Radiation Curing Develops Stably

Radiation curing including ultraviolet (UV) curing and electric
beam (EB) curing is an advanced material surface treatment
technology. In advanced countries and regions such as North
America, Western Europe and Japan, a considerable market scale
has been formed in radiation curing sector. UV curing varieties
account for around 95% of the total and EB curing varieties
account for around 5%.
    China started the development of radiation curing materials
in the early 1970s. Radiation curing became a new production
sector at the end of the 20th century and entered a new
development stage. The total output of radiation curing
materials reached 73 348 tons in 2005, an increase of 37.9% over
2004 and the total output of radiation curing products reached
36 426 tons, a rise of 11.7%. China has become a large producer
of radiation curing materials and products only next to the
United States and Japan.

Production of materials developed rapidly

Radiation curing materials mainly include active diluents, low
polymers and light initiators. Because many domestic and foreign
companies have constructed production units in Chinese Mainland,
both the capacity and the output of radiation curing materials
in China have increased rapidly in recent years.

    1. Active diluents:
Active diluents mainly refer to functional acrylate monomers.
Major producers in China include Tianjin Tianjiao Chemical Co.,
Ltd., Tianjin Chemical Reagent Research Institute, Nantong
Litian Chemicals Co., Ltd., Yixing Honghui Chemical Co., Ltd.
and Jiangsu Sanmu Group. With the completion of the 15 thousand
t/a unit in Cytec (Shanghai) Surface Specialties Co., Ltd. and
two plants undertaken by Sumei Chemical Co., Ltd. and Eternal
Chemical Co., Ltd. of Taiwan province in Dongguan and Zhuhai
respectively, the capacity of active diluents in China has
increased considerably. The total output of active diluents was
36 528 tons in 2005, an increase of 50% over 2004. Among them,
the output of TMPTA (trihydrox-ymethylpropane triacrylate),
TPGDA (tripropyl glycol diarcylate), HDDA (1,6-hexandiol
diacrylate) and DPGDA (dipropyl glycol diacrylate) was 13 650
tons, 9 329 tons, 3 570 tons and 3 330 tons respectively.
    Jiangsu Sanmu Group is constructing a functional acrylate
plant with a capacity of 10 thousand t/a. Sartomer of the United
States and Dainippon Ink & Chemicals of Japan are also
constructing plants in Guangzhou, Guangdong province and
Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu province respectively. Active diluents
will therefore further develop.

    2. Low polymers:
Low polymers mainly refer to various photosensitive acrylic
resins such as EA (epoxy acrylate), PUA (polyurethane acrylate)
and PEA (polyester acrylate). Major producers in China include
Jiangsu Sanmu Group, Wuxi Resin Factory, Shaanxi Xilaiwu
Industrial Co., Ltd., Guangdong Zhongshan Qianye Synthetic
Chemical Plant, Eternal Chemical (Zhuhai) Co., Ltd. and Shanghai
Showa Highpolymer Co., Ltd. The total output of low polymers was
19 825 tons in 2005, a year-on-year increase of 40.4%, among them,
the output of EA, PUA and PEA was 15 222 tons, 2 367 tons and
997 tons respectively.
   The product variety in China can basically meet the domestic
market demand. However, low polymers for some special
applications or used in high-grade UV coatings and UV inks still
have to depend on imports.

   3. Light initiators
Light initiators are special products for UV curing. Major
producers in China include Changzhou Runtec Chemical Co., Ltd.,
Beijing Insight High Technology Co., Ltd., Jingjiang Hongtai
Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd., Changsha Newsun Corporation
Ltd., Dafeng Derm Chemical Co., Ltd. and Eutec Trading (Shanghai)
Co., Ltd. The output of light initiators started to exceed 10
thousand tons in 2003. It reached 16 995 tons in 2005, a
year-on-year increase of 15.4%. The export amount was 13 095 tons
and the export value was over RMB100 million. China has become
a leading producer and exporter of light initiators in the world.

Output of radiation curing products increases rapidly

The rapid development in the production of radiation curing
materials has provided a reliable guarantee for the development
of radiation curing products. Radiation curing products in China
mainly include UV coatings, UV inks, UV adhesives and printing
sheets.

    1. UV coatings
UV coatings are the most important UV curing products. Major
producers in China include Shunde Xigui Chemical Co., Ltd.,
Dongguan Hongde Chemical Co., Ltd., Hunan Jinhai Chemical Co.,
Ltd., Guangdong Huarun Paints Holdings Co., Ltd., Guangzhou
Hongyu Coatings Co., Ltd. and Jiangyin Yuwei Macromolecule
Chemical CO., Ltd. The total output of UV coatings reached 25
024 tons in 2005, an increase of 7.4% over 2004. Of the total,
the output of bamboo/wood flooring and furniture coatings was
13 543 tons and the output of paper glazing oils was 5 812 tons.
There are also varieties used in plastics, motorcycles,
household electric appliances, metals and stones. China also has
a small-scale production of high-grade mobile phone coatings and
compact disk coatings.

   2. UV inks
UV inks are UV curing products with the most rapid growth. Major
producers in China include Hangzhou Toka Ink Chemical Co., Ltd.,
Shenzhen Meilihua Ink & Coatings Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Meinong Ink
& Coatings Co., Ltd., Zhongshan Zhongyi Ink & Paint Co., Ltd.,
Kuang Shun Screen Printing Material Co., Ltd., Shenzhen Rongda
Electronic Material Co., Ltd. and Beijing Lituoda
Sci-technology Co., Ltd. The output of UV inks reached 11 039
tons in 2005, a rise of 21.9% over 2004. Of the total, the output
of UV lithographic inks was 1 960 tons and the output of UV
stencil inks was 3 052 tons, both increasing rapidly. Varieties
used in UV relief, intaglio and flexible printing and printing
circuit boards are also produced in China. There is a quite large
output of high-grade photo-imaging corrosion-resisting inks,
photo-imaging welding-inhibiting inks and compact disk inks.
The export amount of UV inks was 253 tons and the export value
was over US$2 million in 2005.

   3. UV adhesives
China started the production of UV adhesives in 2001. Major
producers in China include Hangzhou Tinghoo Information
Material Co., Ltd., Chengdu Srinhu New Material Technology Co.,
Ltd. and Weihai Hanyu Chemical Textile Co., Ltd. The output of
UV adhesives was 363 tons in 2005, an increase of 50% over 2004.
There are varieties used in medical apparatuses, optical devices,
glass products, instruments, fishing outfits, handicrafts, LCD
and DVD.

Production scale expands gradually

According to the statistics made by the Radiation Curing
Committee of China Photosensitive Material Society in 2005, of
the 122 producers 27 producers had an output of over 1 thousand
tons, compared with 21 producers in 2004. The number of producers
with the output value of over RMB10 million was 75 in 2005, an
increase of 7 over 2004.
    In 2005, 64 companies passed the certificate of ISO quality
system, a rise of 5 over 2004.
    In spite of great developments achieved in the radiation
curing sector in China, there is still a considerable gap
compared with advanced countries and regions such as Europe, the
United States and Japan. The