Formulation of an Ultra-Violet Curable, Soy-based, Organic Pigment

Screen Printing Ink

Increasing efficiency, opening up floor space, and improved quality are just a few benefits of environmentally friendly organic screen printing inks.  The University of Northern Iowa’s collaborative effort within the College of Natural Sciences has had many breakthroughs with their development of soy-based, organic inks.  Spearheaded by Dr. Carl blue from the Department of Industrial Technology’s Graphic Communications Program  and Dr. Jeffery Elbert of the Chemistry Department; the two have been working with assistance from the National Ag-Based Lubricants [NABL] Center staff including: Director Lou Honary, Lab Manager Marjorie Rover, and Environmental Scientist Patrick Johnson. This team set out two years ago to develop a ultra-violet, soy-based, organic pigment ink that could be utilized for screen printing.  This new ink will combine the benefits of both soy-based inks and ultra-violet curable inks.  The first year consisted of development and testing of ink and organic colorants. The second year has been centered on production and promotion with assistance from the ink industry including, Printing Industries in America [PIA], Graphic Arts Technical Foundation [GATF], Specialty Graphic Imaging Associations (SGIA), as well as other industry leaders and associations.Thisn ew ink has many benefits for the screen printing industry. 

Some of the key benefits are listed below:

 ·         Reduced manpower: Sheets can be stacked directly off the line to eliminate costly racking, un-racking, oven drying and pinholes. 

·         Reduced downtime: Since energy curable inks will not dry on rollers, press downtime is virtually eliminated, and productivity increases 

·         Doubled or tripled available floor space: Converting to UV/EB printing frees valuable plant floor space. Because the inks dry instantaneously when passed through a curing unit, there's no need for rack or oven drying systems.

 ·         Faster line: UV/EB inks stack well at high line speeds. Production levels are limited only by printing speeds, not drying speeds. 

·         Broad choice of substrates: UV/EB inks adhere to virtually any and every material: polyethylene, vinyl, styrene, polycarbonate, glass, metal, paper and with only a few different ink series. 

·         Heat sealable and/or die cut able: UV and EB inks are formulated to be used on those tough, heat-sealed vinyl jobs. No need to change artwork because the ink won't heat seal. 

·         Abrasion resistance: UV/EB inks provide a good, tough film that resists abrasion. 

·         Improved product quality: Energy curable inks have excellent chemical and physical resistance. This property permits printing on substrates that will be exposed to harsh environments and where high chemical resistance is required. In addition, the high gloss achieved with energy curable coatings far surpasses that of conventional coatings. 

·         Reduced energy costs: Energy curable inks are energy efficient. Compared to conventional inks, they actually need less energy to cure, so are less vulnerable to rising energy costs. 

·         Compliance with Clean Air standards: There are no traditional solvents in energy curable inks. Since the organic components of the ink are almost entirely bound in the polymerization process, there are no volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions to pollute the air.

These many benefits result in a safe, profitable product.  The screen is washed less if not at all and is less damaged.  Waste is diminished by not requiring stacking; dust deposits have no time to develop  because of the curing speed; the register is better than with a standard jet-air dryer; the risk of colors “bleeding through” is eliminated; the stability of color and the quality is improved.  These elements result in production cost savings of about 20% each year.  

 

 

Soybean production is second only to corn production in Iowa, therefore the increased use of soybean oil for ink purposes has the potential to greatly impact and diversify the State’s agricultural economy.  Furthermore, widespread adoption of soybean-based ink would help to significantly reduce the amount of hazardous waste produced by the screen printing industry in Iowa as well as the nation.  The combined benefits of UV ink and soybean-based ink represent a strong strategy for the sustainability and efficiency in the screen printing industry