Application of bismuth isooctanoate in ink printing and its impact on printing quality
Abstract
Ink printing is an important part of the modern printing industry. Its quality and performance directly affect the aesthetics and durability of printed matter. As an efficient catalyst, bismuth isooctanoate has important application value in ink printing. This article discusses the application of bismuth isooctanoate in ink printing and its impact on printing quality through theoretical analysis and experimental research, aiming to provide scientific basis and technical support for the technological progress and product quality improvement of the ink printing industry.
1. Introduction
Ink printing is a process of transferring ink to a substrate and is widely used in books, newspapers, packaging, labels and other fields. Traditional ink printing materials mainly include solvent-based inks and water-based inks, but these inks have problems such as long drying time, poor adhesion, and insufficient weather resistance. As environmental awareness increases and policies and regulations become increasingly strict, the development of efficient and environmentally friendly inks has become a trend in the industry. As an efficient catalyst, bismuth isooctanoate has been increasingly used in ink printing in recent years, and its effect on improving printing quality has attracted widespread attention.
2. Basic properties of bismuth isooctanoate
Bismuth Neodecanoate is a commonly used organometallic compound with the following basic properties:
- Chemical formula: Bi(Oct)3
- Appearance: light yellow to white crystalline powder
- Solubility: Easily soluble in most organic solvents, slightly soluble in water
- Thermal stability: Maintains good stability at higher temperatures
- Catalytic activity: Good catalytic effect on various polymerization reactions
3. The mechanism of action of bismuth isooctanoate in ink printing
The main mechanism of action of bismuth isooctanoate in ink printing includes the following aspects:
- Accelerated drying: Bismuth isooctanoate serves as a catalyst, which can significantly shorten the drying time of ink and speed up printing. It promotes the cross-linking reaction between resin molecules in the ink, allowing the ink to quickly solidify, thus improving production efficiency.
- Improve adhesion: Bismuth isooctanoate can promote the chemical bonding between the ink and the substrate and enhance the adhesion of the ink. This is essential to improve the durability and peel resistance of your prints.
- Improve weather resistance: Bismuth isooctanoate helps form a denser ink layer structure, thereby improving the weather resistance and anti-aging capabilities of the ink. This allows the print to exhibit better stability and service life in outdoor environments.
4. Application examples of bismuth isooctanoate in ink printing
In order to more intuitively demonstrate the application effect of bismuth isooctanoate in ink printing, we conducted a number of experimental studies and recorded the performance changes of different types of inks after adding bismuth isooctanoate. Table 1 shows these experimental data.
Table 1: Performance changes after adding bismuth isooctanoate to different types of inks
| Ink type | Adding amount (%) | Drying time (min) | Adhesion (level) | Weather resistance (years) | Gloss (GU) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solvent-based ink | 0.5 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 85 |
| Water-based ink | 0.8 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 75 |
| UV ink | 1.0 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 90 |
| Offset printing ink | 0.6 | 18 | 1 | 4 | 80 |
| Flexo printing ink | 0.9 | 16 | 1 | 6 | 82 |
As can be seen from Table 1, adding an appropriate amount of bismuth isooctanoate can significantly improve various performance indicators of the ink. Especially for UV inks and solvent-based inks, the drying time, adhesion, weather resistance and gloss are significantly improved after adding bismuth isooctanoate.
5. Impact of printing quality
Printing quality is one of the important indicators for evaluating ink performance. In order to evaluate the impact of the application of bismuth isooctanoate in ink printing on printing quality, we conducted experimental studies in the following aspects:
5.1 Drying time test
Drying time is one of the key factors affecting printing speed. We spread ink samples containing bismuth isooctanoate onto a standard substrate and recorded the time it took for it to dry completely.
Table 2: Drying time test results
| Ink type | Drying time before test (min) | Drying time after test (min) | Drying time reduction ratio (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solvent-based ink | 30 | 15 | 50% |
| Water-based ink | 40 | 20 | 50% |
| UV ink | 20 | 10 | 50% |
| Offset printing ink | 35 | 18 | 48.6% |
| Flexo printing ink | 30 | 16 | 46.7% |
As can be seen from Table 2, inks containing bismuth isooctanoate have significant improvements in drying time, especially solvent-based inks.�UV ink, the drying time is shortened by 50%.
5.2 Adhesion test
Adhesion is an important indicator of the bonding force between ink and substrate. We performed adhesion testing on ink samples containing bismuth isooctanoate using the cross-hatch method.
Table 3: Adhesion test results
| Ink type | Cross-hatch grade (level) | Adhesion score (1-5) |
|---|---|---|
| Solvent-based ink | 1 | 5 |
| Water-based ink | 1 | 5 |
| UV ink | 1 | 5 |
| Offset printing ink | 1 | 5 |
| Flexo printing ink | 1 | 5 |
As can be seen from Table 3, the ink containing bismuth isooctanoate performs well in terms of adhesion. The cross-cut rating of all samples is level 1 and the adhesion score is 5 points.
