The physical and chemical properties of ink mainly refer to its density, fineness, transparency, gloss, light resistance, heat resistance, and acid, alkali, water, and solvent (alcohol) resistance.
Density
Density refers to the weight of ink per unit volume at 20°C. Expressed in g/cm3. The density of the ink is determined by the type and ratio of the raw materials used in the ink, and is affected by the external temperature. The density of the ink has a certain relationship with the printing process. The density of the ink is related to the amount of ink used in the printing process. Under the same printing conditions, the amount of ink with higher density is greater than that of ink with lower density.
The density of the ink is too high, mainly due to the high density of the pigment in the ink. In the printing process, because the binder can not drive the pigment particles with too high density to transfer together, the solid particles such as the pigment are accumulated on the surface of the ink roller, printing plate, or blanket, forming a blockage phenomenon. Especially in high-speed printing or ink thinning, the use of high-density ink is more prone to this phenomenon. At the same time, when the high-density ink is mixed with the low-density ink, if the difference between the two is too large, the ink color delamination is likely to occur. The ink with low density floats up and the ink with high density sinks, so that the color of the ink surface is biased toward the ink with low density, and the color of the bottom ink is biased toward the ink with high density. In general, the density of printing ink is between 1g/cm3 and 2.25g/cm3.
Silicone ink density is typically in the range of 1.10-1.50g/cm³.So it has special features such as good abrasion resistance,high elasticity.It's ideal for screen printing on nylon,polyester and cotton blender.
We upload one screen printing design for reference here.
Fineness
Fineness refers to the degree of dispersion of solid powders such as pigments and fillers in the ink in the binder, also known as the degree of dispersion. It shows the size of the solid particles in the ink and the degree of distribution of the particles in the binder. The fineness of the ink indicates the fineness of the solid particles and the uniform distribution of the solid particles in the ink. The fineness of the ink is determined by the degree of wetting of the pigment and other solids by the binder and the fineness of the ink after stirring and rolling.
The fineness of the ink is related to the printability, such as the rheology, fluidity and stability of the ink, and is a very important quality index. The fineness of the ink is poor and the particles are coarse, which can cause blockage during printing. In offset printing and gravure printing, it can cause damage to the printing plate and squeegee. Moreover, due to the uneven dispersion of the pigment, the strength of the ink color cannot be fully exerted, which affects the coloring power of the ink and the brightness of the ink film after drying.
Transparency
Transparency refers to the degree to which ink refracts (transmits) incident light. Transparency in printing refers to the degree to which the background color of the bearing object can be revealed when the ink is evenly coated into a film. When the transparency of the ink is low and the background color cannot be fully revealed, it will cover the background color to a certain extent, so this performance of the ink is also called hiding power. The transparency of the ink is inversely proportional to the hiding power. The transparency is expressed by the thickness of the ink layer when the ink completely covers a certain background color. The greater the thickness, the better the transparency of the ink and the lower the hiding power.
Transparency depends on the difference between the refractive index of the pigment in the ink and the binder, and is related to the dispersion of the pigment. The smaller the difference in refractive index between the pigment and the binder, the better the dispersion of the pigment in the binder, and the higher the transparency of the ink.
Silicone ink base is transparent liquid.If you need print red pattern,please add 10% red pigment XG-302 in ink base.You must mix them thoroughly before screen printing.
Red silicone pigment
Gloss
Glossiness refers to the ability of the ink on the surface of the printed matter to concentrate and reflect light in the same direction under the irradiation of light after the ink on the surface of the printed matter is dried. Ink with high gloss appears to be bright on printed matter. The gloss is mainly determined by the type and nature of the binder in the ink, the processing of the refining process in the ink manufacturing, and the flatness of the ink film after drying. In addition, the gloss of the ink is also affected by the nature of the pigment in the ink composition, the size and shape of the particles, and the degree of dispersion; the permeability, leveling, and drying properties of the ink; the influence of the substrate for printing and so on.
If you are looking for glossy ink of silicone base,please contact us for free sample.We have glossy silicone XG-399-3,XG-399-2,etc for you.They have different application in textile.
It has excellent flowability,superb soft hand feel.It's best ink for high density screen printing.
Glossy ink product picture for reference:
Light fastness
Light resistance refers to the ability of the ink to not change its color under fluorescent light. The light fastness of the ink indicates the degree of fading or discoloration of printed matter under light exposure. Although the ink with strong light resistance is exposed to sunlight for a long time after printing, the degree of fading and discoloration of the printed matter is small; the ink with poor light resistance is easy to fade and discolor the printed matter, and even the color will completely fade. In the grading of ink, grade 8 is the least prone to fading and discoloration, and the light resistance is the best. The light fastness of the ink mainly depends on the pigment. The light resistance of the ink has no effect on the printing process, and is mainly related to the use process of the printed matter.
Heat resistance
Heat resistance refers to the ability of the ink to not change its color when heated. Strong heat resistance indicates that when the printed matter is heated to a higher temperature, the ink will not change color. The heat resistance of ink mainly depends on the type and performance of pigments and binders. Some pigments not only change color when heated, but even change.
Chemical
This performance refers to the ability of the ink to remain unchanged in color and performance under the action of acid, alkali, water, alcohol or other solvents, and is also known as the chemical resistance or resistance of the ink. The ink has strong chemical resistance, and the color and ink properties will not change under the action of acids, alkalis and other substances. The chemical resistance of the ink is determined by the type and performance of the pigment and the binder, and is related to the state of the combination of the pigment and the binder, and is related to the stability of the ink.
