INX Validates Deinkable Ink to Aid European Recycling

Recent testing performed on energy curable ink technology from INX International Ink Co. is good news for European brand owners and stakeholders looking for solutions to their sustainability and recycling efforts of paper products.

Available through its subsidiary, INX Europe, INXCure LW-ECO EU OSF Process inks are formulated for high-end sheetfed applications and contain bio technology materials. These inks displayed excellent deinkable properties as demonstrated by superior scores with the INGEDE Method 11 deinking test, which is widely used by the paper industry.

Developed by INX R&D and Sakata INX R&D, the four process inks – Black, Cyan, Magenta and Yellow – can be printed on a wide variety of coated and uncoated paper stocks, in addition to coated board stocks, foil stocks and metalized paper. The 100% reactive inks cure for printing at maximum press speeds by using multiple types of UV lamp technologies, including LED bulbs and new ozone-free additive lamps, for use on presses from leading manufacturers Heidelberg, KBA, Komori and Manroland.

“For quite some time, INX has produced printing ink solutions with a focus on responsibly sourced, renewable raw materials that don’t hinder the recycling process,” said Peter Lockley, president of INX Europe. “As part of our Coloring a Safe and Sustainable Future (CSSF) model, we support a circular economy in regards to products and process design for the environment and social responsibility. Considering the recent developments that have impacted paper recycling, it is absolutely essential to have a new inkset like this in the marketplace.”

Timing of the INXCure LW-ECO EU OSF Process inks rollout coincides with the INGEDE Symposium held in Munich on March 9. The international association of the deinking industry, INGEDE was founded 33 years ago to deal with the challenges of recycling waste paper. Paper is a sustainable raw material, but it remains recyclable only if the printing inks and adhesives can be removed during the recycling process.

Symposium discussions centered on how the importance of having paper available for recycling purposes is greater than ever. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began two years ago, the amount of newspaper and advertising flyer printing decreased dramatically due to a reliance on electronic communications. In Europe, nearly all newsprint is made with paper recovered from printers and households, as well as copy and hygienic paper such as paper towels and toilet paper, says INGEDE’s Axel Fischer.

“There is no material that can be recycled into more or less the same product within such a short time as paper,” he said. “Today’s newspaper can be collected, sorted, deinked and used as the raw material for another newspaper within less than two weeks. Thus, paper must stay sustainable, recyclable and therefore deinkable, as long as it is white and not packaging.”

The INGEDE Method 11 tests that the INXCure LW-ECO EU OSF Process inks successfully passed were performed using both coated and uncoated paper. Yuji Matsuzawa, INX Europe R&D manager – Energy Curable Systems, said the final test on uncoated paper was performed last December. It scored 99 on a 100-point scale as outlined in guidelines established by the European Paper Recycling Council.

“The deinkable process consists of detaching the ink film from the paper, fragmentation of the ink into a suitable size, and removing the ink from the pulp slurry,” he noted. “Screening and centrifugal cleaners are used in the process. Small particles are usually removed by washing, and medium-sized particles are removed by flotation, which is the main technique used for the deinking of graphic papers. The effectiveness of the flotation process is also influenced by the process chemistry, ink hydrophobicity, and possibly the rigidity of the ink particles.”

Additional testing revealed the INXCure LW-ECO EU OSF Process inks exhibit good rub and abrasion resistance, responsive density control with a wide water window, and a quick return to color after press shutdowns.