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Position: HOME > Ink Knowledge > Ink Pedia
Date: Jul 10 2024 From: Star Color
UV ink and water-based ink, as two mainstream ink types, each possess unique characteristics and application scenarios. UV ink is primarily characterized by its fast curing, applicability to various substrates, high adhesion, and relatively higher price. In contrast, water-based ink prioritizes environmental protection. As two dominant ink types in modern printing industry, they each exhibit distinctive advantages and characteristics in terms of curing methods, environmental performance, application features, and applicable fields. The following is a more detailed comparison between these two inks.
I. Curing Methods
UV Ink:
Curing Mechanism: The curing of UV ink is a photochemical reaction process reliant on the exposure of ultraviolet (UV) light. When the ink is exposed to UV light of a specific wavelength, photosensitizers (such as photoinitiators) within the ink absorb light energy, rapidly triggering a polymerization reaction that crosslinks monomers and oligomers into a high-molecular-weight network structure, thereby achieving curing.
Curing Speed: UV ink cures extremely fast, typically within seconds, significantly enhancing printing efficiency, especially suitable for high-speed printing lines.
Equipment Requirements: Since UV ink requires UV light for curing, printing equipment must be equipped with dedicated UV curing devices, increasing equipment complexity and cost.
Water-Based Ink:
Curing Mechanism: The curing of water-based ink primarily relies on water evaporation and the curing effect of resins and other curing agents. As water evaporates, resins and other components in the ink gradually cure, forming a stable ink film.
Curing Speed: Compared to UV ink, water-based ink has a slower curing speed, requiring certain time and temperature conditions. This may lead to lower efficiency in high-speed printing but remains acceptable in specific applications like flexographic or gravure printing.
Equipment Requirements: Water-based ink has relatively lower requirements for printing equipment, eliminating the need for specialized curing devices, thus reducing equipment and maintenance costs.
II. Environmental Performance
UV Ink:
VOCs Emissions: UV ink generates almost no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during curing, minimizing environmental pollution.
Waste Disposal: After curing, UV ink forms a stable high-molecular-weight network structure, resistant to solvent dissolution, which may require special treatment like incineration or landfilling for waste disposal. However, due to its low VOCs emissions, the environmental impact of waste disposal is relatively small.
Energy Consumption: The curing of UV ink consumes electricity to generate UV light, leading to certain energy consumption during use.
Water-Based Ink:
VOCs Emissions: Water-based ink uses water as a solvent and contains almost no organic solvents, resulting in virtually no VOCs emissions during use, posing minimal harm to the environment and operator health.
Waste Disposal: Waste disposal of water-based ink is relatively simple since its primary components are water and biodegradable resins, allowing for treatment through sewage systems or recycling.
Environmental Regulations: With increasingly stringent global environmental regulations, water-based ink is gaining more attention and favor due to its outstanding environmental performance.
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Huizhou ZhongZhiXing Color Technology Co., Ltd. is a food grade water-based ink manufacturer specializing in the production of environmentally friendly inks such as flexographic printing ink, uv flexo ink,gravure printing ink, water-based varnish, etc
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