Dual curable encapsulating material

A method for protecting electrical traces on a flexible circuit or TAB circuit and connections between the traces and one or more printheads for an ink jet printer, the method comprising applying a dual curable encapsulant to the flexible circuit or TAB circuit connections, the encapsulant containing from about 0 to about 20 percent by weight of a multifunctional epoxy material, from about 80 to about 95 percent by weight of a difunctional epoxy material, a catalytic amount of a photoinitiator and co-catalyst, the co-catalyst containing a metal catalyst and an α-hydroxy compound, and a reactive diluent, whereby the encapsulant may be cured by actinic radiation, thermal energy or by a combination of actinic radiation and thermal energy and wherein the metal catalyst is selected from the group consisting of transition metal halides and organic metal complexes, exposing at least a portion of the encapsulant to actinic radiation sufficient to initiate cross-linking between the difunctional and multifunctional epoxy materials and to cure at least portions of the encapsulant material exposed to actinic radiation and heating the encapsulant material to a temperature sufficient to cure any portion of the encapsulant material not exposed to the actinic radiation.

A pen for an ink jet printer which comprises a cartridge body containing one or more printheads attached thereto and one or more flexible circuits or TAB circuits attached to the one or more printheads, the flexible circuits or TAB circuits containing electrical traces and electrical connections from the traces to the one or more printheads and a dual curable encapsulant encapsulating the connections, the encapsulant containing from about 0 to about 20 percent by weight of a multifunctional epoxy material, from about 80 to about 95 percent by weight of a difunctional epoxy material, a catalytic amount of a photoinitiator and co-catalyst, the co-catalyst containing a metal catalyst and an α-hydroxy compound, and a reactive diluent, whereby the encapsulant may be cured by actinic radiation, thermal energy or by a combination of actinic radiation and thermal energy and wherein the metal catalyst is selected from the group consisting of transition metal halides and organic metal complexes.