printing ink chemicals

PE Wax Compound for Printing Inks

CAS: 9002-88-4

Micronized or dispersed polyethylene (PE) wax compound for incorporation into solvent-based and waterborne printing inks to improve rub resistance, slip, and anti-blocking properties of printed surfaces. PE wax forms a lubricating layer at the ink film surface after drying, significantly reducing the coefficient of friction and protecting the print from abrasion during handling, stacking, and transport of printed packaging.

printing ink chemicals

PTFE Wax for Print Rub & Scratch Resistance

CAS: 9002-84-0

Micronized polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) wax delivers the lowest coefficient of friction of any wax additive in printing inks, providing exceptional scratch, rub, and mar resistance for high-quality packaging, label, and commercial printing applications. PTFE is chemically inert, thermally stable, and compatible with UV-curable, solvent-based, and waterborne ink systems, making it the premium choice for inks that must survive demanding downstream converting processes.

printing ink chemicals

Phenolic-Modified Rosin Resin

CAS: 68153-90-2

Phenolic-modified rosin resin is a premium hard resin for heatset web offset and high-quality sheetfed inks, combining the fast-setting characteristics of rosin with the improved water resistance and oil-solubility imparted by phenol modification. It delivers outstanding gloss, rub resistance, and printability on LWC and coated art papers. Widely used in premium publication and commercial printing inks.

printing ink chemicals

Photoinitiator 369 (Irgacure 369) for UV Ink

CAS: 119313-12-1

2-Benzyl-2-(dimethylamino)-1-(4-morpholinophenyl)butan-1-one (PI-369, Irgacure 369) is a highly efficient alpha-aminoketone Type I photoinitiator widely used in UV offset, screen, and digital inks due to its excellent surface cure, strong absorption at 320–380 nm, and low tendency to migrate or extract into food substrates when fully cured. It is particularly effective in dark and pigmented UV inks where it outperforms alpha-hydroxyketone initiators.

printing ink chemicals

Photoinitiator 819 (BAPO) for UV Ink

CAS: 162881-26-7

Phenylbis(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine oxide (BAPO, PI-819) is the leading bisacylphosphine oxide photoinitiator for UV offset, flexo, and digital inks, generating two radical pairs per molecule upon UV excitation for outstanding photoinitiation efficiency. Its wide absorption extending to 470 nm enables deep cure even in heavily pigmented magenta and cyan inks, and its compatibility with LED sources makes it essential in modern UV LED printing systems.

printing ink chemicals

Photoinitiator TPO for UV Offset Ink

CAS: 75980-60-8

Diphenyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine oxide (TPO) is a highly efficient Type I acylphosphine oxide photoinitiator for UV-curable offset, flexo, and screen-printing inks, absorbing strongly in the 380–420 nm range where LED and medium-pressure mercury lamps emit. Its excellent through-cure capability, low yellowing, and compatibility with pigmented ink systems make TPO the backbone photoinitiator in modern UV printing inks.

printing ink chemicals

Pigment Blue 15:3 (Phthalocyanine Blue, Beta-form)

CAS: 147-14-8

Beta-crystalline copper phthalocyanine (PB 15:3) is the universal process cyan pigment for CMYK printing across offset, flexo, gravure, screen, and digital inks, delivering outstanding lightfastness (8 on blue-wool scale), excellent transparency for process color work, and broad chemical resistance. Its stable beta-crystal form resists phase transition to the alpha form during milling and ink manufacture, ensuring consistent color and rheology in the finished ink.

printing ink chemicals

Pigment Green 7 (Polychlorinated Phthalocyanine Green)

CAS: 1328-53-6

Polychlorinated copper phthalocyanine (Pigment Green 7, PG 7) delivers the highest lightfastness and heat stability of any green pigment, making it the standard green for packaging, industrial, and decorative printing inks. PG 7 provides a clean, brilliant green hue with outstanding resistance to acids, alkalis, solvents, and high-temperature baking processes used in metal decorating inks.

