UV, EB, CO2

RadTech is increasingly being asked about the role UV and EB technology may play in efforts to develop cleaner technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2005, the RadTech Technical Committee weighed-in on the issue with the following observations:

- UV/EB technology can be a “one-stop shop” for businesses to keep up with state, national and international requirements. Adoption of UV/EB processes can assist compliance with U.S. regulations as well as with those that businesses face abroad.
- The EPA and local air districts agree that UV/EB is good news for the environment. The overwhelming majority of UV/EB coatings, inks and adhesives contain little or no volatile solvent. Solvents, when incinerated, generate additional greenhouse gases from combustion.
- Emissions of VOCs, which are tropospheric (ground-level) ozone precursors, can be nearly eliminated with the use of UV/EB technology. Ground-level ozone is estimated by the EPA to be the third largest contributor to climate change.
- As one example of the savings that has already been achieved through the use of the technology, a major industry study of a UV process line found an over 65% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The study compared UV curing to a water-borne coating line equipped with incineration. There was also a documented 80% reduction in the total amount of energy used by the facility. As a result of these energy efficiency advances, the study noted that the energy savings offered by UV/EB technology translated into 62 billion BTU/year for the company, and achieved as much as a 55% reduction in capital and installation costs over thermal curing. While the benefits of UV/EB technology may vary depending on the particular facility and the intended use of the technology, this study and the experience of this industry demonstrate that EB and UV curing may be used to achieve meaningful voluntary reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.
- The use of UV/EB-curing processes can inherently reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing reliance on the burning of fossil fuels. UV/EB technology is highly energy efficient, utilizing equipment that is relatively cooler and smaller than that used for other drying methods. In addition, it can cure materials at or near room temperature in a matter of seconds or less. For these reasons, the total energy used in UV/EB-curing processes can be significantly lower than the energy needed for thermal drying, resulting in energy savings and reduced reliance on the burning of fossil fuels that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

We hope you may share your further information and data? For example, in one illustration offered by a RadTech member: Since much less material is used to coat a given substrate for many UV/EB applications, far less chemistry is trucked to manufacturing facilities--offering substantial savings on the energy used and emissions generated for transportation.

What are your thoughts?

Cross posted:
RadTech LinkedIn— http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1799180&trk=hb_side_g
RadTech Blog— http://www.uveb.blogspot.com/