The Importance of Inorganic Pigments in Ink

In the field of ink production and application, inorganic pigments are the core component, and their performance directly determines the quality and applicability of ink. Different printing processes and usage scenarios have put forward diverse requirements for inorganic pigments used in ink, covering multiple key aspects such as color expression, physical properties, chemical stability, etc.

1、 Excellent color performance
Brightness and coloring power are important indicators for measuring the quality of inorganic pigments. Inorganic pigments with high coloring power can impart rich colors to inks with minimal usage, reducing production costs while ensuring bright colors in printed materials. For example, the cobalt blue, cobalt green, copper chromium black, titanium chromium brown, titanium nickel yellow and other series of metal oxide mixed phase pigments produced by Hunan Jufa Pigment have excellent coloring power. With only a small amount of addition, the ink can present a good effect. In addition, the color stability of inorganic pigments is also crucial. Under different printing conditions and environments, pigments need to maintain a stable color to ensure the consistency of printed colors. Like cobalt blue, it can stably present a unique blue tone in any printing process, without significant color shift due to environmental factors.

2、 Good dispersibility
The dispersion degree of inorganic pigments in ink directly affects the rheological properties and printability of the ink. If the pigment is unevenly dispersed, it can lead to ink clumping, decreased fluidity, and problems such as color spots and stripes during printing. Therefore, inorganic pigments for ink need to have good dispersibility and be able to be uniformly dispersed in the ink medium. By surface modification of pigments, such as adding dispersants and surface coating, the agglomeration force between pigment particles can be effectively reduced, the dispersion stability in ink can be improved, and the ink can be smoothly transferred during the printing process, ensuring the quality of printed products.

3、 Excellent physical stability
Lightfastness is one of the key physical properties of inorganic pigments in ink applications. Outdoor printed materials, such as billboards, posters, etc., are exposed to sunlight for a long time. If the pigments have poor light resistance, they are prone to fading, which affects the visual effect and information transmission. For example, the pigments produced by Hunan Jufa Pigment have excellent light resistance, and outdoor advertisements printed with ink made from them remain bright and vibrant even after prolonged exposure to sunlight. In addition, inorganic pigments also need to have good weather resistance, able to resist the erosion of natural environmental factors such as rainwater, sandstorms, and moisture, and maintain the long-lasting brightness of printed colors. Meanwhile, appropriate particle size and shape can also affect the physical stability of pigments and the performance of inks. A smaller and more uniform particle size can help improve the fluidity and printing clarity of inks.

4、 Stable chemical stability
Ink may come into contact with various chemicals during storage and use, so inorganic pigments need to have good chemical stability. Firstly, it is necessary to have acid and alkali resistance. In ink systems and printing environments with different acidity and alkalinity, it should not undergo chemical reactions with other components and maintain stable performance. For example, pigments such as cobalt blue, cobalt green, and titanium chromium brown have excellent acid and alkali resistance and can adapt to various ink formulations. Secondly, inorganic pigments should have good solvent resistance, and under the action of organic solvents in ink, they should not dissolve or swell, ensuring the stability of ink performance. In addition, for inks used for special purposes such as food packaging, inorganic pigments must also meet strict hygiene and safety standards, contain no harmful substances, and not pose a threat to human health.

The above provides a detailed introduction to the product characteristics required for inorganic pigments used in ink. If you would like to know the specific types of pigments corresponding to different characteristics, or explore their application points in actual production, please feel free to communicate with our company at any time.