As we all know, ink is composed of a binder, pigments, fillers, additives and solvents, etc., and is an important material for printing on packaging materials. It is widely used in various printing, such as books and periodicals, packaging and decoration, and architectural decoration.
The properties of the binder in the ink and its compatibility with the ink play a crucial role in the quality of the ink. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the current types of ink and the application of the binder is required in order to select the most suitable binder.
1
Ink Binder Characteristics
Ink binders, also known as ink bases, are substances used to bind other components in the ink. They enable the ink particles to bind with each other and give the ink the appropriate viscosity and fluidity.
Ink binders play a pivotal role in the printing process, and their main functions are as follows:
1. Binding function: Ink binders enable the pigments, fillers, additives and other components in the ink to bind closely together to form a stable ink system.
2. Flow: The ink vehicle can adjust the viscosity and fluidity of the ink, making it easy to transfer and spread during the printing process.
3. Adhesion: The ink vehicle has good adhesion to the substrate, ensuring the quality of the printed matter.
4. Durability: Ink vehicles can improve the water resistance, weather resistance and abrasion resistance of printed materials, so that the printed materials can maintain their bright colors for a long time.
5. Adaptability: Ink vehicles can adjust their properties according to printing requirements and adapt to various printing methods and substrates.
Types of ink vehicle
1. Dry vehicle
Dry vehicle is mainly composed of unsaturated vegetable oil (linseed oil, tung oil, castor oil, etc.) and polymerizes into a viscous liquid at a certain degree under appropriate temperature. Its drying property is to use oxygen in the air to oxidize and cross-link unsaturated double bonds to form macromolecules. Inks prepared with this type of vehicle have good gloss, but the drying speed is relatively slow. The introduction of drying oil to increase the drying speed, however, led to the ink quality becoming unstable.
In addition, the molecular weight of this binder is relatively small, and it is prone to emulsification during offset printing processes involving the presence of water. Nowadays, there are relatively few examples of inks made using this binder alone. It is usually mixed with a high molecular weight resin or modified with a vegetable oil to improve its application performance.
2. Solvent-based binders
Solvent-based binders are made by dissolving solid resins in solvents. They are mainly used on substrates with significant permeability properties, such as newsprint.
3. Reactive binders
Reactive binders are binders that use external energy to cause the resin to crosslink and cure, including but not limited to ultraviolet curing, EB (electron beam) drying, infrared curing, etc.
4. Resin-based binders
Resin-based binding agents are prepared by dissolving solid synthetic polymer resins in vegetable oils or high-boiling petroleum solvents to produce a high-viscosity phase, which is then diluted with a low-viscosity ink oil. When these mixtures come into contact with the paper substrate, the ink oil, which has a lower surface tension, quickly penetrates the paper to achieve initial drying and fixing of the ink. Subsequently, the remaining high-viscosity phase loses its fluidity and cross-links and solidifies, adhering to the paper surface to complete the drying and fixing process of the ink. The properties of this binder are determined by the nature of the resin and its content in the ink. It can be formulated into quick-drying, glossy and quick-drying glossy inks.
The quality of the binder resin will directly affect the quality of the finished ink. Therefore, when selecting a resin, factors such as its molecular structure, molecular weight, solubility and release of solvents, and the stability of the resin need to be considered.
3
Selection of ink binders
Faced with the wide range of ink vehicles on the market, what should you consider when choosing an ink vehicle?
1. Choose the right ink vehicle according to the printing material
Different printing materials have different requirements for ink vehicles. For example
- when printing paper products, an ink vehicle with good adhesion, moderate drying speed and good transparency should be used;
- when printing hard materials such as plastic and metal, an ink vehicle with strong adhesion and good abrasion resistance can be selected.
2. Consider the performance indicators of the ink vehicle
When selecting an ink vehicle, in addition to focusing on its basic performance, it is also necessary to pay attention to some key performance indicators, such as viscosity, drying speed, adhesion, light resistance, acid and alkali resistance, etc.