printing ink chemicals

Pigment Red 57:1 (Rubine Red, Naphthol Red 2B)

CAS: 5281-04-9

Pigment Red 57:1 (PR 57:1, Rubine or Lithol Rubine) is the most widely used magenta/red pigment in offset lithographic and gravure printing inks, especially for process magenta in CMYK. A barium salt laked azo pigment, PR 57:1 delivers brilliant magenta hue, very high transparency, and outstanding gloss in oil-based offset inks, making it the standard for magazine and catalog printing as well as decorative packaging.

printing ink chemicals

Pigment Yellow 12 (Diarylide Yellow AAA, Benzidine Yellow G)

CAS: 6358-85-6

Pigment Yellow 12 (PY 12) is a classic diarylide (disazo) yellow pigment used extensively in gravure, flexo, and offset publication and packaging inks where a bright, reddish-yellow hue with moderate cost is required. PY 12 provides good lightfastness for indoor applications, excellent gloss, and high transparency, making it the workhorse yellow for process four-color printing in newspaper supplements, magazines, and packaging cartons.

printing ink chemicals

Pigment Yellow 83 (Diarylide Yellow HR, Permanent Yellow HR)

CAS: 5567-15-7

Pigment Yellow 83 (PY 83) is a high-performance diarylide yellow with superior lightfastness, heat stability, and bleed resistance compared to PY 12 and PY 13, making it the preferred yellow for demanding packaging applications, outdoor printing, and automotive coatings that require extended durability. PY 83's warmer, more reddish-yellow hue and excellent opacity in full-shade inks serve metal decorating, industrial, and specialty printing applications.

printing ink chemicals

Polyamide Resin for Flexo Ink

CAS: 63428-84-2

Dimer-acid-based polyamide resin designed as the primary binder for alcohol/ester-solvent flexographic inks on flexible packaging substrates. It delivers superior adhesion to BOPP, PE, and PET films together with excellent blocking resistance and lamination bond strength. Used in combination with nitrocellulose to balance gloss, flexibility, and solvent release.

printing ink chemicals

Polyurethane Resin for Gravure Ink

CAS: 9009-54-5

Two-component and single-component polyurethane resins engineered as binders for solvent-based gravure and flexographic packaging inks, offering outstanding interlayer adhesion, boiling resistance, and chemical resistance. These PU binders are compatible with nitrocellulose and chlorinated carriers, making them ideal for high-performance retort and sterilizable packaging applications.

printing ink chemicals

Polyvinyl Butyral for Ceramic & Specialty Inks

CAS: 63148-65-2

Polyvinyl butyral (PVB) resin used as a film-forming binder in ceramic screen-printing inks, electronic pastes, and high-performance specialty inks requiring excellent adhesion to glass, metal, and ceramics after firing. PVB's unique combination of flexibility, solubility in alcohol/ester solvents, and burnout characteristics make it the preferred binder for ceramic decal inks and glass decoration inks.

printing ink chemicals

Rosin-Modified Maleic Resin

CAS: 68909-75-1

Rosin-modified maleic (RMM) resin is a hard, high-melting thermoplastic resin used as the primary binder in heatset and sheetfed offset inks, providing exceptional tack, gloss, and rub resistance on coated paper stocks. Its high acid value ensures rapid setting in the ink train and excellent pigment wetting for both organic and inorganic pigments. Compatible with hydrocarbon resins and alkyd varnishes for balanced rheology.

printing ink chemicals

Silicone Defoamer / Antifoam for Printing Inks

CAS: 8050-81-5

Polydimethylsiloxane-based defoamer and antifoam compounds formulated for the rapid elimination of foam and micro-foam in water-based flexographic, gravure, and digital printing inks, preventing foam-induced print defects such as pinholes, craters, and density variations. Available as neat silicone oil, emulsion, or silica-filled compound to suit solvent, waterborne, and UV ink systems.

