hubergroup moves all sheet-fed offset printing inks to cobalt-free formulations

hubergroup said that, globally, demand for ecologically optimized products is growing, with brand owners responding by intensifying their efforts to not only optimize their products, but also the packaging and other print products with respect to sustainability. In order to document the achievements in protecting the environment and resources, a growing number of print products are nowadays awarded with eco-labels from governmental and non-governmental organizations. Some eco-labels require a waiver to use certain substances in the production process. hubergroup said the 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, hubergroup was among the first to develop a cobalt-free siccative system for oxidatively drying sheet-fed inks. These cobalt-free inks have been supplied as an alternative, with characteristics, color distances and printability remaining unchanged, it is claimed. Due to a lower 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, hubergroup said. Rub and carboning properties have thus benefitted.

Having been in use for more than three years, every single application has confirmed this success, and hubergroup said it is because of these positive results that the parallel production of both siccative systems is being discontinued, and all sheet-fed offset printing inks from it will be available from now on in a cobalt-free formulation only.