Water-Based Flexographic Ink Using Acrylic Resins
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water-based flexographic printing inks that dry quickly often use epoxy ester resins, increasing costs and complicating handling, and require additional drying agents.
Innovation Solution
A water-based flexographic printing ink formulation using between 1% and 40% pigments, 11.5% to 39% acrylic resins, 32% to 52% water, 0.01% to 0.025% biocides, 0.5% to 10% surfactants, 0.1% to 1% antifoaming agents, and 1% to 8% water-miscible organic solvents, eliminating the need for drying agents and reducing costs by employing acrylic resins and water as solvents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If epoxy ester resins are used in water-based flexographic printing ink formulation, then quick drying is achieved, but cost increases and handling becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the resin parameter from epoxy ester to acrylic resin, and adjusts the formulation parameters (acrylic resin 11.5-39%, water 32-52%, organic solvent 1-8%) to achieve quick drying through water evaporation alone, without requiring additional drying agents. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by maintaining fast drying speed while improving handling ease and reducing cost.
2Speed
If epoxy ester resins are used in water-based flexographic printing ink formulation, then quick drying is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive epoxy ester resins with more economical acrylic resins that can achieve the same quick drying function through water evaporation. The use of water (32-52%) as the primary solvent and acrylic resin (11.5-39%) as the binder provides a cost-effective alternative that eliminates the need for costly epoxy ester resins while maintaining rapid drying performance.
3Speed
If additional drying agents are added to achieve quick drying, then drying speed improves, but formulation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for additional drying agents from the formulation. By using water (32-52%) as the primary solvent and relying on its natural evaporation properties, the formulation achieves quick drying without requiring extra drying components. This simplifies the overall formulation while maintaining fast drying speed.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If water-based formulation is used for environmental sustainability, then environmental friendliness improves, but drying speed may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the water content parameter (32-52%) and combines it with acrylic resin (11.5-39%) and small amounts of water-miscible organic solvents (1-8%) to achieve rapid drying through evaporation. This parameter optimization allows the ink to dry quickly despite being water-based, thus maintaining environmental sustainability without sacrificing drying speed.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The ink achieves quick drying without destabilization, reduces costs, and simplifies handling due to the use of acrylic resins and water, eliminating the need for additional drying agents, while maintaining environmental sustainability.
Implementation Method 1
the combination with the rest of the components makes a drier like the one in the closest document unnecessary, where only drying by means of water evaporation is required
Implementation Method 2
the organic solvent is a water-miscible solvent selected from monohydric C1-C4 alcohols and glycol ethers
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a f!exographic printing ink. Said ink comprises: - between 1% and 40% by weight of pigments with respect to the total, - between 11.5% and 39% by weight of acrylic resins with respect to the total, - between 32% and 52% by weight of water with respect to the total, - between 0.01% and 0.025% by weight of biocides with respect to the total, - between 0.5% and 10% by weight of surfactant with respect to the total, and - between 0.1 % and 1% by weight of antifoaming agent with respect to the total.