Radiation-curing materials are primarily categorized into two types: ultraviolet (UV) curing materials and electron-beam (EB) curing materials. UV-curing materials are those cured using a UV radiation source and include both photo-initiated and photosensitive varieties. EB-curing materials are cured using an electron-beam radiation source; their advantages include rapid curing speeds and the ability to cure thick layers of material.
Radiation curing is a technology in which a material is exposed to a radiation source-such as ultraviolet light or an electron beam-to trigger a free-radical chain reaction, thereby achieving rapid curing. The molecules of radiation-curing materials contain reactive groups, such as acrylic groups; under radiation exposure, these groups undergo polymerization to form high-molecular-weight polymers, resulting in rapid curing.
