Printing Inks

Croda is the name behind some of the world's biggest brands providing practical environmentally minded solutions to the problems of everyday life.

Croda's Speciality business includes products suitable for a wide range of printing ink types. Plasticisers, emulsiers and dispersion aids are vital adjuncts to any printing ink formula aiding flexibility, adhesion and consistency of the ink. Additives to aid fountain solutions and cleaning of screens, plates and rollers.

The Crodamide range of fatty acid amides can be used within the inks industry to enhance the properties of printing inks. Crodamides are primarily used in flexographic inks, gravure inks and offset lithographic inks. They are also useful in some magnetic, typewriter ribbon, carbon paper and metal decorative inks.

Croda’s range of phthalate-free plasticisers act as lubricants for the rigid resin molecules.  The plasticiser penetrates between the molecules of the resin, allowing them to slip over one another and thereby imparting flexibility to the dried ink film. They are usually non-volatile solvents which remain in the ink after drying. Inks that dry by evaporation, particularly on flexible, non-porous substrates, tend to be brittle and are more prone to cracking.

Croda’s extensive ranges of ethoxylated vegetable oils and fatty alcohols are recommended as replacements to the traditional nonyl phenyl ethoxylates (NPEs) which have commonly been used.
The product range includes:
Slip & anti-block

• Improve slip
• Improve anti-block
• Improve surface finish
• Increase resistance to abrasion and scratching
• Increase hydrophobic nature of the ink

Emulsifiers & stabilisers

• Wetting of pigments
• Consistency of colour
• Improve flow
• Act as water-in-oil and oil-in-water emuslifiers and stabilisers

Dispersants, wetting aids and solubilisers

• Promote dispersion in oil/resin matrix
• Improve ink flow and  colour consistency

Plasticisers

• Enhanced print gloss
• Increased thermal stability
• Improved adhesion to difficult surfaces
• Greater flexibility
• Improved resistance to blocking
• Replacement of phthalates