Printing industry is an indispensable part of human life. With the continuous development of technology, people want to solve the problem of printing pollution, and improve the competitiveness of enterprises.

 

Nowadays, engineers are solving problems by developing and using new materials (structural materials with excellent performance and functional materials with special properties). Here are some new materials that can be used in printing industry.

 

1. Nanomaterials

 

Nanomaterials have unique size structures, which give them basic physical effects such as size effect, surface and interface effect, quantum tunneling effect, etc.. These effects give nanomaterials special optical, electrical, magnetic, thermal and mechanical properties, which can make them popular in many fields.

 

Nanomaterial has the advantages of high resolution and low cost. It can be used in printing inks, printing paper and screens.

 

Ink

 

Nanoparticles can improve coloring power, stability and wear resistance by adding them into ink due to their fineness and good surface wettability.

 

Make screen

 

People develop a nano green sheet preparation technology that does not require electrolytic oxidation. This technology prints nano-composite transfer materials directly onto the surface of a super-hydrophilic sheet with a special structure through green screenmaking equipment, thereby eliminating pollution in the production process.

 

2. Sustainable materials

 

Sustainable development is increasingly becoming a consensus among people, which has also promoted the development of sustainable printing.

 

Sustainable materials can be used in environmentally friendly inks, biodegradable substrates, green printing equipment, etc.. Widespread use of sustainable materials can reduce environmental pollution, improve resource utilization and make green production come true.

 

Types

 

There are some types of sustainable materials, such as recycled paper, wood-free paper, plant-based inks, bio-based degradable plastics, natural fiber composites, etc..

 

Features

 

Sustainable materials have the features of easy decomposition, good printing performance and excellent durability. These materials can promote the circular economy, and reduce the waste of resources.

 

Sustainable materials have other advantages. For example, wood-free paper and recycled paper are usually cheaper than traditional paper, which can reduce corporate costs. Companies using sustainable materials can improve their brand image.

 

3. Smart Printing Materials

 

With the development of science and technology, people do more researches of smart printing materials. Smart printing materials are materials that have specific functions through physical, chemical or biological means. There are some types of them.

 

Color-changing printing materials

 

Color-changing printing materials refer to materials that can change color under specific conditions, among which the most common is thermochromic material. Thermochromic material is widely used in anti-counterfeiting, temperature indication and decoration.

 

Besides, there are optical color change, chemical color change, sunlight color change, ultraviolet fluorescence color change, infrared excitation color change, etc..

 

Conductive printing materials

 

Conductive printing materials refer to materials with conductive properties, which are made by adding conductive nanoparticles or carbon materials. These materials have excellent conductive properties, and can be used to manufacture electronic devices such as flexible displays, touch screens, and smart sensors.

 

Self-cleaning printing materials

 

Self-cleaning printing materials refer to materials that can self-clean. They are not easy to stain, which can be achieved through mechanisms such as photocatalysis, super-hydrophobicity and anti-fouling.

 

Photocatalytic materials can make self-cleaning by degrading organic matter adsorbed on the surface through free radicals generated under light conditions.

 

Super-hydrophobic materials have good water repellency, and stains are difficult to adhere to, thus getting the purpose of self-cleaning.

 

Anti-fouling materials make anti-fouling and self-cleaning by adding antibacterial agents or bactericides to inhibit growth of bacteria and microorganisms.

 

Functional multi-layer printing materials

 

They are composite materials made by stacking materials with different functions. By combining different materials, you can get various properties.

 

For example, by stacking thermochromic materials with conductive materials, materials with dual functions of color change and conductivity can be prepared.