Aquavexâ„¢ grades are aluminum pigment pellets designed for use in aqueous inks for flexographic and gravure printing. The pellets are composed of 80% aluminum pigment and 20% of a proprietary non-ionic surfactant/inhibitor carrier. Aquavexâ„¢ can be dispersed water or in a water/co-solvent blend. The inhibitor is effective at reducing the aluminum-water reaction in a broad range of waterborne ink resins. The surfactant/inhibitor system is compatible with many UV ink vehicles and the inhibitor provides stability for one pack UV ink formulations. The specific degree of stability is formulation dependent and each formulation must be evaluated for acceptable stability. High or excessive shear during processing will reduce the effectiveness of the inhibitor and should be avoided.
