LED-Compatible Photoinitiator APi-385 (385 nm Absorption)

Most standard photoinitiators (PI-184, benzophenone) absorb primarily at 254–280 nm, which is not emitted by UV-LEDs (commercially available at 365, 385, 395, 405 nm). Using conventional photoinitiators with UV-LED results in dramatically slow cure or complete failure. LED-compatible photoinitiators are structurally engineered to have strong absorption tailing into 365–405 nm while maintaining high radical quantum yield. When converting from Hg lamp to LED, reformulation of the photoinitiator system is mandatory—the binder and monomer components usually remain unchanged.