Petroleum-based inks emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air causing respiratory problems. They also contain heavy metals that can contaminate soil and groundwater.
Vegetable-based inks are manufactured using various vegetable oils mixed with some petroleum oil. The oils, whether vegetable or petroleum, are used to adjust both the tack and viscosity of the ink. Vegetable-based ink is environmentally preferable over Petroleum-based for several reasons: vegetable oil is a renewable resource; to the degree that vegetable oil displaces petroleum oil, it reduces released contaminates and VOC’s; and depending on the substrate, vegetable oil is easier to remove from paper during the de-inking process, which makes recycling easier and results in less hazardous waste.
Soy-based inks are also manufactured using various vegetable oils mixed with some petroleum oil. The distinction is that to be labeled “Soy-based”, the ink needs to contain a minimum percentage of soybean oil, as specified by the American Soybean Association (www.soygrowers.com). For instance, “Soy-based” ink for sheet-fed products must contain at least 20% soybean oil.
Vegetable-based / Petroleum-free inks are the most environmentally preferred. These inks even further reduce contaminants, VOC’s and hazardous waste in our environment by limiting the amount of petroleum oil in the ink to less than one percent. One manufacturer of such ink is Toyo. Their series that is Vegetable-based and Petroleum-free is called “Hy Plus 100”, which is used for the printing of the FORUM magazine.
Do you have any questions about paper, ink or printing processes in the environmental age? Post a question to get your answer!
Biodiesel is vegetable oils, animal oils and recycled cooking oils made into diesel. Because of the hiking prices in petroleum oil, biodiesel has been gaining more and more popularity in the recent years.
Posted by: HenrryWilson | December 10, 2008 at 12:47 AM
how can we use the cassava for making ink?
Posted by: ron | January 29, 2009 at 02:48 AM