or more layers of compositions (A) are applied and then, before cure, overcoated with a layer of composition (B),

wherein the layer of composition (B) is applied as a last down layer onto the top of the one or more uncured layers of compositions (A);

e) drying the layer of composition (B); and

f) actinically curing simultaneously all of the layers of composition (A) to create a cured print construct,

wherein actinic radiation refers to electron beam or UV radiation, and actinically curing refers to curing by exposure to electron beam or UV light; and

wherein the layers of composition (B) can be dried either before or after actinically curing simultaneously all of the layers of composition (A).