These performance indicators determine the performance of the ink vehicle in the actual printing process.
3. Consider environmental factors
With the continuous improvement of environmental awareness, green and environmentally friendly ink vehicles are becoming more and more popular in the market. When choosing an ink vehicle, you should pay attention to whether it meets environmental requirements, such as whether it contains harmful substances and the content of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
4. Refer to brands and reputation
There are many well-known brands of ink vehicles on the market, such as DIC from Japan and BASF from Germany. When choosing an ink vehicle, you can refer to the products of these well-known brands. In addition, understanding the usage experience and reputation of other printing companies in the industry can also help you find the right ink vehicle.
As an indispensable part of the printing process, the development and innovation of the performance and types of ink vehicles is of great significance to the printing industry. With the advancement of science and technology and the strengthening of environmental awareness, the development of environmentally friendly ink vehicles with low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, high solid content, and water-based properties, which aim to reduce the negative impact on the environment and human health, has become a development trend.
Finally, with the continuous advancement of technology, it is believed that in the future, ink vehicles will better serve the printing industry and bring more beautiful colors to our lives.
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| Polythiol/Polymercaptan | ||
| DMES Monomer | Bis(2-mercaptoethyl) sulfide | 3570-55-6 |
| DMPT Monomer | THIOCURE DMPT | 131538-00-6 |
| PETMP Monomer | PENTAERYTHRITOL TETRA(3-MERCAPTOPROPIONATE) | 7575-23-7 |
| PM839 Monomer | Polyoxy(methyl-1,2-ethanediyl) | 72244-98-5 |
| Monofunctional Monomer | ||
| HEMA Monomer | 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate | 868-77-9 |
| HPMA Monomer | 2-Hydroxypropyl methacrylate | 27813-02-1 |
| THFA Monomer | Tetrahydrofurfuryl acrylate | 2399-48-6 |
| HDCPA Monomer | Hydrogenated dicyclopentenyl acrylate | 79637-74-4 |
| DCPMA Monomer | Dihydrodicyclopentadienyl methacrylate | 30798-39-1 |
| DCPA Monomer | Dihydrodicyclopentadienyl Acrylate | 12542-30-2 |
| DCPEMA Monomer | Dicyclopentenyloxyethyl Methacrylate | 68586-19-6 |
| DCPEOA Monomer | Dicyclopentenyloxyethyl Acrylate | 65983-31-5 |
| NP-4EA Monomer | (4) ethoxylated nonylphenol | 50974-47-5 |
| LA Monomer | Lauryl acrylate / Dodecyl acrylate | 2156-97-0 |
| THFMA Monomer | Tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate | 2455-24-5 |
| PHEA Monomer | 2-PHENOXYETHYL ACRYLATE | 48145-04-6 |
| LMA Monomer | Lauryl methacrylate | 142-90-5 |
| IDA Monomer | Isodecyl acrylate | 1330-61-6 |
| IBOMA Monomer | Isobornyl methacrylate | 7534-94-3 |
| IBOA Monomer | Isobornyl acrylate | 5888-33-5 |
| EOEOEA Monomer | 2-(2-Ethoxyethoxy)ethyl acrylate | 7328-17-8 |
