Ashland Innovations In LED Coatings And Adhesives For Flexographic Narrow-Web Printing Meet New Industry Challenges

Growing demand for reduced energy usage and improved operational efficiency drives new product development.

Dublin, OH (PRWEB) - Ashland Specialty Ingredients, a commercial unit of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH), has commercialized five new innovations that answer both the demands of the growing printing and converting industry and the requirements of increasing global regulations for reduced energy consumption in the flexographic narrow-web market.

The recent trend toward ultra violet light emitting diode (UV-LED) curing is addressing concerns among many packaging converter firms regarding traditional mercury-arc lamp technology. LED lamps require significantly less energy, and offer improved operational efficiency since cooling of the lamps is not required when turning on and off. In addition, UV LED lamps do not emit ozone, and do not require special ventilation. Since the lamps generate less heat, additional applications are accessible where temperature sensitive substrates are used, such as with shrink film.

The new products include gloss over-print varnishes (OPVs), matte OPVs, laminating adhesives, pressure-sensitive adhesives and cold-foil adhesives. In addition to meeting reduced energy and lower temperature requirements, these products offer faster line speeds and provide similar performance and processing characteristics as traditional mercury-arc lamp-cured OPVs and adhesives. Ashland’s products are also designed to cure under both LED and traditional mercury-arc lamps.

Additionally, Ashland offers customers a complete technical service and product development team to enable the modification of products to meet specific performance and processing needs.

About Ashland Specialty Ingredients
Ashland Specialty Ingredients is the leading global producer of cellulose ethers and a global leader in vinyl pyrrolidones. It offers industry-leading products, technologies and resources for solving formulation and product-performance challenges. Using natural, synthetic and semisynthetic polymers derived from plant and seed extract, cellulose ethers and vinyl pyrrolidones, as well as acrylic and polyurethane-based adhesives, Specialty Ingredients offers comprehensive and innovative solutions for today's demanding consumer and industrial applications. Key customers include: pharmaceutical companies; makers of personal care products, food and beverages; manufacturers of paint, coatings and construction materials; packaging and converting; and oilfield service companies. Visit ashland.com to learn more.

About Ashland Inc.
Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) is a global leader in providing specialty chemical solutions to customers in a wide range of consumer and industrial markets, including architectural coatings, automotive, construction, energy, food and beverage, personal care and pharmaceutical. Through our three commercial units – Ashland Specialty Ingredients, Ashland Performance Materials and Valvoline – we use good chemistry to make great things happen for customers in more than 100 countries. Visit ashland.com to learn more.