| abstract |
Ultraviolet radiation curing of inks on game balls, golf balls and the like is disclosed. Production inks, logo inks and methods for forming production prints and logos on golf balls, game balls and the like are disclosed. To form an ultraviolet radiation curable water-insoluble production ink, at least an adhesion promoting component is added to an ink base. The adhesion promoting component is selected from the group consisting of a carboxylic acid functional monomer, a carboxylic acid functional oligomer, an ester functional monomer, an ester functional oligomer and mixtures thereof, the adhesion promoting component having at least one adhesion promoting functional moiety comprising at least about 2 moles of a carbonyl functionality per mole of the adhesion promoting component and being sufficient to maintain adhesion of the production ink of at least about 75% of the inked surface to the topcoat and to the surface of the game ball or the golf ball after ultraviolet radiation curing and after coating the production ink with the topcoat. To form an ultraviolet radiation curable water-insoluble logo ink, at least a toughening agent is added to an ink base. The toughening agent is sufficient to maintain adhesion of the logo ink to the topcoat of at least about 75% of the inked surface after ultraviolet radiation curing. |