How do the Ink Composition and Ink Performance Affect the Membrane Switch?

Printing ink is a paste-like colloid composed of pigments, binders, fillers and other components uniformly mixed. As a kind of viscous fluid ink, due to the different properties of its varieties, there are differences between thick and thin, strong and weak viscous, and the difference between fast drying and slow drying. Therefore, a correct understanding of the components in the ink is of great significance for accurately adjusting the characteristics of the ink, meeting various printing conditions, and improving the printing quality of the product.

 

1. The Role of Colored Materials in Ink

 

Colored Materials include pigments and dyes. The colored materials used in printing inks are usually colored materials, but some dyes are also useful. They are all colored substances with extremely fine particles. Pigments are generally insoluble in water, nor soluble in binders, and most of them are suspended in the solution. The dye is generally soluble in the binder. The pigment has a great influence on the performance of the ink. The relative density, transparency, heat resistance, light resistance and resistance to chemicals of the ink are all related to the pigment. The function of the pigment in the ink is obvious. Its color determines the hue of the ink; its amount determines the concentration of the ink; its use gives the ink a certain consistency and other physical properties; its use affects to a certain extent The dryness of the ink is particularly outstanding for inks that are mainly dried by oxidative polymerization.

 

In addition, the durability of the ink in all aspects is also determined by the pigment. Therefore, due to the different types and uses of inks, the use of pigments is also different. This requires that suitable inks should be selected according to product uses and process characteristics during printing. For example, high-speed multi-color printers should use bright light for packaging products, fast-curing, abrasion-resistant ink to ensure printing quality.

 

2.  The Role of Binder in Ink

 

Binder is a kind of fluid with certain viscosity, and its functions are various. As the carrier of the pigment, it serves to mix and connect solid particles such as powdered pigments, and make the cohesive pigments finally adhere to the printed product. The binder not only affects and determines the fixing speed, drying speed and drying type of the ink, but also can give the ink certain physical properties such as gloss, friction resistance, yellowing resistance and impact resistance, and to a large extent It determines the viscosity, viscosity, yield value and fluidity of the ink. Therefore, high-quality ink comes from high-quality binder.

 

If the binder preparation or production process is not suitable, the ink not only lacks bright and glossy colors after printing, but also causes chain quality failures such as paste, smear, print-through, paper lint, and no ink, which will cause normal printing. Bring certain obstacles. Therefore, the binder is a factor that greatly affects the quality of the ink.

 

3. The Role of Filler in Ink

 

The filler is a white solid substance that can be evenly and well dispersed in the binder, and it is a fine powder. When the filler is mixed and ground into a paste in the binder, some are transparent, and some are opaque. Commonly used fillers are aluminum hydroxide, potassium sulfate, magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate. The filler in the ink can adjust the consistency, viscosity, fluidity and yield value of the ink on the one hand, and adjust the ink concentration on the other hand. That is to say, when the ink density is large and the hue is deep, the dilution effect can be achieved after adding filler.

 

Although the filler plays an auxiliary role in the ink, its performance has many requirements that are consistent with the pigment. It also plays a role in affecting the dryness of the ink that is mainly dried by oxidative polymerization.

 

4. The Role of Additives in Ink

 

For printing operators, the ink has good printability and can be put into use as soon as the lid is opened, which is of course the most convenient and trouble-free. However, due to the difference in the temperature and humidity of the printing environment, the characteristics of the printing material and the different printing process conditions, the printing suitability requirements of various conditions are often not met.

 

Therefore, from the perspective of improving the printing efficiency and quality, according to the changing printing conditions, adding some additives to the selected ink is beneficial to ensure normal printing. The following are the more commonly used additives in JRPanel processing：

 

4.1 Detackifier

 

The detackifier is a wax paste-like mixture with loose and lubricating texture. After a proper amount of ink is added, it can reduce the viscosity of the ink, reduce the ills of paper lint and powder, and improve the uniformity of the ink.

 

4.2 Anti-sticking Agent

 

Over-printing is a common fault in the color printing process. After adding an appropriate amount of anti-sticking agent to the ink, it can prevent the back of the printed sheet from being smeared due to the wet ink layer in the stack, thereby ensuring product quality.

 

4.3 Lightening Agent

 

The lightening agent is a kind of ointment-like transparent substance, which has good gloss and good printing performance, and can play a printing process effect of diluting the hue of ink.

 

4.4 Anti-friction Agent

 

It is made of polyethylene wax and high-boiling kerosene to form a wax paste. Adding 1% to 5% of abrasion resistant agent in printing ink can improve the abrasion resistance of the printing ink layer and reduce the viscosity of the ink.

 

4.5 Anti-drying Agent

 

After the anti-drying agent is added to the ink, it can inhibit the oxidation and polymerization of the ink and slow down the drying speed of the ink film. Spraying the anti-drying agent on the ink transfer carrier such as the ink roller can prevent the drying and bring convenience to the stopping and printing in the middle of printing.

 

4.6 Desiccant

 

Desiccants are divided into white dry oil and red dry oil. Red dry oil is a desiccant mainly made of cobalt naphthoate. It is a purple-red slurry liquid and is suitable for adding to dark ink. Its drying form is mainly dried on the surface of the ink layer, and the amount is 1% -2%. White dry oil is composed of a mixture of metal salts of cobalt, manganese, and lead. It is commonly known as mixed dry oil. It has the effect of drying the ink film inside and outside. Its dryness is not as strong as red dry oil, but the drying effect is better. It is white and translucent and has no effect on the hue after adding light-colored ink.

 

4.7 Bright Oil

 

In addition to the gloss oil used for glazing, the ink of letterpress printing can be added with a proper amount of gloss oil, which can increase the fluidity of the ink, help uniform ink distribution, and greatly improve the brightness of the printing ink film, so that the ink layer has a certain degree of wear resistance, light resistance and good effect of preventing fading.

 

In short, the composition of ink and auxiliary materials are the basis of ink and imprinting. Understanding and mastering the knowledge in this area, and understanding the performance and use of ink are of great significance for improving printing efficiency and product quality.