Details:
Summary:
Two to three years ago the soybean-based oil entered the European continent from the USA. The available US information claimed these inks to be superior to mineral oil-based newsinks, especially in 4-color printing. In addition those materials regrow and therefore are considered highly environment-friendly. The first tests done by European ink manufacturers showed more negative than positive results, although printers seemed to be happy with these newly developed inks in their daily work. That is why ink manufacturers looked for more economic alternatives to soya-bean oil like linseed, rapeseed, and tall oil, to meet the cost requirements as well. In general it is shown that the differences are not as great as formerly claimed. The first tests done by European ink manufacturers showed more negative than positive results, although printers seemed to be happy with these newly developed inks in their daily work. That is why ink manufacturers looked for more economic alternatives to soya-bean oil like linseed, rapeseed, and tall oil, to meet the cost requirements as well. In general it is shown that the differences are not as great as formerly claimed. Emulsification behavior is one parameter where vegetable oil based newsinks show advantages over mineral oil based newsinks. Larger differences in relative contrast and print-through occurred when the super concentration of pigments entered the game. At this time there is no explanation available why deinkability with flotation (DEM values) fall so much after around 3 months of aging of the samples and why some mineral oil based newsinks follow the same pattern. The only conclusion in this respect which can be drawn is that even mineral oil-based inks differ very much from each other in their basic compositions.