Ink Solvents
Overview
Hydrocarbon solvents used in the graphic arts, resin, and allied industries must have key performance characteristics like excellent solvency, narrow boiling range, low odor, and consistent quality.
Solvency
Solvents, as the name implies, offer solvency to inks and are used to dissolve pigment and vehicle into a solution that's able to be easily applied to paper.
Narrow Boiling Range
Solvents used in the ink world have low boiling points and evaporate quickly after application. In the printing world, consistent and predictable solvent evaporation is critical, and printers prefer solvents with a narrow boiling range.
Low Odor
For a solvent to perform well as a carrier for ink, it must have a small amount of aromatic content. These aromatic molecules boost solvency but also produce certain odors that are not conducive to the printing industry. A right balance of aromatic and non-aromatic hydrocarbons is needed to ensure the proper function of a solvent while also not being overbearing to the senses.
Consistent Quality
Solvents used in the printing industry must possess the properties mentioned above, but they also have to be reliable and consistent. Our MaxSol® line of specialty hydrocarbon solvents, for instance, has been designed to exacting specifications and we maintain strict quality control at every point in the manufacturing, transportation, and storage processes.
Ink Solvent Products
MaxSol®
MaxSol specialty solvents are hydrotreated to improve color and odor characteristics while keeping desired solvency. MaxSol products exhibit consistent evaporation rates and are low in both sulfur and wax content. Used in lithographic paste inks and flushed color pigments, MaxSol is also a strong candidate for use in metalworking fluids and the allied industries.
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