Flexible Packaging Inks And Raw Materials Selection Process

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Flexible packaging has now become popular in various industries ranging from consumer products to industrial applications. Flexible applications. Both flexographic and gravure printing methods are used for flex flexible ible packaging printing. These two methods share the same raw materials; hence guidelines to select raw materials for the both printing methods are common. Review the guidelines to select raw materials such as waxes, surface additives, various resins as well as pigments for flexible packaging inks. By Terence Kenneth

Flexible Packaging Packaging Inks And Raw Materials Se Materials Selection lection Process

Flexible Packag Flexible Packaging ing Inks And And Raw Materials Materials Selection Selection Process Flexibl e packaging is printe Flexible p rinted d using both f lexographic and gravure printing methods methods and comprises and comprises a number number of  different end products. These would include but are not limited to packaging for: Confectionary Confectio nary products Cookies/biscuits Coffee Juice Food

Types of Flexible Packaging Inks From an ink point of view, inks for flexible packa packaging ging can be divided into surface printing inks and inks  and lamination inks. inks. For the most part, flexographic and gravure inks share the same raw materials, so for this matrix we will group both printing methods together.

Surface Printing Inks

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Surface printing inks must have reasonably: High gloss Excellent rub resistance and Resistance to a number of different external ele ments, such as Resistance solvents,, detergents and other materials that may come water, solvents into contact with the printed surface These inks typically use a protect protective ive overprint varnish to increase the surface resistance and to impart the desired C.O.F. and gloss. (See formulation example here)

Lamination Inks

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Lamination is the process of combining two or more substrates to form a tough packaging structure to hold and provide barrier protection for the contents. Lamination can be accomplished with adhesives (adhesive lamination) or with molten plastic (extrusion lamination) that acts to adhere the packaging films together. Lamination inks are typically sealed inside the lamination structure so that the ink surface is not exposed to the outside, however the inks must still exhibit excellent adhesion to the film on which they are printed and they must not interfere with the bonding of the lamination films. (See formulation example here)

The differences be tween surface printing inks and lamination inks are slight but important: Surface printing inks  are typically formulated with waxes that migrate to the surface of the ink film to provide rub, scuff and other resistance properties. They must also have good gloss, particularly if they are not to be overprinted. Lamination inks do not have the gloss requirements of surface inks but they do require ex cellent bonding ability to ensure that the lamination structure isn't compromised after manufacturing. They typically do not incorporate a lot of waxes or surface active ingredients as these can often interfere with lamination bonding. Common types of flexible packaging substrates  include: Biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) Cast polypropylene (CPP) Polyester (treated or coated) Nylon Cellophane Polyethylene (LLDPE/HDPE)

Raw Materials Used for Solvent-based Flexible Packaging Inks Additives and Their Functions

Raw Material

Function

Plasticizer (Phthalate or Benzoate)

Flexibility and some adhesive properties

Metal Chelating Agent

Adhesion, water resistance, heat resistance

Waxes

Rub and scuff resistance

Silicone Oils

Slip and tape release

Check Out More Additives for Solvent-based Inks

Select Waxes for Cold Seal and Hot S eal Flexible Packaging The primary waxes used are Polyethylene , Polypropylene  and Erucimide waxes, which are used to impart slip to the i nk surface. Raw Material

PE Wax

Erucimide/stearamide

PP Wax

Silicone

Rub resistance

Scratch

Slip

Water resistance

Gloss

Excellent

Excellent

Excellent

Poor

Moderate

Fair

Excellent

Excellent

Good

Fair

Excellent

Excellent

Excellent

Poor

Fair

Fair

Excellent

Excellent

Moderate

Excellent

PTFE

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Excellent

Excellent

Moderate

Moderate

Poor

Cold Seal Packaging Many temperature sensitive confectionary items (e.g. chocolate) are packaged and sealed using cold seal adhesives. These surface printed constructions consist of a surface printed ink and a cold seal release lacquer (CSRL), which prevents the printed ink from offsetting against the cold seal glue when in the printed roll. Inks for cold seal packaging should not be formulated with any kind of fatty amide (erucimide) or PFE waxes as these can "poison" the cold seal adhesive if left in contact with the adhesive for any length of time in the printed roll.

Heat Seal Packaging Both surface printed inks and lamination inks can also be heat sealed. In this instance a heat sealable film is used or a heat sealable coating is used to combine two films by applying heat to achieve the seal. Sealing temperatures and pressures can vary so when formulating these types of inks, it's important to know and test the inks under these sealing conditions. A typical sealing specification may be 350 degrees Fahrenheit for half a second at 40p.s.i. » Learn How Wax Emulsion Help Improve Properties of Inks

Select Resins for Flexible Packag ing Inks The typical resins used in solvent-based packaging inks  are listed in the table below. Each resin type shown can be combined with others to increase the overall performance of the inks, for example nitrocellulose  is often combined with polyurethane or polyamide resins. Raw Material Pigment wetting

Adhesion

Usage

Heat Resistance

Gloss

Nitrocellulose  resin

Excellent

Very good

Surface & lamination inks

Excellent

Excellent

Polyurethane  resin

N/A

Excellent

Surface & lamination inks

Excellent

Very good

 Alcohol soluble  Polyamide

Unsuitable

Good

Very good

Very good

 Hot melt  polyamide

Unsuitable

Excellent

Excellent

Excellent

Fair

Good

Excellent

Very good

Poor

Good

Good

Very good

Poor

Fair

Fair

Very good

Fair

Good

Very good

Very good

PVB

Acrylic

Ketone  Cellulose  Acetate  Propionate  (CAP)

Surface inks

Lamination inks

Surface & lamination inks

Surface inks

Surface inks

Surface & lamination inks

» View All Commercially Available Resins Suitable for Solvent-based Inks

Pigments & Their Function in Flexible Packaging Inks Raw Mate rial

Usage

Transparency

G loss/Bril liance He at Re si stance

Stabili ty

Organic Pigments

Surface & lamination inks

Excellent

Excellent

Moderate

Excellent

Inorganic Pigments

Surface & lamination inks

Fair

Very Good

Excellent

Excellent

Metallic Pigments

Surface & lamination inks Metallic pigments should be non-leafing types

Poor

Excellent

Moderate

Excellent

» Select Suitable Pigment Grade for your Solvent-based Ink Formulation

Ink Formulations for Flexible Packaging

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1. Flexographic Ink Formulation Surface Printing

Product

Parts by Weight

Nitrocellulose Resin

8.00

Ethyl Alcohol

16.00

Ethyl Acetate

3.00

PE Wax

1.00

Alcohol soluble Polyamide Varnish (40% solids)

22.00

NC Pigment Dispersion

50.00

Total

100.00

2. Gravure Ink Formulation for Lamination Printing:

Product

Parts by Weight

Ethyl Alcohol

13.00

Ethyl Acetate

6.00

Nitrocellulose Resin

3.00

Polyurethane resin

25.00

Benzoate plasticizer

1.00

Adhesion promoter

2.00

*NC based pigment Dispersion

50.00

Total

100.00

External links Find Today's Best Adhesion Promoters and Primers for Adhesives & Coatings Get Insider Knowledge to Better Sel ect your Additives & Solve your Coatings Formulation Issues... See how to f aster replace your solvent -- Video Tutorial

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