An ink epoxy resin that can be cured by tap water and used in printed wiring boards was recently developed by the Yamatoya Chamber of Commerce in Japan. This new type of epoxy resin was jointly developed by the company and Chiba University School of Medicine in Japan, Fuji Printing Industry and New Technology Management Company.
The details of the material of the resin are not disclosed here. According to experts from the China Epoxy Resin Industry Association, the principle is to make the epoxy resin cure by replacing the solvent contained in the ink epoxy resin with water. In the wiring formation process of the printed circuit board, ink epoxy resin is formed on the base plate by screen printing in the form of a wiring pattern, and then it is cured by being soaked in ordinary tap water for 30 to 60 s. Subsequent etching and resin stripping processes are the same as those previously performed using UV-cured and thermal-cured resins. Practical application data shows that using this ink-like resin can form a wiring width of 0.2mm. In addition, because it does not produce the volatile organic compounds that were conventionally produced by the UV curing method, it has advantages in terms of environmental protection.
Source: Rubber and Plastics Chemical Age