| Multifunctional monomer | ||
| DPHA Monomer | Dipentaerythritol hexaacrylate | 29570-58-9 |
| DI-TMPTA Monomer | DI(TRIMETHYLOLPROPANE) TETRAACRYLATE | 94108-97-1 |
| Acrylamide monomer | ||
| ACMO Monomer | 4-acryloylmorpholine | 5117-12-4 |
| Di-functional Monomer | ||
| PEGDMA Monomer | Poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate | 25852-47-5 |
| TPGDA Monomer | Tripropylene glycol diacrylate | 42978-66-5 |
| TEGDMA Monomer | Triethylene glycol dimethacrylate | 109-16-0 |
| PO2-NPGDA Monomer | Propoxylate neopentylene glycol diacrylate | 84170-74-1 |
| PEGDA Monomer | Polyethylene Glycol Diacrylate | 26570-48-9 |
| PDDA Monomer | Phthalate diethylene glycol diacrylate | |
| NPGDA Monomer | Neopentyl glycol diacrylate | 2223-82-7 |
| HDDA Monomer | Hexamethylene Diacrylate | 13048-33-4 |
| EO4-BPADA Monomer | ETHOXYLATED (4) BISPHENOL A DIACRYLATE | 64401-02-1 |
| EO10-BPADA Monomer | ETHOXYLATED (10) BISPHENOL A DIACRYLATE | 64401-02-1 |
| EGDMA Monomer | Ethylene glycol dimethacrylate | 97-90-5 |
| DPGDA Monomer | Dipropylene Glycol Dienoate | 57472-68-1 |
| Bis-GMA Monomer | Bisphenol A Glycidyl Methacrylate | 1565-94-2 |
| Trifunctional Monomer | ||
| TMPTMA Monomer | Trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate | 3290-92-4 |
| TMPTA Monomer | Trimethylolpropane triacrylate | 15625-89-5 |
| PETA Monomer | Pentaerythritol triacrylate | 3524-68-3 |
| GPTA ( G3POTA ) Monomer | GLYCERYL PROPOXY TRIACRYLATE | 52408-84-1 |
| EO3-TMPTA Monomer | Ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate | 28961-43-5 |
| Photoresist Monomer | ||
| IPAMA Monomer | 2-isopropyl-2-adamantyl methacrylate | 297156-50-4 |
| ECPMA Monomer | 1-Ethylcyclopentyl Methacrylate | 266308-58-1 |
| ADAMA Monomer | 1-Adamantyl Methacrylate | 16887-36-8 |
| Methacrylates monomer | ||
| TBAEMA Monomer | 2-(Tert-butylamino)ethyl methacrylate | 3775-90-4 |
| NBMA Monomer | n-Butyl methacrylate | 97-88-1 |
| MEMA Monomer | 2-Methoxyethyl Methacrylate | 6976-93-8 |
| i-BMA Monomer | Isobutyl methacrylate | 97-86-9 |
| EHMA Monomer | 2-Ethylhexyl methacrylate | 688-84-6 |
| EGDMP Monomer | Ethylene glycol Bis(3-mercaptopropionate) | 22504-50-3 |
| EEMA Monomer | 2-ethoxyethyl 2-methylprop-2-enoate | 2370-63-0 |
| DMAEMA Monomer | N,M-Dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate | 2867-47-2 |
| DEAM Monomer | Diethylaminoethyl methacrylate | 105-16-8 |
| CHMA Monomer | Cyclohexyl methacrylate | 101-43-9 |
| BZMA Monomer | Benzyl methacrylate | 2495-37-6 |
| BDDMP Monomer | 1,4-Butanediol Di(3-mercaptopropionate) | 92140-97-1 |
| BDDMA Monomer | 1,4-Butanedioldimethacrylate | 2082-81-7 |
| AMA Monomer | Allyl methacrylate | 96-05-9 |
| AAEM Monomer | Acetylacetoxyethyl methacrylate | 21282-97-3 |
| Acrylates Monomer | ||
| IBA Monomer | Isobutyl acrylate | 106-63-8 |
| EMA Monomer | Ethyl methacrylate | 97-63-2 |
| DMAEA Monomer | Dimethylaminoethyl acrylate | 2439-35-2 |
| DEAEA Monomer | 2-(diethylamino)ethyl prop-2-enoate | 2426-54-2 |
| CHA Monomer | cyclohexyl prop-2-enoate | 3066-71-5 |
| BZA Monomer | benzyl prop-2-enoate | 2495-35-4 |