printing ink chemicals

Acrylic Resin for Waterborne Flexo Ink

CAS: 25035-69-2

Alkali-soluble and emulsion-type acrylic resins designed as the principal binder for waterborne flexographic inks on paper, board, and film substrates. These resins provide fast water evaporation, excellent pigment compatibility, and good rub and water resistance in the dried ink film. Formulations based on these resins meet stringent food-packaging migration regulations.

printing ink chemicals

Alkyd Resin for Offset Ink (Varnish Grade)

CAS: 68440-04-0

Oxidatively drying alkyd resin varnish specifically formulated as the vehicle component of sheetfed offset inks, providing controlled tack, ink-water balance, and oxidative drying with drier systems. Available in short, medium, and long oil lengths to suit different press speeds and paper types. Blends readily with rosin-modified maleic and phenolic resins to optimize print quality.

printing ink chemicals

Amine-Modified Polyether Acrylate (PEA Synergist)

Amine-modified polyether acrylate (PEA) is a reactive amine synergist oligomer that dramatically enhances the surface cure and through-cure of UV printing inks by scavenging oxygen radicals and co-initiating via hydrogen abstraction, dramatically reducing the oxygen-inhibition effect that limits cure at the ink surface. PEA synergists are reactive and non-extractable after cure, making them preferred over small-molecule amine co-initiators in food-adjacent UV ink applications.

printing ink chemicals

Antistatic Agent for Printing Inks (EG-Based)

CAS: 107-21-1

Ethylene glycol (EG) and polyethylene glycol-based antistatic additives used in printing inks and coatings to reduce surface resistivity and prevent electrostatic charge buildup during high-speed printing on plastic films, foils, and synthetic substrates. Antistatic agents migrate to the ink film surface to form a hygroscopic conductive layer, dissipating static charges that would otherwise cause ink misting, sheet misfeeds, and irregular ink transfer.

printing ink chemicals

C5 Aliphatic Hydrocarbon Resin for Ink

CAS: 64742-16-1

Aliphatic C5 hydrocarbon resin produced by cationic polymerization of piperylene-rich C5 fractions, used as a tackifier and flow modifier in heatset offset, flexographic, and gravure inks. Its low color, good compatibility with alkyd and rosin-ester varnishes, and favorable hydrocarbon-solvent solubility make it indispensable in formulating high-tack offset ink vehicles.

printing ink chemicals

C9 Aromatic Hydrocarbon Resin for Ink

CAS: 68955-27-1

Aromatic C9 hydrocarbon resin derived from the thermal polymerization of C9 steam-cracker fractions, serving as a high-softening-point tackifier and hardener in offset, gravure, and industrial inks. Its strong aromatic character provides excellent compatibility with rosin-maleic resins and delivers robust tack, gloss, and set characteristics in oil-based ink varnishes.

printing ink chemicals

Calcium Carbonate (Ink Extender & Filler)

CAS: 471-34-1

Finely precipitated or ground calcium carbonate (PCC/GCC) used as an extender pigment and opacifying filler in offset, gravure, and screen printing inks to reduce cost, improve ink set speed on uncoated papers, and control flow and rheology. Ink-grade CaCO₃ is surface-treated with fatty acids for improved dispersion in oil-based ink vehicles, and its controlled particle size distribution minimizes negative effects on gloss and printability.

printing ink chemicals

Calcium Drier for Offset Ink (Auxiliary Drier)

CAS: 61789-36-4

Calcium octoate auxiliary drier activates and stabilizes primary driers in sheetfed offset ink formulations by coordinating metal-soap interactions and preventing premature over-oxidation that leads to wrinkling. Ca drier improves through-drying balance, extends pot life, and stabilizes the primary drier package over time. It is non-yellowing and non-coloring, making it suitable across the full color gamut in commercial offset ink manufacture.

printing ink chemicals

Carbon Black Pigment (Furnace Black) for Printing Ink

CAS: 1333-86-4

High-structure furnace carbon black designed for maximum jetness, undertone (blue vs. brown), and dispersibility in sheetfed offset, gravure, flexo, and screen black inks. Available in a range of surface area (50–250 m²/g) and structure grades to balance color depth, gloss, flow, and drying performance. Surface-treated and oxidized grades are available for waterborne and UV ink compatibility.

printing ink chemicals

Cellulose Acetate Butyrate for Inks

CAS: 9004-36-8

Cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) is a thermoplastic cellulosic resin used as a secondary binder and viscosity modifier in solvent-based flexographic, gravure, and screen-printing inks, improving flow, adhesion, and compatibility. CAB's low moisture absorption, good UV stability, and miscibility with a wide range of resins make it particularly valuable in exterior-grade inks and automotive coatings.

printing ink chemicals

Cobalt Drier for Offset Ink (Cobalt Octoate)

CAS: 61789-52-4

Cobalt octoate is the standard primary surface-active siccative for oxidatively drying sheetfed offset and letterpress inks, supplied as a 6% or 12% cobalt-metal solution in aliphatic hydrocarbon. It accelerates the peroxide-initiated crosslinking of linseed, tung, and soy-alkyd vehicles at the ink film surface, dramatically reducing tack-free time. Used at 0.02–0.10% Co on total ink weight, always in a drier package with Mn and Zr co-driers.

printing ink chemicals

Epoxy Acrylate Oligomer for UV Ink

CAS: 55818-57-0

Bisphenol A-based epoxy acrylate (EA) is the most widely used UV-curable oligomer in offset, screen, and flexo printing inks, delivering the highest crosslink density, excellent gloss, hardness, and chemical resistance of any oligomer class. EA-based UV inks cure rapidly under mercury arc and LED UV sources, produce scratch-resistant films with superior adhesion to coated papers and metals, and serve as the oligomeric backbone in virtually all UV offset ink formulations.

