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Mechanical and Chemical Resistance of UV Coating Systems Prepared under Industrial Conditions
In the upcoming years, it is expected that more furniture will be built from honeycomb panels due to the growing demand for lightweight, long-lasting furnishings. High-density fiberboard (HDF), previously used in the furniture industry as back walls in box furniture or drawer components, has become a popular facing material used in the production of honeycomb core panels. Varnishing the facing sheets of lightweight honeycomb core boards with the use of analog printing technology and UV lamps is a challenge for the industry. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of selected varnishing parameters on coating resistance by experimentally testing 48 coating variants. It was found that the interactions between the following variables were crucial in achieving adequate resistance: lamp power, the amounts of varnish applied, and the number of layers. The highest scratch, impact, and abrasion resistance values were observed for samples with optimal curing provided by more layers and maximum curing with 90 W/cm lamps. Based on the pareto chart, a model was generated that predicted the optimal settings for the highest scratch resistance. Resistance to cold liquids made with a colorimeter increases with lamp power.
Gloss Level of HDF Finished with Different Numbers of Layers and Hardened with UV Hg-Ga Lamps of Selected Power
A key feature of varnish coatings on furniture surfaces is their optical properties, which often determine customers’ purchase choices. Furniture may be produced using various boards, which are much cheaper than wood-based materials. For their finishing, among others, UV-cured varnish products are used. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different types of HDF boards, the amount of basecoat and topcoat applied, the number of layers, and the different lamp powers used for hardening on the gloss of coatings obtained using UV technology. The gloss was tested with a photoelectric apparatus. An auxiliary parameter in the assessment of the gloss of the coatings was the surface roughness, which was measured with the Mitutoyo SJ-210 Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to obtain the results. Statistical considerations showed that the amount of topcoat applied, the power of the lamps, and the interactions between them had the greatest impact on gloss, followed by the number of layers. In general, the gloss of the coating decreased with a decrease in lamp power in the range of 120–60 W/cm and with an increase in the amount of topcoat applied.