Printing
inks are poisonous? This is the problem with most printers are most concerned
about, so in the end are the printing inks poisonous? The answer to this
question can not be generalized, because are many different kinds of printing,
previously less developed printing, printing inks are generally toxic. For
example, we often say that the flexographic printing, formerly called
flexographic printing, printing ink which is toxic; but, now all stress toxic
printing toward green printing forward, For example flexographic printing, there are a lot of companies have
adopted water-based ink, it can be regarded as a non-toxic.
Reason
toxic ink produced
Printing
ink is made of pigment, binders and additives and other components, for a
variety of publications, packaging and decoration, building decoration such as
printing. With the increasing social demand, ink varieties and production are
expansion and growth accordingly.
TheUnited Statesis the world's
largest ink producer and consumer countries, followed byJapan,Germanythird,Chinaranks fourth. With the rapid development of China's national economy, the
prosperity of the printing and packaging industry led to the rapid growth of ink manufacturing, making China the rapid
rise in the last ten years to become one of the world's ink manufacturing
country, the size of the domestic printing ink industry is growing at 10% more
sustained and rapid growth rate.
Ink
toxicity is a major problem that the organic solvent, accounting for 30% to 50%
of the total ink, such as aromatic hydrocarbon solvents, mainly referring to
toluene, xylene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their derivatives. They
will be accompanied by ink drying evaporate into the air, not only pollute the
air, but also on the printing operations pose a threat to the health of
workers. Another is a volatile organic compound (VOC), it's kind of a lot, such
as alcohols, esters, ethers, ketones, mineral oil. Like with aromatic solvents,
it will be accompanied by the ink drying volatilize, thereby contaminating the
air.
Another
big problem the toxic ink is pigment, accounting for 5% to 10% of the ink, such
as ink heavy metals, which the pollution the most should pay attention, because
children often have printing inks toys in his mouth, is likely to the
possibility of some heavy metals absorption. So the heavy metal content in the
ink first proposed requirements. Heavy metal mainly from the ink pigments and additives,
although now most of the ink has been reduced heavy metal content, but until
now there are people with a chrome yellow, chrome red to produce ink.
Toxic
ink solution
To
solve the problem of toxicity of the ink, from the narrow point of view, it is
to use green and environmentally friendly ink.
To
inks comply with environmental requirements; we must first change the ink
components, namely the preparation of novel materials using environmentally
friendly inks. Currently, green ink mainly water-based ink, UV ink, water-based
UV ink, and some alcohol-soluble ink.
(1)
water-based ink: the biggest difference between water-based ink and
solvent-based inks, the solvent is that it uses water instead but not organic
solvents. Significantly reducing VOC emissions, prevent air pollution, does not
affect human health, nonflammable, ink stable, colorful, non-corrosive plate,
simple operation, cheap price, good adhesion, water resistance strong, dry
quickly.
(2)
UV curable inks: UV-curable (UV) ink refers to ultraviolet radiation; using
different wavelengths and energy UV make the ink deposition and dry. Using
different UV, can produce different energy, different ink vehicle of monomers
into polymers, so UV ink color film with good mechanical and chemical properties.
The main advantage of UV inks are: (1) without solvent; (2) drying speed, low
energy consumption; (3) good gloss, colorful; (4) water resistance, solvent
resistance, good wear resistance.
(3)
water-based UV ink: currently, water-based UV ink is the new direction research
in the field. Common UV ink viscosity prepolymers are generally large, must be
added to the active diluents. The diluents acrylate compounds currently used
with varying degrees of skin irritation and toxicity, Therefore, the
development of low viscosity prepolymer and low toxicity reactive diluents the
same time, other direction is the study of water-based UV inks, and other water
and ethanol that is used as a diluents. Currently water-based UV inks have been
developed, and find application in a number of printing.
In addition, the main role of alcohol in flexo ink is
a nuisance very small ink, mainly used in food, pharmaceuticals, beverages,
tobacco and daily contact with the body packaging
printing and so on.