printing ink chemicals

Silicone Slip & Scratch-Resist Additive for Ink

CAS: 67254-79-9

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and silicone-polyether copolymer additives designed to improve the slip, anti-scratch, and blocking resistance of printing inks while minimizing adverse effects on gloss and re-coatability. These surface-active silicone additives orient at the ink-air interface during drying or UV cure, creating a low-energy surface layer that resists fingerprints, scratches, and abrasion in flexible packaging and label inks.

printing ink chemicals

Soy-Based Alkyd for Offset Ink Vehicle

CAS: 9016-88-0

Soy-oil-modified alkyd resin serves as a renewable, low-aromatic vehicle for sheetfed and heatset offset inks, imparting excellent pigment compatibility, controlled tack, and oxidative drying. Soy alkyd vehicles meet increasingly stringent VOC and bio-content requirements in commercial printing and packaging, and are preferred for food-packaging adjacent applications where mineral oil limits apply.

printing ink chemicals

Styrene-Acrylic Emulsion for Waterborne Ink

CAS: 9010-94-0

Styrene-acrylic (S/A) core-shell emulsion tailored as a binder for high-performance waterborne flexographic and digital pre-coating inks, offering excellent hardness, water whitening resistance, and pigment compatibility. Its controlled Tg enables formulation of inks with outstanding blocking resistance after printing on lightweight coated papers and corrugated liners.

printing ink chemicals

Titanate Coupling Agent (Adhesion Promoter for Inks)

Isopropyl titanate and organotitanate coupling agents used as adhesion promoters in printing inks to improve adhesion to difficult substrates including glass, metals, ceramics, and treated or untreated polyolefins. Titanate coupling agents react with surface hydroxyl groups and inorganic fillers to form covalent bridges between the substrate and the ink binder, dramatically improving adhesion tape-test performance without compromising gloss or transparency.

printing ink chemicals

Titanium Dioxide (Rutile) for Opaque Printing Inks

CAS: 13463-67-7

Surface-treated rutile titanium dioxide with optimized scattering efficiency and dispersibility for white offset, gravure, flexo, and screen printing inks requiring maximum opacity and whiteness. Ink-grade TiO2 features surface treatments (Al₂O₃, SiO₂, organic) that reduce photocatalytic degradation of surrounding binders and improve wetting in both oil-based and waterborne ink systems.

printing ink chemicals

Trimethylolpropane Triacrylate (TMPTA) for UV Ink

CAS: 15625-89-5

Trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA) is a trifunctional reactive crosslinker monomer for UV offset, screen, and flexo inks, providing the highest crosslink density of common reactive diluents and resulting in maximum hardness, scratch resistance, and chemical resistance in cured ink films. Used at 5–30% in UV ink formulations, TMPTA balances the flexibility of difunctional diluents and controls ink tack and flow while accelerating cure speed.

printing ink chemicals

Tripropylene Glycol Diacrylate (TPGDA) for UV Ink

CAS: 42978-66-5

Tripropylene glycol diacrylate (TPGDA) is a low-viscosity bifunctional reactive diluent for UV offset, flexo, and screen inks, widely used to reduce oligomer viscosity to press-applicable levels while contributing crosslinking density and adhesion. Its low skin-sensitization profile relative to monofunctional acrylates and its fast cure speed under both mercury and LED UV sources make it the most popular difunctional diluent in UV printing ink formulations.

printing ink chemicals

Tung Oil (Heat-Bodied) for Offset Ink

CAS: 8001-20-5

Heat-bodied tung oil is produced by thermal polymerization of raw tung oil to elevated viscosity grades (Z3–Z6), providing a fast-drying, high-gloss vehicle component for premium sheetfed offset and letterpress inks. Its exceptionally high alpha-eleostearic acid content delivers the fastest oxidative drying of any natural oil, producing hard, scratch-resistant ink films with outstanding gloss on coated papers.