Consumables

Offset inks without cobalt from hubergroup

Friday 09. June 2017 - Globally the demand for ecologically optimised products is growing. Brand owners are responding by intensified efforts to not only optimise their products, but also the packaging and other print products with respect to sustainability. In order to document the achievements in protecting environment and resources, a growing number of print products are nowadays awarded with eco-labels from governmental and non-governmental organisations.

Some eco-labels require a waiver to use certain substances in the production process. Use of cobalt compounds, which promote oxidative drying of printing inks as a catalyst, are generally regarded critically in the award criteria.Because of this, ink manufacturer hubergroup was among the first to develop a cobalt-free siccative system for oxidatively drying sheetfed inks. These cobalt-free inks have been supplied as an alternative, with characteristics, colour distances and printability remaining unchanged. Due to less increase in pile-temperature during the oxidative drying phase, the drying performance has even improved with the new siccative system, showing a clear optimization with regard to drying kinetics. Rub and carboning properties have thus benefitted. Having been in use for more than three years, every single application has confirmed this success.

It is because of these positive results that the parallel production of both siccative systems is being discontinued, and all sheetfed offset printing inks from hubergroup will be available from now on in a cobalt-free formulation only. Hubergroup thus fulfils its corporate responsibility as a printing-ink manufacturer by strengthening the sustainable development of print products and promoting certification by any of the eco-labels.