The difference between UV varnish and regular varnish

Point A: Curing Process – Physical Evaporation vs. Chemical Cross-Linking

• Physical Evaporation (Conventional Varnish): Drying is achieved through the evaporation of water or solvents. The film-forming substances merely aggregate physically, resulting in a slow process that is highly susceptible to temperature and humidity fluctuations.

• Chemical Cross-Linking (Chemical Process): When exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light, the internal components of UV varnish undergo an instantaneous chain reaction, transforming from a liquid state to a dense, cross-linked network solid structure. This enables an extremely fast curing speed.

Point B: Environmental Friendliness and Safety

• UV Varnish: It is almost a benchmark for environmental friendliness, with 100% film formation and no solvent evaporation, complying with the strictest current VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) emission standards. However, workers must still take protective measures: avoid skin or eye contact with uncured resin, and prevent direct exposure to UV radiation.

• Conventional Varnish: Among conventional options, water-based varnish offers relatively good environmental performance. Nevertheless, small amounts of co-solvents are usually added to improve its properties. Solvent-based varnishes typically have extremely high VOC emissions, which are highly unfriendly to operators and require additional waste gas treatment equipment.

Point C: Performance and Appearance

• UV Varnish: It has a high cross-linking density, and the formed paint film is analogous to an extremely tough mesh. As a result, it exhibits exceptional performance in terms of hardness, wear resistance, and scratch resistance. Additionally, its leveling property and high-gloss finish deliver a visually premium, high-end appearance.

• Conventional Varnish: The film structure is relatively loose, leading to inferior overall performance compared to UV varnish. For instance, wiping with alcohol may cause the varnish to peel off or become damaged—an issue that does not occur with UV varnish.

Point D: Application Scenarios

• UV Varnish: It is used in the coating of printed materials, wood products, electronic products, and automotive interior parts. It is widely applied in industries demanding high efficiency and high quality.

• Conventional Varnish (Water-Based Focus): Suitable for food and pharmaceutical packaging, toys, handicrafts, and ordinary paper products with low wear resistance requirements. It is more ideal for scenarios that require environmental friendliness but have limited investment budgets, or for products with complex shapes.