Binders - giving printing ink its hold

Binders provide the basis of every printing ink. Owing to the highly specific and important functions that they perform, they could even be regarded as the most critical component. These substances serve to bind the pigments and provide adhesion to the substrate. They ensure the necessary viscosity (or flow) as a requirement for transfer of the ink from the press to the substrate, and they also contribute to the gloss, drying speed and resistance properties of an ink. Many liquid inks today are based on polyamide resins. They are readily pigmentable, smear-resistant, flexible and exihibit good weathering and aging.

With our Versamid^® range, we at Cognis are able to offer our customers basic components for the manufacture of inks for flexo and gravure printing. Versamid^® products are high-performance, alcohol-soluble and co-solvent soluble polyamide resins. They offer excellent pigment-wetting properties, affording formulators improved gloss, better colour development and exceptional transparency in their ink formulations. These features, plus outstanding block resistance and high solids capabilities, make Versamid^® an ideal resin choice with all the versatility required to a converter's specific demands.

    
            
Monomer used in the manufacture of polyamide