Substrates

• Polycarbonate
• Pre-Treated Polyesters
  (Pre-test ink adhesion on hard coated films)

Substrate recommendations are based on commonly available materials intended for the ink's specific market when the inks are processed according to this technical data. While technical information and advice on the use of this product is provided in good faith, the User bears sole responsibility for selecting the appropriate product for their end-use requirements. Reference the 'Quality Statement' at the end of this document.

Air Textures Cross Comparison

The following table provides a comparison of the indoor UV Air Textures and the UV/UV-LED Durable Air Textures with regards to the printed texture. The appearance, clarity and texture does not match exactly from product to product.

User Information

Mesh

Mesh counts must be selected for the coarsest texture used when inter-mixing products. Coarser, more open mesh counts than recommended and/or twill weave result in heavier ink deposit requiring additional cure output. Finer mesh counts can result in filtering of the texture agent and can result in the ink increasing in viscosity over longer print runs.

Stencil

Use direct emulsions and capillary films which are solvent resistant and UV compatible.

Squeegee

70-90 durometer polyurethane squeegee.

Printing

NSC340s Durable UV Air Texture Clears are formulated to be press ready. Thoroughly mix the ink prior to printing. Improper mixing can lead to inconsistent texture and ink performance.

Pretest to determine optimum printing parameters for a particular set of ink, substrate, screen, press, and curing variables/conditions.

The ink can be affected by stray UV light. Be aware of skylights, windows and overhead lights curing the ink in the screen; light filters are recommended. Leaving a container uncovered may result in the ink's surface forming a "skin", caused by reaction initiated by ambient lighting. Keep containers covered.

NSC340s Durable UV Air Texture Clears can be inter-mixed with each other. Nazdar does not recommend inter-mixing of NSC340s Durable UV Air Texture Clears with other textures or inks.

Cure Parameters

These guidelines are intended only as a starting point for determining cure parameters, which must be determined under actual production conditions. "Undercuring" the ink may result in poor adhesion, lower scuff resistance, reduced durability, and higher residual odor. "Overcuring" the ink may reduce the flexibility of the ink layer.

UV-LED Curing: NSC340s Durable UV Air Texture Clears cure when exposed to a 4+ watt, 385-405 nm lamp at a distance of .15 to.25 inches (4 to 6 mm) starting with 20 ft/min. Lamps of similar performance are expected to provide the necessary output to effectively cure the ink.

Mercury Vapor UV Curing: NSC340s Durable UV Air Texture Clears also cure when exposed to a single medium pressure mercury vapor lamp emitting output millijoules (mJ) and milliwatts (mW) of

200+ mJ/cm² @ 600+ mW/cm²

Common Performance Additives

The market specific performance properties of the NSC340s Durable UV Air Texture Clears should be acceptable for most applications without the need for additives. When required, any additives should be thoroughly mixed before each use. Prior to production, test any additive adjustment to the ink. Inks containing additives should not be mixed with other inks.

Example for additives: Ink at 100g with 8% of an additive is calculated as

100g ink + 8g additive = 108g total

Reducer: Use RE301 UV Reducer to reduce the viscosity of these inks. Add up to 10% by weight. Over reduction can reduce print definition, film thickness, adversely affect cure, and can also affect appearance of the texture.

Matting Agent: Use the SIPI556 Texture Matting Agent 127 to reduce the gloss, sheen and transparency of the Very Fine, Fine and Medium textures. Add up to 15% by weight.

Cleanup

Screen Wash (Prior to Reclaim): Use IMS201 Premium Graphic Screen Wash, IMS203 Economy Graphic Screen Wash, or IMS206 Graphic Auto Screen Wash.

Press Wash (On Press): Use IMS301 Premium Graphic Press Wash.

Storage / Shelf Life

Store closed containers at temperatures between 65°-78°F (18°-25°C). Storing products outside of these recommendations may shorten their shelf life. Ink taken from the press should not be returned to the original container; store separately to avoid contaminating unused ink.

Items supplied in 1 gallon (4/5 kilo) containers or smaller are useable for a period of at least 24 months from the date of manufacture. For more detail pertaining to the shelf life of Nazdar's ink products, contact Nazdar Technical Service at [email protected] or see contact listing at the end of this document.

General Information

Ink Handling

Wear gloves and barrier cream to prevent direct skin contact. Safety glasses are suggested in areas where ink may be splashed. If ink does come in contact with skin, wipe ink off with a clean, dry cloth (do not use solvent or reducer). Wash the affected area with soap and water. Consult the applicable Safety Data Sheet (SDS / MSDS) for further instructions and warnings.

This ink series is a one-part, 100% solids UV/UV-LED curable screen printing ink and does not contain N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (trade name V-Pyrol®).

For assistance on a wide range of important regulatory issues, consult the following Regulatory Compliance Department link at http: //www.nazdar.com or contact Nazdar Ink Technologies - World Headquarters (see contact listing at the end of this document).

Adhesion Testing

Even when recommended UV energy output levels are achieved, it is imperative to check the degree of cure on a cooled down print:

• Touch of ink surface - the ink surface should be dry to the touch.
• Thumb twist - the ink surface should not mar or smudge.
• Scratch surface - the ink surface should resist scratching.
• Cross hatch tape test - per the ASTM D-3359 method, use a cross hatch tool or a sharp knife to cut through ink film only; then apply 3M #600 clear tape on cut area, rub down, and rip off at a 180 degree angle. Ink should only come off in actual cut areas.

Weathering / Outdoor Durability

Properly cured, NSC340s have been formulated is expected to provide 3+ years outdoor durability when mounted vertically in the Central U.S.A. This is based on internal testing using accelerated weathering. Note: acceptable weathering was determined by the consistency of gloss over time. The polycarbonate (PC) substrate shows signs of yellowing over time; the ink + substrate showed significantly less yellowing over time indicating that the texture coating protected the PC substrate to a significant degree. In addition, the accelerated weathering with respect to gloss consistency was significantly better with the NSC340s Durable UV Air Texture Clears compared to the NSC40-NSC50. The degree of acceptable outdoor durability will need to be fully qualified by the end user.