Environmentally Aware Printing – Alcohol in fount solvents
Environmentally Aware Printing – Alcohol in fount solvents – 8th Feb 2010
The other area of concern is the presence of isopropyl alcohol in the litho fount solution and its evaporation into the pressroom during use. As with so many other ‘environmental issues’, the origins of the search for replacements for isopropyl alcohol in the fount solution had nothing to do with health and safety or protecting the environment. Like vegetable oil-based inks, it started with the oil crisis in the early 1970s.
The need to try and eliminate isopropyl alcohol began in 1974 when the first Arab oil embargo placed a server restriction on supplies. The resulting panic triggered a tremendous research effort on the part of suppliers as well as academic organisations like the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF).
Many approaches to replacement were based upon surfactants that would improve the wetting of the plate. Others utilised higher molecular weight alcohols and alkyl glycols which could be used at very low concentrations and, due to their low vapour pressure, did not evaporate so much into the atmosphere and did not need regular replenishment.
As is usually the case, the crisis stimulated a lot of research into the basics of the lithographic process, especially into the interaction between the ink, press and fountain solution, not only did the industry gain more understanding into the mechanism of alcohol’s beneficial properties but some of the negative contributions to damping were seen more clearly.
With easing of the restrictions on alcohol supply, the vast majority printers returned to their normal alcohol consumption. However, the supply industry, seeing new opportunities to utilise these technologies to establish a new niche market, continued to develop the fountain solutions that would eliminate or at least reduce alcohol requirements in continuous damping systems. But the marketing thrust was now on economics, safety and print quality.
Peter Harrison is Joint Managing Director of The Printing House Ltd,
and Print Buying Direct of Crewe, Cheshire, UK.
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For more information on printing and graphic design please see some of our recent blog articles;
- Environmentally Aware Printing – Citrus-based washes
- Environmentally Aware Printing – Chemicals in the pressroom
- Environmentally Aware Printing – Getting rid of empty ink containers – 3rd February 2010
- Environmentally Aware Printing – Disposing of inks
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