The advantages of ink dispersants are revealed: multi-dimensional analysis
Ink dispersants play a key role in ink manufacturing and printing processes. Their advantages are mainly reflected in improving
pigment dispersion efficiency, optimizing ink performance and extending the stability of printed product quality. The following
are the core advantages and specific performances of ink dispersants:
1. Improve pigment dispersion efficiency and reduce production costs
Fast wetting and encapsulation
Dispersants bind to the surface of pigments through anchoring groups (such as acidic, alkaline, and non-polar groups) in the
molecular structure. At the same time, the lipophilic chain segments are compatible with the linker to form an "anchor-solvation"
layer, which significantly reduces the surface energy of the pigment and makes the pigment particles easier to wet and disperse.
For example: In carbon black ink, dispersants can shorten the grinding time from 8 hours to 4 hours, improving production
efficiency.
Reduce grinding energy consumption
Dispersants can reduce the van der Waals force and electrostatic repulsion between pigment particles, reduce the tendency of
particles to agglomerate during grinding, and thus reduce equipment energy consumption.
Data support: After using dispersants, grinding energy consumption can be reduced by 20%~30%.
2. Enhance ink stability and prevent pigment sedimentation and coarsening
Steric hindrance effect
Dispersant molecules form an adsorption layer as thick as 1~2 nm on the surface of the pigment, which prevents pigment
particles from approaching each other through steric hindrance, effectively preventing sedimentation and coarsening.
Case: In UV ink, after adding dispersant, the ink still has no precipitation after standing for 30 days, while the ink without
dispersant will be stratified within 7 days.
Charge stabilization mechanism
Some dispersants (such as polyelectrolyte type) can introduce charges on the surface of the pigment, further enhancing
stability through electrostatic repulsion.
Application scenario: In gravure printing ink, the charge stabilization mechanism can significantly reduce the flying ink
phenomenon during the printing process.
3. Improve the printing performance of ink and improve the printing quality
Optimize rheology and viscosity
Dispersants can adjust the thixotropy and viscosity of the ink, so that it maintains appropriate fluidity during the printing
process and avoids problems such as tailing and plate blocking.
Example: In flexographic printing, the use of dispersants can stabilize the viscosity of the ink at 15~25 Pa·s, and the printed
pattern is clear and the edges are sharp.
Improve color strength and gloss
Dispersants promote uniform dispersion of pigment particles, reduce light scattering, and improve color strength and gloss.
Data comparison: After adding dispersants, the color strength of ink can be increased by 15%~20%, and the glossiness can
be increased by 5~10 GU (gloss unit).
Enhance wear resistance and weather resistance
Dispersants can form cross-linked structures with resins to enhance the wear resistance and weather resistance of inks.
Application case: In outdoor advertising inkjet inks, after adding dispersants, the wear resistance of printed products is
increased by 30%, and the weather resistance is extended by more than 6 months.
4. Simplify production processes and improve production flexibility
Compatible with a variety of pigments and binders
Modern dispersants have a wide range of compatibility and can be applied to a variety of pigments such as organic
pigments, inorganic pigments, carbon black, and a variety of binder systems such as water-based, solvent-based, and UV.
Advantages: Reduce the number of formula adjustments and shorten the new product development cycle.
Reducing equipment requirements
The efficient dispersing ability of dispersants can reduce the precision requirements for grinding equipment (such as
three-roll mills and bead mills) and reduce equipment investment costs.
5. Environmental and safety advantages
Reduce VOC emissions
High-efficiency dispersants can reduce the amount of solvents used in inks, thereby reducing the emission of volatile
organic compounds (VOCs).
Environmental benefits: Comply with the EU REACH regulations and RoHS directive requirements, helping companies
achieve green production.
Improve operational safety
Dispersants can reduce the viscosity and surface tension of inks, reduce splashing and dripping during printing, and reduce
safety risks for operators.
6. Increase the added value of printed products
Support high-precision printing
Dispersants can achieve nano-scale dispersion of pigment particles to meet the needs of high-precision printing (such as
electronic labels and microcircuit printing).
Technical indicators: The pigment particle size can be controlled within the range of 50~200 nm, and the printing resolution
can reach more than 2000 dpi.
Enhance functional characteristics
By selecting dispersants with specific functions, special functions such as antibacterial, conductive, and anti-counterfeiting
can be given to inks.
Application areas: In packaging printing, adding antibacterial dispersants can make printed products have antibacterial properties
and extend the shelf life of food.
Summary
Ink dispersants significantly improve the quality and production efficiency of inks by improving dispersion efficiency, enhancing
stability, optimizing printing performance and other advantages. Its core value lies in:
Technical level: achieving efficient dispersion and stabilization of pigments, breaking through the performance bottleneck of
traditional inks.
Economic level: reducing production costs and improving product competitiveness.
Environmental level: promoting the development of green printing technology and helping enterprises achieve sustainable
development.
With the progress of nanotechnology, intelligent response materials and other fields, the performance of ink dispersants will
be further improved, bringing more innovation possibilities to the printing industry.