printing ink chemicals

Ethyl Acetate (Fast-Evaporation Solvent for Flexo Ink)

CAS: 141-78-6

Technical-grade ethyl acetate (EtOAc) used as the primary fast-evaporating solvent in solvent-based flexographic and gravure printing inks, dissolving nitrocellulose, polyamide, and polyurethane resins for low-viscosity, high-speed printable ink formulations. Its low boiling point (77 °C), good solvency for ink resins, and favorable KB value make EtOAc the most widely used solvent in packaging ink manufacture.

printing ink chemicals

Ethyl Cellulose for Gravure & Screen Inks

CAS: 9004-57-3

Ethyl cellulose (EC) is a non-ionic thermoplastic resin used as a film former and binder in solvent-based gravure and screen-printing inks, ceramic pastes, and pharmaceutical coatings, offering exceptional toughness, flexibility, and solubility in a wide range of organic solvents. EC-based inks are prized for their excellent adhesion to polystyrene, metal foils, and coated papers.

printing ink chemicals

Fumed Silica Thixotropy Agent for Printing Inks

CAS: 112945-52-5

Hydrophilic and hydrophobic fumed silica grades tailored for thixotropy control, anti-settling, and gloss reduction in printing inks across offset, screen, gravure, and UV systems. Fumed silica builds a strong hydrogen-bond-mediated network at rest that collapses under press shear, enabling high printability while preventing sedimentation and improving ink transparency and matting in specialty coatings and inks.

printing ink chemicals

Gelatin (Protein Binder for Screen Printing Inks)

CAS: 9000-70-8

Food-grade and technical gelatin used as a natural protein binder in specialty screen-printing inks for textiles, transfer printing, and stencil emulsions. Gelatin's unique film-forming, adhesion, and film-porosity characteristics make it invaluable in transfer paper inks and photostencil emulsions where controlled dissolution or mechanical release is required.

printing ink chemicals

Hyperdispersant for Carbon Black & Organic Pigment Inks

Polymeric hyperdispersant with anchoring groups and solvated polymer chains, designed to stabilize carbon black and organic pigment dispersions in solvent-based, UV-curable, and waterborne printing inks. Analogous in performance to BYK-163 and Solsperse 32000, this dispersant achieves maximum pigment loading with minimum viscosity, eliminates flocculation, and delivers superior color strength, gloss, and transparency in finished inks.

printing ink chemicals

Isopropanol (IPA, Dilution Solvent for Flexo Ink)

CAS: 67-63-0

High-purity isopropanol (IPA, 2-propanol) used as a co-solvent and dilution solvent in flexographic inks based on nitrocellulose and polyamide resins, replacing ethanol or blending with esters to optimize evaporation rate, viscosity, and substrate wetting. IPA is also widely used in offset printing as a damping solution alcohol replacement and in press cleaning, as well as a surface tension modifier in waterborne digital inks.

printing ink chemicals

Linseed Oil (Alkali-Refined) for Offset Ink

CAS: 8001-26-1

Alkali-refined linseed oil is a classic renewable vehicle base for sheetfed offset and letterpress inks, valued for its fast oxidative drying, high pigment-wetting capacity, and compatibility with rosin-modified resins and alkyd varnishes. The refining process removes free fatty acids and phospholipids, ensuring consistent color, low odor, and reliable drying performance when activated with cobalt or manganese driers.

printing ink chemicals

Litho Varnish (High-Tack Offset Varnish)

High-tack litho varnish is a pre-compounded offset ink vehicle composed of hard resins, drying oils, and hydrocarbon diluents, designed to impart maximum tack and short body to sheetfed offset inks. Supplied as a ready-to-use concentrate, it simplifies ink formulation while ensuring consistent tack, gloss, and oxidative dry response across diverse paper and board substrates.

printing ink chemicals

Manganese Drier for Offset Ink (Manganese Octoate)

CAS: 8030-70-4

Manganese octoate is a primary metallic drier providing both surface and through-drying activity in oxidatively drying sheetfed offset inks, serving as either a supplement to or low-cobalt substitute for cobalt drier. Mn drier exhibits less tendency toward over-oxidation and yellowing than cobalt, making it preferred in white and light-colored offset ink formulations and in formulations developed to comply with cobalt-restriction regulations.

printing ink chemicals

Mineral Oil (Naphthenic, Ink Grade)

CAS: 64741-89-5

Low-aromatic, naphthenic process oil used as a non-drying diluent and tack modifier in coldset newsprint inks, offset lithographic inks, and letterpress formulations. Ink-grade mineral oil provides controlled penetration into newsprint and uncoated papers, enabling rapid ink setting without oxidative drying mechanisms. Available in a range of viscosities (low, medium, high) to optimize ink flow and print quality.

printing ink chemicals

Nitrocellulose (Ink Grade)

CAS: 9004-70-0

Ink-grade nitrocellulose (NC) is the principal film-forming resin for flexographic and gravure packaging inks, delivering fast solvent release, excellent adhesion to film substrates, and outstanding gloss. Available in a range of viscosity grades (1/4 sec to 60 sec) to match press speed and solvent system requirements. Fully compatible with polyamide, polyurethane, and maleic resins for formulation flexibility.

printing ink chemicals

Organoclay (Bentonite) Thixotrope for Printing Inks

CAS: 1302-78-9

Organically modified montmorillonite (organoclay, rheological additive) for imparting controlled thixotropy to offset, gravure, screen, and industrial printing inks, preventing pigment settling, bleeding, and strikethrough while maintaining low viscosity under shear for press transfer. The amine-salt quaternary-modified clay platelets form a three-dimensional network that rebuilds rapidly after shear, ensuring stable ink storage and consistent print quality.