Effects of Additives on the Physico-chemical Interactions Between Ink, Water and Plate

In the context of the search for isopropanol substitutes, new methods of characterization were developed in order to investigate the role of additives on the physico-chemical interactions between Ink, Fountain Solution and Plate. Ultrasound and shear dynamic measurements proved very useful to measure the average droplet size and the water/vehicle interfacial tension. The influence of the molar mass of non-volatile additives and of their molecular structure on the droplet size was also studied. In the context of the characterization of the water/plate interfaces, the use of a high speed camera coupled with image analysis was applied to the quantitative assessment of the dynamic spreading of the fountain solution on the non-image areas. The first results obtained pointed to the directions to be followed in subsequent more detailed studies. In the context of the characterization of the water/plate interfaces, the use of a high speed camera coupled with image analysis was applied to the quantitative assessment of the dynamic spreading of the fountain solution on the non-image areas. The first results obtained pointed to the directions to be followed in subsequent more detailed studies.