Summary of ink safety issues in inkjet printingⅠ
author: Leah
2023-06-30
Waterborne dye based and pigment based inks (including latex)
The various inks currently on the market are actually very safe. For the harmful ingredients in all types of inks, the Carcinogen like nickel, which usually exists in yellow pigments, has been basically eliminated. To ensure that your dye based or pigment based yellow ink does not contain nickel, you can legally require suppliers who manufacture and sell ink in the Made in USA to provide a Material Safety data sheet (MSDS). Usually, relevant data can be obtained from the websites of printers or ink manufacturers, and suppliers can also be requested to provide it voluntarily.
If nickel is used in the ink, it must be listed as an ingredient in the Safety data sheet (MSDS) and marked with a warning label that it is a Carcinogen. It is a good practice to check the Safety data sheet of the materials of the ink you use, which can let you know how to protect yourself, employees and customers from these substances. If there are too many "proprietary ingredients" listed in the material Safety data sheet provided by the third-party ink supplier (other than the printer manufacturer), you should be careful. Because this word can be used to conceal the presence of harmful ingredients. This is true for all types of ink, not just water-based ink. Printers and ink salespeople usually do not conceal or underestimate the existence of any hazards. This is also a concern for solvent based and UV cured printer manufacturers.
The solvent of water-based dye ink and pigment ink is mostly water with some wetting agent, usually Glycol ethers, which is quite safe. Usually, a small amount of alcohol and a component are added to these inks to inhibit the formation of mold or bacterial colonies, but it may clog the nozzle.
The polymers related to pigment dispersion in latex ink are generally acrylic polymers, which do not pose significant risks. In latex ink, they are polymer particles that condense and form thin films during the evaporation process of water and co solvents. This is a physical process without any chemical reactions. The term 'curing' is sometimes used for latex ink, which does mean that it is continuously heated until a thin film is formed during production
pigment ink vs dye ink/ink or dye？
Waterborne die based ink and fragment based ink are common printing inks, but their chemical composition and printing effect have significant differences.
1. Different chemical composition: Waterborne dye based ink usually uses water-soluble dyes as the main color, which can be completely dissolved in water. Pigment based ink uses pigment particles as the main color, which are much larger than water-soluble dyes.
2. Different Brightness of Colors: The color of Waterborne die based ink is more vibrant than that of pigment ink because water-soluble dyes can be better absorbed into the fibers, making the color more vibrant. On the other hand, pigment inks exhibits a dull appearance, as the pigment particles cannot be completely dissolved, resulting in limited dyeing depth and color tone.
3. Different Durability: The durability of Pigment based ink is higher than that of Waterborne die based ink because Pigment based ink uses larger pigment particles, which make it move slower than water-soluble dyes, thus continuously exerting the stability of printing colors. Although the Waterborne die based ink has brighter colors, it is still difficult to match the Pigment based ink in terms of color depth and durability.
4. Different impacts on the environment: Waterborne die based ink has received widespread attention due to its green and environmentally friendly properties. It is a non-toxic, harmless, and easily decomposable ink suitable for environmentally friendly fabrics produced by textile factories. Pigment based ink uses harmful substances such as chromium, which has a greater impact on the environment.
In summary, Waterborne die based ink and Pigment based ink have their own unique applications, and users should choose the printing ink that suits their needs. For example, if conducting short-term indoor printing and outdoor language logo printing, Waterborne die based ink is a better choice. The Segment based ink is applicable to the printing of outdoor signs, outdoor advertisements, Sports equipment, tableware, etc. in the sun and rain for a long time.
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E-mail：LeahLHUAitfq@tom.com
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E-mail：LeahLHUAitfq@tom.com
FB：Leon Lee
Instagram：accesories_forprinter
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Summary of ink safety issues in Printing ink
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