Application Of Polyethylene Wax In Ink Industry

Polyethylene wax is also called wax powder. As an important paint and ink additive, it is not only used in solvent-based paints and inks, but also used in water-based paints and inks. The effect of polyethylene wax depends on the following factors: the variety and specification of polyethylene wax, the final particle size, the ability to migrate to the surface of the coating and the composition of the coating, the nature of the substrate to be coated, the method of construction and application, etc. High temperature should be avoided when polyethylene wax is added to coatings or inks, because polyethylene wax will dissolve in the solvent at high temperature, and precipitate out during cooling to form larger particles.

The performance of polyethylene wax:
1. Anti-precipitation, anti-sag, thixotropy. Orientation of metallic pigments. Polyethylene wax dispersed in aromatic and aliphatic solvents can increase the anti-settling properties of coatings and inks, and it also shows varying degrees of thixotropy, sag resistance, and positioning of metallic pigments.

2. Anti-adhesion. Some workpieces, such as wooden or metal objects, often need to be stacked in a short period of time after coating, and the advancement of printing technology also requires ink to avoid smearing of printed matter. Polyethylene wax can prevent sticking and smearing caused by the accumulation and overlapping of production or prints.

3. Anti-scratch, anti-wear, anti-polishing, anti-marking. One factor to improve anti-friction and anti-scratch is to reduce the friction coefficient of the coating surface, so that when the object touches the coating surface, the sliding tendency is greater than the scratching tendency. It exists in the form of finely dispersed particles on the surface of the coating. Only a small amount is required to achieve scratch resistance. The use of micronized waxes in printing inks can significantly improve the abrasion resistance of the inks.

4. Good extinction. When used in matting coatings, its dosage is within the same range as the amount of silica, which has an effective matting effect. The magnitude of the matting effect depends on the particle size of the dispersed polyethylene wax and the ability to migrate to the surface of the paint film. As a matting agent, its outstanding advantages are: excellent transparency, smoothness, soft appearance, chemical inertness, non-precipitation, scratch resistance, abrasion resistance, stain resistance.