HEC
Application areas
1. Water-Based Inks
- Thickening and Rheology Control:
- As a water-phase thickener, it adjusts ink viscosity to improve printability (e.g., controlling the 'stringiness' and fluidity of water-based inks) and prevents dot gain (ink smearing).
- Imparts thixotropy: it thickens to prevent sedimentation when static and thins under shear during printing, ensuring uniform pigment transfer to substrates such as paper and plastic films.
- Pigment Dispersion and Stability:
- Adsorbs onto pigment particles to prevent agglomeration through steric hindrance, enhancing the fineness and coloring power of color pastes (e.g., CMYK four-color inks).
- Reduces delamination in water-based inks during storage, especially in high-pigment-content formulations.
- Film Formation and Adhesion:
- Forms a flexible film during drying, enhancing the adhesion and wear resistance of inks on non-absorbent substrates (e.g., PVC, PET).
2. Solvent-Based Inks (Including Alcohol/Ether Solvents)
- Compatibility and Thickening:
- Some modified HEC grades are soluble in alcohols (e.g., ethanol) or ether solvents, serving as thickeners in non-aqueous systems to adjust the viscosity of solvent-based inks (e.g., flexographic and gravure solvent inks).
- Anti-Sedimentation and Leveling:
- Suspends fillers (e.g., calcium carbonate) and pigments to prevent precipitation; improves ink leveling and reduces orange peel texture on printed surfaces.
3. Specialty Inks
- UV Inks:
- As a rheology aid in prepolymer preparation, it adjusts the thixotropy of UV inks, suitable for curved surface printing or thick film coating (e.g., UV varnishes, UV offset inks).
- Food Packaging Inks:
- HEC compliant with FDA and other food safety certifications can be used in food-contact packaging inks (e.g., water-based paper inks) to ensure safety and migration compliance.
- Security Inks:
- Acts as a carrier in fluorescent inks and thermochromic inks to stabilize functional pigments (e.g., fluorescent powders, thermosensitive pigments), enhancing the stability and consistency of printed patterns.
4. Ink Production Process Aids
- Grinding and Dispersing Aids:
- Added during pigment sand milling or ball milling to improve dispersion efficiency, shorten grinding time, and reduce energy consumption (especially for nano-pigment dispersion).
- Anti-Splash Properties:
- Enhances ink viscoelasticity to reduce splashing during high-speed printing (e.g., rotary printing), improving the working environment and print quality.
Core Advantages
- Environmental Friendliness:
- Water-based HEC helps formulate low-VOCs inks, complying with environmental regulations (e.g., China's Limits on Volatile Organic Compound (VOCs) Content in Inks).
- Multifunctional Compatibility:
- Compatible with resins (e.g., acrylic resins, polyurethanes), surfactants, and other additives (e.g., defoamers, preservatives), facilitating formula design.
- Cost-Effectiveness:
- Significant thickening and stabilizing effects can be achieved with low addition levels (typically 0.5%–2.0% by total ink weight), reducing formulation costs.
Typical Application Scenarios
- Printing Methods: Offset printing, flexographic printing, gravure printing, inkjet (digital printing).
- Substrates: Paper, cardboard, plastic films (BOPP, PE), metal foils, textiles.
Precautions: Select appropriate HEC grades according to the ink system (water-based/solvent-based) (e.g., high-substitution HEC is suitable for solvent systems), and control the dissolution temperature (water-based systems often require dissolving in 60–80°C hot water for full expansion).
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