What is soy ink?

Date: Aug 22 2024 From: Star Color

With the increasing global attention to environmental issues, all walks of life are seeking green and sustainable solutions. The printing industry, as a traditional and important industrial field, is also facing the pressure of transformation. Against this background, soy ink came into being, and with its unique environmental protection characteristics and superior performance, it is gradually becoming the new favorite of the printing industry.

What is soy ink?

Soy ink (SOYBEAN OIL INK) is an ink made from soybean oil as the main raw material. It is a truly environmentally friendly ink. It is not only renewable and degradable, but also can reduce the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during the printing process, which is more friendly to the environment and human health.
Compared with traditional inks, soy ink has bright color, high concentration, good gloss, better water adaptability and stability, friction resistance, and drying resistance.

What is soy ink?

The development of soy ink
In the late 1970s , due to the soaring oil prices, people urgently needed a printing ink raw material that could replace resin. It is said that after trying more than 2,000 vegetable oil solutions, soybean oil was finally determined as an alternative ink solvent. In
1987 , a company in Iowa, USA, began to print with soybean ink;
in 2004 , soybean ink became the main printing oil for American newspapers. In order to promote soybean ink, the United States also established the "National Soybean Ink Information Center" in 1993; in
2005 , soybean ink was successfully used in large quantities worldwide.

The core ingredient of soy ink is soybean oil, a natural oil with good renewability and biodegradability. At the same time, soy ink also combines multiple ingredients such as resins, solvents and pigments, and undergoes precise processing technology to ensure the superiority of its printing effect. Bright color, high concentration and strong stability are all the remarkable characteristics of soy ink. More importantly, it conforms to the concept of sustainable development and has made a positive contribution to environmental protection. The

American Soybean Association has made specific regulations on the soybean oil content in inks, requiring that the soybean oil content in thermosetting offset rotary inks shall not be less than 10%, offset single-sheet inks shall not be less than 20%, and foaming inks shall not be less than 40%. If the product meets this standard, it can be affixed with the Soybean Association logo to indicate that the product has met environmental protection requirements.

The development of soy ink

Advantages of soy ink
Environmental protection : Soybean ink is made by lightly purifying soybean oil and mixing it with additives such as pigments and resins. Using vegetable oil to replace petroleum reduces the use of fossil raw materials and eases the shortage of earth resources. In addition, soybean ink requires less volatile organic substances, which reduces air pollution. Soybeans are a renewable resource, and its degradation rate is also four times that of traditional inks.
Economical : Soybean ink is purer than petroleum extracts, which also reduces the cost of ink. Soybean ink can be 15% more ductile than ordinary inks, further reducing the amount of ink used and significantly reducing printing costs.
Good printing effect : Soybean ink has a wide range of colors, rich and bright colors, and a small amount of ink can show the effects that a large amount of traditional ink can show. It has excellent fluidity and colorability, high transparency, bright colors, and is not easy to fade, which can be suitable for a wide range of color printing.
Conducive to energy security : The petroleum that traditional inks rely on is a fossil raw material and is non-renewable. The soybean oil in vegetable inks is taken from nature, renewable, and biodegradable. It has incomparable advantages over traditional inks in terms of resource utilization and environmental protection.

Wide application of soybean ink
Magazines and newspapers : Soy ink is widely used in the printing of high-quality magazines and daily newspapers because it can provide bright colors and good gloss.
Books : Many publishers choose soy ink to print books to reduce the impact on the environment and enhance the visual effect of the books.
Advertising and promotional materials : Including flyers, posters, brochures, etc., these materials usually require attractive color expression, and soy ink can meet this demand.
Packaging materials : Food packaging, cosmetics packaging, etc., soy ink is not only environmentally friendly, but also has good durability and water resistance

Wide application of soybean ink

Comparison with traditional inks

characteristic	Soy ink	Traditional solvent ink
Element	The main ingredient is soybean oil, a renewable resource.	The main ingredients are mineral oil or solvents, which come from non-renewable resources such as petroleum.
Environmental protection	The VOCs generated during the production process are relatively small, have little impact on the environment, and are biodegradable.	A large amount of VOCs are generated during the production process, which causes certain pollution to the environment.
Printing quality	Provides vivid, saturated colors with high gloss and good adhesion.	Color expression and glossiness vary by brand and type.
Drying speed	Slightly slower drying	Fast drying speed
Health and Safety	The VOCs content is low, which has less impact on human health and provides a safer working environment.	Higher VOCs levels may lead to decreased air quality in the working environment.
cost	The initial cost may be slightly higher, but it is more economical in the long run.	The cost is lower, but may face higher maintenance costs and environmental regulations.
Application Areas	Suitable for a wide range of printing applications including magazines, newspapers, books, packaging materials, etc.	It is also suitable for a variety of printing applications, but has limitations in some high-end or special needs.

As a representative of environmentally friendly printing, soy ink is leading the green transformation of the printing industry with its unique advantages and potential.
Soy ink is renewable, harmless, easy to recycle, and resistant to abrasion, light and heat. It has a wide range of colors and has better effects than traditional inks in the same amount. It is easy to deink and it is easier to deink waste printed materials during recycling than traditional inks, with less damage to paper and better degradation of waste residue after deinking. This reflects the environmental value of soy ink.

What is soy ink?

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