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The difference between water-based ink and soy ink

Date: Sep 03 2024  From: Star Color   

1. Soybean oil binder :
   • Soybean oil : accounts for about 60%, with natural vegetable oil as the core raw material, which has good stability and regeneration.
   • Auxiliary binders : accounting for about 20%, usually including other vegetable oils (such as linseed oil) or resin materials (such as rosin-modified phenolic resin, epoxy resin, etc.), used to improve the fluidity and adhesion of ink.
   • Antioxidants : They account for a very small proportion, approximately between 0.1% and 0.5%, and are used to prevent soybean oil from oxidizing and deteriorating during storage and use.
2. pigment :
   • Accounting for about 15%, pigments are the main colorants of soy inks and can be organic or inorganic pigments.
3. additive :
   • Desiccant : 0.5% to 1%, used to accelerate the drying process of ink.
   • Dispersant : 1% to 2%, helps pigments disperse evenly in ink.
   • Filler : 0.5% to 1.5%, used to adjust the consistency and fluidity of the ink.
   • Lubricant : 1% to 2%, improves the smoothness of ink during printing and reduces friction.

1. Water-based polymer emulsion : usually water-soluble acrylic resin or other water-based resin, accounting for 35%, as the main film-forming substance of ink.
2. Water : 15%, acts as a dispersion medium to evenly disperse pigments and other ingredients.
3. Pigments : 35%, similar to soy ink, used to color the ink.
4. Solvent : 5%, used to adjust the viscosity and drying speed of the ink.
5. Alkaline substances : accounting for 5%, are used to adjust the pH value of the ink and ensure that the pigment is stably dispersed in water.
6. Additives : accounting for 1% to 3%, including surfactants, stabilizers, preservatives, etc., used to improve the printing performance and storage stability of ink.

From the perspective of formula composition, the main difference between soy ink and water-based ink lies in their binders and dispersion media. Soy ink uses soybean oil as the main binder, supplemented with other vegetable oils and resins, and improves the performance of the ink by adding desiccants, dispersants, fillers and lubricants; while water-based ink uses water as the main dispersion medium, combined with water-based polymer emulsions, pigments, organic solvents and alkaline substances.

1. Renewability and biodegradability :
   • Soybean oil is an edible oil that is widely available and renewable. Soy ink uses soybean oil as its main raw material, which means that it consumes a renewable resource rather than finite fossil fuels during its production process.
   • After decomposition, soybean ink can be completely integrated into the natural environment, has good biodegradability, and reduces long-term pollution to the environment.
2. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions :
   • Soy ink emits significantly less volatile organic compounds (VOCs) than traditional petroleum-based inks. VOCs are one of the important sources of air pollution and are harmful to human health and the environment. Soy ink’s low VOCs emissions help improve air quality.
3. Health effects :
   • Since soy ink has low VOCs emissions, it has less impact on the health of production operators during use. In addition, soy ink is non-toxic and harmless, reducing the health risks of those who come into contact with it.
4. Resource conservation and recycling :
   • The manufacturing and use process of soy ink helps reduce dependence on non-renewable resources such as petroleum, promotes the industrial use of vegetable oils, and expands the application range of vegetable oils.
   • Discarded soy ink residues are easy to degrade, which is beneficial to sewage treatment and the control of discharged water quality. At the same time, soy ink can be backfilled and mixed with new ink, reducing production costs and promoting the recycling of resources.

1. Low VOCs emissions :
   • The main medium of water-based ink is water, so its VOCs emission is very low or almost no VOCs emission. This helps to reduce air pollution and improve the working environment.
2. Safe and non-toxic :
   • Water-based ink is safe, non-toxic, harmless, non-flammable and non-explosive, and produces almost no volatile organic gas, which improves the safety of the working environment and protects the health of operators who come into contact with it.
3. Environmental regulations compliance :
   • As environmental regulations become increasingly stringent, water-based inks are becoming increasingly popular due to their excellent environmental performance. They meet multiple environmental standards and regulatory requirements, helping companies reduce environmental risks.
4. Printing effect and stability :
   • Water-based ink has good printing adaptability and stability, and can meet various printing needs. At the same time, its printed products are bright in color, high in gloss, and have good visual effects.

• Biodegradability : Soy ink excels in biodegradability, and although water-based ink is also environmentally friendly, it is not as good as soy ink in this respect.
• VOCs emissions : Both have the characteristics of low VOCs emissions, but soybean ink has lower VOCs emissions.
• Health impact : Both have little impact on human health, but soy ink has more advantages.
• Sustainable development : The raw material vegetable oil of soy ink is renewable, while the fossil raw material of water-based ink is not renewable.

1. Drying speed :
   • Soy inks dry more slowly than conventional inks. This is mainly due to the slow penetration of soybean oil-based inks, which results in a relatively long drying time for the ink on paper.
2. Printing Quality :
   • Soy ink has good printing quality, good ink transferability, good ink absorption in the solid part, and uniform ink color in the bright part.
3. Color performance :
   • Soy ink has a wide range of colors, rich and bright colors. Due to its good fluidity and colorability, soy ink can show bright and stable color effects.
4. Environmental protection :
   • Soy ink is an environmentally friendly ink that uses renewable soybean oil as raw material and has good biodegradability. At the same time, soy ink has low VOCs (volatile organic compounds) emissions and has less impact on the environment and human health.
5. Economical :
   • Although the average price of soy ink may be higher than that of traditional ink, it has advantages in terms of pigment usage, volatile organic compound usage, and printer cleaning costs. Overall, soy ink may be more economical in terms of printing costs.

1. Drying speed :
   • The drying speed of water-based ink is relatively fast, which mainly depends on the dispersion medium (water) used and the drying method.
2. Printing Quality :
   • Water-based ink has good printing quality and can achieve fine printing effects. Its viscosity, color and other properties can be optimized by adjusting the ink formula and printing conditions to meet different printing needs.
3. Environmental protection :
   • Water-based ink is an environmentally friendly ink that uses water as a dispersion medium, reducing VOCs emissions. At the same time, water-based ink has less impact on the environment and human health during use, meeting the requirements of environmental regulations.
4. applicability :
   • Water-based ink has good printing suitability for all kinds of paper and generally does not have the problem of poor adhesion. This makes water-based ink widely used in many fields such as packaging printing and book printing.
5. stability :
   • The pH value control of water-based ink has an important influence on its printing performance. Usually, the printing performance and stability of the ink can be ensured if the pH value is controlled within a certain range (such as 8.0-9.5) 

1. High-quality printing : Soy ink is suitable for printed materials that require high clarity and high color reproduction, such as brochures, posters, packaging materials, etc.
2. Application in specific fields : Soy ink also has unique advantages in situations where laser resistance, water resistance and chemical resistance are required, such as in the production of anti-counterfeiting labels, special packaging, etc.
3. Paper compatibility : Soy ink has good compatibility with a variety of papers, including different types of paper and cardboard, which can meet the needs of different printed products.

1. Wide range of printing fields : Water-based ink is widely used in many industries such as paper, plastic woven, plastic film, etc. It can be used to print various papers (such as kraft paper, coated paper, thermal paper, etc.), woven bags (such as cement bags, feed bags, etc.) and plastic packaging products (such as vest bags, clothing bags, etc.).
2. Food packaging : Since water-based ink does not contain toxic substances, it is particularly suitable for printing food-grade products such as paper plates, paper cups, and napkins.
3. Special printing requirements : Water-based inks are suitable for prints that require fast drying, high color saturation and water resistance.

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