Pigment Blacks for Lithographic Printing Inks - Cabot Corporation

Web offset ColdsetNewspaper ink for printing by web offset dries by penetratinginto the paper stock. This process utilizes thin ink films andtherefore ink strength is critical. This can lead to higher than idealpigment black loading which can adversely affect ink rheology.Generally, intermediate to high structure blacks seem to bepreferred due to their ease of dispersion, in addition the largeaggregates associated with high structure blacks tend not topenetrate the surface of the paper, thus maximizing jetness andprint mileage. In cases where rheology or rub-off are more critical,lower structure blacks may be used either in blends with or in placeof the higher structure blacks.BLACK PEARLS 460/ELFTEX 460Series of pigment blacks with varying OAN values at essentiallyequal surface area. Provides a high level of jetness with gooddispersion properties.BLACK PEARLS 430/BLACK PEARLS 450/ELFTEX 430Low structure black providing good rub resistance and flowproperties.AddressesEuropeCabotInterleuvenlaan, 15 iB - 3001 LeuvenBELGIUMTel: +32 16 39 24 00Fax: +32 16 39 24 44Latin AmericaRua do Paraíso, 148 - 5th floorParaíso CEP 04103-000 São Paulo SPBrasilTel: +55 11 2144 6400Fax: +55 11 3253 0051Customer Service:Tel: 0800 195959North AmericaCabot CorporationBusiness and Technical Center157 Concord RoadBillerica, MA 01821-7001USATel: +978 663 3455Tel: 800 462 2313 (Technical Service)Fax: +978 670 7035 (Technical Service)Tel: 800 526 7591 (Customer Service)Middle East/AfricaCabot Specialty Chem. Inc.Jebel Ali Free ZoneLOB 15, Office 424DubaiUNITED ARAB EMIRATESTel: +971 4 8871 800Fax: +971 4 8871 801Pacific/AsiaCabot Specialty Chemicals, Inc.Level 21, MNI Tower 211, Jalan Pinang50450 Kuala LumpurMALAYSIATel: +60 3 2164 8352Fax: +60 3 2162 0253ChinaCabot (China) Limited558 Shuangbai LuWujingShanghai, 201108 CHINATel: +86 21 6434 7766Fax: +86 21 6434 5532CB/LITHO.INKS/02.06/EMB.IM/08.03/FRCARBON BLACKSPigment Blacks for Lithographic Printing InksBLACK PEARLS 160/CSX 156Blue tone extender pigment black with good dispersion properties.Larger particle size black, offering high loading opportunities.Ink Testing ProtocolFormulationCarbon BlackMillbase 40% 35% OriginVarnish 1 62.60 65.00 77.61Varnish 2 48.40 53.00 59.70Plasticiser 9.00 9.00 8.96Black Pigment 80.00 70.00 53.73Total 200.00 200.00 200.00Fluffy: 15 minPellets: 30 minMillbase mixedto constantmacrodispersion(>10µm)PremixThree Roll MillMillbase (35-40% CB)LetdownVehicle / AdditivesVehicle / AdditivesLetdown 40% 35% OriginVarnish 2 183.33 141.67 73.88PKWF 6/9 26.19 20.24 10.55Wax Compound 34.92 26.98 14.07Total 244.44 188.89 98.50Cabot representatives can provide you with data reflecting test results for the grades of your interest. Please call them for furtherdetails on Cabot’s product line. Notice and Disclaimer. The data and conclusions contained herein are based on work believed tobe reliable; however, Cabot cannot and does not guarantee that similar results and/or conclusions will be obtained by others. Thisinformation is provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only. No guarantee or warranty as to this information, orany product to which it relates, is given or implied. CABOT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDINGMERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AS TO (i) SUCH INFORMATION, (ii) ANY PRODUCT OR (iii)INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY INFRINGEMENT. In no event is Cabot responsible for, and Cabot does not accept and herebydisclaims liability for, any damages whatsoever in connection with the use of or reliance on this information or any product to whichit relates. © Cabot Corporation, MA, U.S.A. All rights reserved 2006.Ink (18% CB)% CB 18.00 18.00 18.00Tack Rheology Color OD Gloss LithotronicPrinted to 1.8 µmwww.cabot-corp.com/printinginksBLACK PEARLS ® , ELFTEX ® and REGAL ® are registered trademarksof Cabot Corporation. CSX is a trademark of Cabot Corporation.

Pigment Blacks for LithographicPrinting InksThis brochure is intended to help you select the most appropriatepigment blacks for lithographic printing inks. Being such an importantcomponent of black printing inks, pigment blacks must be carefullyselected by type and grade in order to yield optimum performance ina specific ink system.It explains which pigment blacks are suitable for which lithographicapplications, and why. In addition, performance analysis is includedto assist you in this selection process.Selecting a pigment black foryour application■ Offset InksThis category may be separated into three sub-categories,web offset heatset, sheet-fed offset and Web offset coldset.Web offset heatset inks are used in the printing of magazines.Sheet-fed inks are used for printing both commercial and packagingapplications and web offset coldset is used for printingnewspapers.REGAL 350R/350A120/ELFTEX 220/225• Low viscosity• Strong blue tone and good dispersion• High glossWeb Offset Heatset / Sheet-fed OffsetPreparing and incorporatinga pigment black■ What is optimum dispersion of pigment black?Jetness and gloss are generally expected when coated papersare used. Depending on the color properties desired, primarilylow structured pigment blacks are applied in higher quality offsetink applications.REGAL 400/400R• Oxidized furnace black• Superior dispersion• Good stabilityFor a better understanding of pigment blacks, it is important toconsider the question of dispersion. An ideal dispersion of pigmentblack would be the condition in which all agglomerates are brokendown into primary aggregates, each primary aggregate is separatedfrom every other aggregate, and the surface of each aggregate iscompletely covered by vehicle or resin.ELFTEX 410/ELFTEX 415• Provides superior dispersability• High jetness with exceptional gloss• Excellent lithographic balance in IPA and non IPA fountainsolutionsIt is important to note that primary aggregates are the characteristicunits of pigment black and are not broken down further under normaldispersion conditions. The process of achieving this ideal conditionmay be thought of as involving several steps.Although dispersion is often thought of as one continuous process,looking at it as a number of sub-processes can lead to betterunderstanding and control. At the end of each stage, tests can thenbe carried out and any corrections made before further work takesplace.The production process includes four stages:1. the pigment black must be thoroughly "wet-out" or incorporatedin the vehicle by displacing occluded air;2. it is necessary to apply sufficient energy to break up pellets,if a pelleted form of black is being used;3. pigment black agglomerates must be broken down into theirconstituent primary aggregates by applying sufficient energy toovercome the attractive forces holding them together;4. each separated primary aggregate must absorb sufficientvehicle to completely cover its available surface.REGAL 250R/250A117/ELFTEX 320/325• Low viscosity• Excellent gloss and blue tone• High loading possibleThe b* value represents the blue undertone,as measured with the CIELAB coordinates.The L* value represents the strength of the black(jetness), as measured with the CIELAB coordinates.In all graphs, performance improves from chart center.In addition, it is essential that the appropriate dispersant or otheradditive be used to ensure the stability of the system.