Welcome to
Anstar Ltd
Anstar is a leading speciality chemicals supplier, providing key raw materials used in UV curing and food additives industries.
Backed by our technical expertise and strong partnerships with our suppliers, our Leeds-based sales team is dedicated to providing the most reliable and highest quality service to cater to your raw material requirements.
*Please note, our website is currently being updated to incorporate our food additives business unit
Why choose us?
Connected & Committed
Our strong manufacturing capabilities, global supply chain, European and UK warehousing and local support team ensure that Anstar can offer the highest quality chemical products and provide an unrivalled end to end streamlined service for our clients. We constantly monitor the political and regulatory environment to guarantee a smooth transition after Brexit, ensuring that the goods we supply comply with EU and UK requirements.
Strong Partnerships
We credit Anstar’s success to the strong relationships that we have with our suppliers and customers whom we consider partners. We are dedicated to nurturing and supporting each relationship to the best of our abilities. We will always be upfront and transparent with everything we do, and will provide timely information so our partners stay up to date with developments.
Energetic Start-up
Anstar is a lean and dynamic start-up, ensuring that the ordering process is fast yet reliable. Our team provides a fresh perspective and unwavering enthusiasm to ensure the success of our customers. Through our expertise, we are committed to providing the best technical and commercial support and will always keep on top of innovative trends and develop new products.
Types of Photoinitiator
A photoinitiator is a molecule that creates a reactive species (radical, cation, anion) when exposed to UV light. They initiate polymerisation by adding themselves to a monomer or oligomer.
Photoinitiator selection and concentration can influence surface cure, depth cure and total degree of polymerisation. With our technical expertise and experience we can help you to make that critical choice and achieve the desired performance characteristics of your formulation.
Anstar offers a strong portfolio of the world renowned JRCure photoinitiators that include: Type I, Type II, Cationic, Polymeric and UV-LED photoinitiators. This ensures that we consistently meet and exceed the requirements and expectations of our customers. Our innovative approach means that new product development is always at the forefront of our business, which allows us to stay up to date with regulatory guidelines and industry requirements.
Type I Photoinitiators
When exposed to UV light, the carbonyl group of the Type I photoinitiator becomes activated which leads to homolytic bond cleavage of the excited α-carbon bond. Two radical fragments can react to initiate polymerisation. No amine synergists are required for Type I photoinitiators.
Our Type I photoinitiators include 1173, 184, 2959, 379, TPO and more. Contact our technical sales team at info@anstar-ltd.com or click below to find out more about our JRCure Type I photoinitiators.
Type II Photoinitiators
When exposed to UV light, Type II photoinitiators need a hydrogen donor to react. Most commonly these hydrogen donors are amines (amine synergists). The Type II photoinitiator abstracts a hydrogen atom from the employed synergist forming two radicals. These radicals, like the Type I photoinitiators, can then initiate the polymerisation reaction.
Our Type II photoinitiators include BP, OMBB, MBZ, EMK, ITX and more. Contact our technical sales team on info@anstar-ltd.com or click below to find out more about our JRCure Type II photoinitiators and amine synergists.
What is UV curing?
UV curing is a photochemical process that where high intensity UV light cures or ‘dries’ inks, adhesives and coatings. It is considered safer and more environmentally friendly than its conventional solvent and water-based counterparts due to no requirement for biocides or the evaporation of a liquid component.
These attributes make UV curing ideal for a range of applications from industrial decorative wood coatings, inks, electrical coatings, and even some domestic applications such nail gels, polishes, and adhesives. UV curable liquids also have the advantage of curing only in places that are exposed to UV light, which makes this technique adaptable to additive manufacturing of 3D objects.
