High Power UV LED Industrial Curing Systems

Technical Report · Mon May 14 00:00:00 EDT 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1039941· OSTI ID:1039941

Sargent, Robert

UV curing is a green technology that is largely underutilized because UV radiation sources like Hg Lamps are unreliable and difficult to use. High Power UV LEDs are now efficient enough to replace Hg Lamps, and offer significantly improved performance relative to Hg Lamps. In this study, a modular, scalable high power UV LED curing system was designed and tested, performing well in industrial coating evaluations. In order to achieve mechanical form factors similar to commercial Hg Lamp systems, a new patent pending design was employed enabling high irradiance at long working distances. While high power UV LEDs are currently only available at longer UVA wavelengths, rapid progress on UVC LEDs and the development of new formulations designed specifically for use with UV LED sources will converge to drive more rapid adoption of UV curing technology. An assessment of the environmental impact of replacing Hg Lamp systems with UV LED systems was performed. Since UV curing is used in only a small portion of the industrial printing, painting and coating markets, the ease of use of UV LED systems should increase the use of UV curing technology. Even a small penetration of the significant number of industrial applications still using oven curing and drying will lead to significant reductions in energy consumption and reductions in the emission of green house gases and solvent emissions.

• Research Organization: SolidUV, Inc. P.O. Box 421, Clifton Park, NY 12065
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
• DOE Contract Number: EE0003498
• OSTI ID: 1039941
• Report Number(s): DOE/EE0003498; TRN: US201211%%75
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
COATINGS
CULTURAL OBJECTS
CURING
DESIGN
DRYING
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FORM FACTORS
GASES
LIGHT BULBS
OVENS
PERFORMANCE
RADIANT FLUX DENSITY
RADIATION SOURCES
SOLVENTS
WAVELENGTHS
UV Curing
Light Emitting Diodes
Hg Lamps
Industrial Energy Efficiency
Solvent Reduction
CO2 Emission
Painting
Sealing
Printing
Emission Reduction