A material is considered ‘bio-based’ if it is completely or partially derived from biomass. These products can also be referred to as bio-renewable or regrowable. The reason for wanting biobased products is that in using them, it is possible to reduce cumulative carbon footprints and remove reliance on fossil fuels as feedstock materials.

Biobased material can come from many sources and make a wide range of products. These products can come from fermentation, plants or even waste products: plants, for example, take up CO₂ from the atmosphere and are then harvested and utilized to make products that we can use for our UV curable oligomers.

To determine how much biobased material is actually in a product, we can measure how much Carbon-14 is in the product and this then allows us to calculate how much biomass there is. Here we used the standards EN 16440 and ASTM D6866 to determine the level of bio-material present. That's how we know that our product GENOMER* 3143 has a biobased content of 81% and GENOMER* 4293 of 56%.

RAHN is dedicated to expand further on its bio-based and sustainable UV curable products with a range of current and upcoming products. Ultraviolet or electron beam (UV/EB) curing of inks and coatings is already considered environmentally friendly due to being more energy-efficient and with lower emissions than conventional technologies. Recently, that energy efficiency has been further improved with the development of UV-LED lamps. A next logical step to advance the sustainability of UV/EB is to expand on and develop new bio-based oligomers and monomers.

RAHN actively looks at ways to improve sustainability in the energy curing industry, releasing oligomers in its bio-renewable product range like GENOMER* 3143 and GENOMER* 4293. GENOMER* 3143, a mono-functional polyester acrylate, which can be used in a range of formulations, including adhesives, UV hot melts, 3D printing and in-mould applications. GENOMER* 4293 is a difunctional urethane acrylate that cures without yellowing, gives high hardness and excellent scratch resistance. Applications include inks, coatings and 3D printing.

GENOMER* 3143 and GENOMER* 4293 also show interesting thermal properties, which can give rise to memory effect objects or heat-sealing adhesives. These two oligomers compliment other bio-based oligomers available from RAHN, all of which can be seen in its ‘Bio-based content of Rahn products’ product flash. The recently increased demand for bio-renewable products is here to stay, which is a major positive – even the recent pandemic has not reduced this momentum. In this case, consumers are the main driver, and brand owners are responding positively, especially in the food packaging, wood coating and furniture industries. RAHN is dedicated to expand further on its bio-based and sustainable products, and more are to follow.

Our customers create amazing results with our raw materials  for digital inkjet printing – no matter whether gloss, matte, or even 3D effects. What’s more, they can be used to print on almost any material. Whether, paper, glass, wood, plastic or metal, we have the right products to meet all sorts of needs and technical requirements.

Eye-catching food packaging

Food packaging jostles for customers’ attention on supermarket shelves and in the aisles. Our specially developed products with their high molecular weight ensure that the inks contain no undesirable substances that might penetrate the packaging. This keeps the food safe and lets the advantages of radiation-curing ink systems shine out for all to see.

Shape-retaining workpieces created with 3D printing

Our customers not only use our products to create 3D effects, but also generate robust workpieces with their 3D printers. Our raw materials reduce shrinkage and ensure objects match our customers’ precise specifications.

Tap into our expertise

Would you like to know more? Our Product Flashes give details on specific products or applications whilst our Lab Reports contain the latest findings in our laboratories – e.g. for 3D printing, LED and digital or inkjet printing. You can find out more at www.rahn-group.com/en/energycuring/news/.

Use our laboratories

Would you like to work together with us to find out what works and to produce the optimum result for your project? Our laboratories are at your disposal – for training your staff as well, should you wish.