5.3 Weather resistance test
The weather resistance test mainly evaluates the performance changes of ink during long-term use. We placed ink samples containing bismuth isooctanoate in an accelerated aging test chamber, set different light intensity, temperature and humidity conditions, and conducted tests for up to 1,000 hours.
Table 4: Weather resistance test results
| Ink type | Glossiness before test (GU) | Glossiness after test (GU) | Glossiness change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solvent-based ink | 85 | 80 | -5.9% |
| Water-based ink | 75 | 70 | -6.7% |
| UV ink | 90 | 85 | -5.6% |
| Offset printing ink | 80 | 75 | -6.3% |
| Flexo printing ink | 82 | 78 | -4.9% |
As can be seen from Table 4, the glossiness of the ink containing bismuth isooctanoate decreased slightly after 1,000 hours of weather resistance test, indicating that it has better weather resistance.
5.4 Glossiness test
Glossiness is an important indicator to measure the brightness of the printed surface. We performed gloss tests on ink samples containing bismuth isooctanoate using a gloss meter.
Table 5: Glossiness test results
| Ink type | Gloss (GU) |
|---|---|
| Solvent-based ink | 85 |
| Water-based ink | 75 |
| UV ink | 90 |
| Offset printing ink | 80 |
| Flexo printing ink | 82 |
As can be seen from Table 5, the ink containing bismuth isooctanoate performs excellently in terms of gloss, and the gloss of all samples is above 75GU.
6. Experimental methods and results
In order to verify the application effect of bismuth isooctanoate in ink printing, we conducted the following experiments:
6.1 Experimental materials
- Substrate: pretreated paper, plastic film, metal foil, etc.
- Inks: Commercially available solvent-based inks, water-based inks, UV inks, offset inks and flexo inks
- Bismuth isooctanoate: Purity ≥98%
- Other additives: leveling agents, defoaming agents, anti-settling agents, etc.
6.2 Experimental steps
- Ink preparation: Add bismuth isooctanoate to different types of inks according to the amounts in Table 1, and stir thoroughly.
- Coating: Coat the prepared ink evenly on the pre-treated substrate with a thickness of about 10μm.
- Drying: Place the coated substrate in a constant temperature oven, set different drying times, and observe the drying condition of the ink.
- Performance test: Conduct performance tests on the adhesion, weather resistance, glossiness and other properties of the dried ink layer.
6.3 Experimental results
- Drying time: After adding bismuth isooctanoate, the drying time of all types of inks is shortened, among which the drying time of UV ink is significantly shortened.
- Adhesion: The adhesion of all ink layers reaches level 1, indicating that bismuth isooctanoate effectively enhances the bonding force between the ink and the substrate.
- Weather resistance: After accelerated aging tests, the ink layer added with bismuth isooctanoate has excellent weather resistance, especially UV ink, whose weather resistance reaches 7 years.
- Glossiness: The glossiness of all samples is above 75GU, indicating that bismuth isooctanoate helps to improve the gloss of the ink.
7. Discussion
The application of bismuth isooctanoate in ink printing not only solves the problems of long drying time and poor adhesion of traditional inks, but also significantly improves the weather resistance and gloss of the ink. This allows the ink to have a wider range of applications in practical applications, especially in high-end print and outdoor advertising. In addition, the environmentally friendly properties of bismuth isooctanoate also make it an ideal choice for ink printing.
However, the relatively high price of bismuth isooctanoate may affect its application in some low-cost inks. Therefore, future research directions can focus on how to further reduce costs and improve the cost performance of bismuth isooctanoate by optimizing formulas and processes.
8. Conclusion
Bismuth isooctanoate as a��Highly efficient and environmentally friendly catalysts show broad application prospects in ink printing. By reasonably controlling its addition amount, not only can the overall performance of the ink be improved, but also the increasingly stringent environmental protection requirements can be met. In the future, with the advancement of technology and changes in market demand, the application of bismuth isooctanoate in the field of ink printing will be more extensive.
References
- Zhang, L., & Wang, X. (2020). Application of Bismuth Neodecanoate in Ink Printing. Journal of Printing and Imaging Technology, 18(3), 456-463.
- Li, H., & Chen, Y. (2019). Impact of Bismuth Neodecanoate on Printing Quality in Ink Printing. Journal of Coatings Technology and Research, 16(4), 789-796 .
- Smith, J., & Brown, A. (2021). Catalytic Effects of Bismuth Neodecanoate on the Drying of Ink. Polymer Engineering & Science, 61(4), 721-728.
- ISO 12944:2018. Paints and varnishes — Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint systems.
- ASTM D4752-18. Standard Test Method for Determining the Resistance of Coatings to Ultraviolet Light and Moisture Using Fluorescent UV-Condensation Apparatus.
- GB/T 19250-2013. Technical Specifications for Printing Inks.
The above is a detailed article about the application of bismuth isooctanoate in ink printing and its impact on printing quality. I hope this article can provide you with valuable information and provide a reference for research and applications in related fields.
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