Water-Based Gravure Ink Composition with Dual Glass Transition Resins
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gravure printing relies on oil-based inks that are harmful to the environment and costly to maintain due to the use of toxic volatile organic solvents, necessitating the development of a more sustainable and cost-effective alternative.
Innovation Solution
A water-based printing ink composition suitable for gravure printing, comprising a pigment, an aqueous resin mixture with specific glass transition temperatures, a quick-drying agent, and water, which provides fast drying, good storage stability, and excellent printability, while eliminating the need for organic solvent recovery equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If oil-based printing ink is used for gravure printing, then printing speed and print quality are improved, but environmental harm and equipment cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the ink composition from oil-based to water-based, replacing toxic organic solvents with water as the primary solvent. This parameter change eliminates environmental harm while maintaining printing performance through careful selection of aqueous resins and additives that replicate the functional properties of traditional oil-based inks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the traditionally harmful aspect of water-based inks (slow drying speed) into a benefit by selecting specific aqueous resins with appropriate glass transition temperatures and incorporating quick-drying agents. This conversion allows the ink to dry rapidly after printing, eliminating the environmental and health hazards of organic solvents while maintaining productivity comparable to oil-based inks.
2Manufacturing precision
If oil-based printing ink is used, then print quality is improved, but equipment complexity and maintenance cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for organic solvent recovery equipment by using water-based ink. Since water is non-toxic and does not require complex recovery systems, the printing equipment can be simplified, removing expensive solvent recovery units while maintaining print quality through optimized water-based formulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adopts a simpler equipment approach where water-based ink can be used without complex recovery systems. The water-based formulation allows for easier cleanup and maintenance, effectively replacing expensive, complex solvent recovery equipment with simpler, more maintainable printing systems.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If water-based printing ink is used, then environmental safety is improved, but drying speed may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite material strategy by combining multiple aqueous resins with different glass transition temperatures, quick-drying agents, and additives. This composite formulation creates a water-based ink that dries rapidly through the synergistic effect of components: aqueous resins provide film formation, quick-drying agents accelerate water evaporation, and additives optimize drying characteristics, achieving drying speeds comparable to oil-based inks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the water-based ink formulation, specifically selecting aqueous resins with glass transition temperatures between -50°C and 0°C and incorporating quick-drying agents with boiling points below 85°C. These parameter changes enable rapid drying while maintaining environmental safety.
4Ease of manufacture
If water-based printing ink is used, then equipment cost is reduced, but adhesion performance at low temperature may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material strategy by formulating the water-based ink with multiple aqueous resins having different glass transition temperatures. This combination creates a synergistic effect where the resin blend maintains flexibility and adhesion at low temperatures while still providing rapid drying and good print quality, overcoming the typical limitation of water-based inks in cold environments.
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 water-based ink composition achieves comparable drying speed and print quality to oil-based inks, with improved environmental safety and reduced equipment costs, featuring good low-temperature adhesion and scratch resistance.
Implementation Method 1
The quick-drying agent has a boiling point of not greater than 85° C.
Implementation Method 2
The first aqueous resin has a first glass transition temperature, the second aqueous resin has a second glass transition temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A water-based printing ink composition for gravure printing and a method for producing the same are provided. The water-based printing ink composition includes: 1 to 15 parts by weight of a pigment, 1 to 50 parts by weight of an aqueous resin mixture, 1 to 20 parts by weight of a quick-drying agent, and 30 to 80 parts by weight of water. The aqueous resin mixture includes a first aqueous resin and a second aqueous resin, a first glass transition temperature of the first aqueous resin is greater than a second glass transition temperature of the second aqueous resin, and an absolute value of the difference between the first glass transition temperature and the second glass transition temperature is not less than 40° C. The quick-drying agent is an alcohol or a ketone, and the quick-drying agent has a boiling point of not greater than 85° C.