ISSN : 2583-2646

Pigment Dispersion Science in High-Speed Inkjet and Flexo Inks

ESP Journal of Engineering & Technology Advancements
© 2025 by ESP JETA
Volume 5  Issue 3
Year of Publication : 2025
Authors : Jigarkumar Bhailalbhai Patel
:10.56472/25832646/JETA-V5I3P120

Citation:

Jigarkumar Bhailalbhai Patel, 2025. "Pigment Dispersion Science in High-Speed Inkjet and Flexo Inks", ESP Journal of Engineering & Technology Advancements  5(3): 151-157.

Abstract:

The physics of pigment dispersion is directly linked with the efficiency of the high-speed inkjet prints and flexographically (flexo) printing. The performance and desired chemical stability of pigments held in suspension by these inks become especially relevant as printing systems are strained to new speed systems, new specific resolutions, and to designs that are more sustainable. The article addresses physicochemical mechanisms, dispersion techniques, and applicable formulations of pigments in the mechanisms of stabilizing pigments in these new printing processes. The challenges of high throughput processes, the role of surface chemistry, particle continuum and medium interactions, as well as the role of dispersants, surfactants, and rheology modifiers are emphasized. An inkjet and flexo are compared in order to see the influence of formulation decisions on the print quality, nozzle performance, drying, and environmental impact. Improvements in the application of nano-politanisation and surface-modified pigments, and computational modeling of dispersion behaviour are also discussed. Recent literature is examined to provide experimental results in which formulation-performance correlations are illustrated. Lastly, sustainable approaches to pigment dispersion in the euphoria of sustainable chemistry, regulatory governance, and soaring prominence of bio-based and recyclable ink systems are taken into consideration.

References:

[1] Liu, S., Han, Z. and Luo, X., 2025. A comprehensive review on inkjet‐printed intelligent food packaging materials: principle, ink formulation, functional inks, and potential applications. Food Frontiers.

[2] Qi, X., Luo, J., Liu, H., Fan, S., Ren, Z., Wang, P. and Wei, J., 2025. Flexible strain sensors based on printing technology: Conductive inks, substrates, printability, and applications. Materials, 18(9), p.2113.

[3] Yamanaka, T., Tarutani, N., Katagiri, K., Inumaru, K., Takeoka, Y. and Masui, T., 2022. High heat resistance of the structural coloration of colloidal arrays with inorganic black additives. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 14(25), pp.29324–29330.

[4] Hakeim, O.A., Arafa, A.A., Zahran, M.K. and Abdou, L.A.W., 2014. UV-curable encapsulation of surface-modified organic pigments for inkjet printing of textiles. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 447, pp.172–182.

[5] Liu, Y., Chen, Y., Yan, H., Chen, J., Chen, H., Li, S. and Zheng, G., 2025. High-stability electrohydrodynamic inkjet printing based on double closed-loop fuzzy control. Scientific Reports, 15(1), p.25794.

[6] Kuang, X., Rong, Q., Belal, S., Vu, T., López López, A.M., Wang, N. and Zhang, Y.S., 2023. Self-enhancing sono-inks enable deep-penetration acoustic volumetric printing. Science, 382(6675), pp.1148–1155.

[7] Gallant, B.M., Holzhey, P., Smith, J.A., Choudhary, S., Elmestekawy, K.A., Caprioglio, P. and Snaith, H.J., 2024. A green solvent enables precursor phase engineering of stable formamidinium lead triiodide perovskite solar cells. Nature Communications, 15(1), p.10110.

[8] Korniejenko, K., Nykiel, M., Choinska, M., Jexembayeva, A., Konkanov, M. and Aruova, L., 2023. An overview of micro- and nano-dispersion additives for asphalt and bitumen for road construction. Buildings, 13(12), p.2948.

[9] Hakim, L., Deshmukh, R.K., Lee, Y.S. and Gaikwad, K.K., 2024. Edible ink for food printing and packaging applications: a review. Sustainable Food Technology, 2(4), pp.876–892.

[10] Wang, B., Li, Z., Wang, Y., Zhang, B., Lv, C., Bi, X. and Zhao, T., 2025. Eco-friendly dyeing of cotton fabrics with microbial pigments: Anionic modification for superior color, antibacterial, hydrophobic, and UV protection properties. Industrial Crops and Products, 223, p.120276.

[11] Sun, Y., Tong, Z., Yu, Y., Cheng, W., Li, Y., Zeng, S. and Yu, H., 2024. Solvent effects on carbohydrate transformation: insights into chemical pathway modulation. Green Chemistry, 26(12), pp.6900–6925.

[12] Wang, C., 2021. High-resolution direct ink writing of soft conductive materials. PhD. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

[13] Zhang, Y., Li, J., Song, X., Xu, C., Du, J., Miao, D. and Jiang, Y., 2025. Rheological behavior and storage stability study of liquid disperse dyes stabilized by polycarboxylate hyperdispersants. Journal of Molecular Liquids, p.128276.

[14] Lee, J.H., Kim, J.H., Hwang, K.T., Hwang, H.J. and Han, K.S., 2020. Formulation of a graft polymer-containing aqueous yellow ceramic ink for digital ink-jet printing. RSC Advances, 10(4), pp.2428–2436.

[15] Wang, P., Barnes, B., Huang, Z., Wang, Z., Zheng, M. and Wang, Y., 2021. Beyond color: The new carbon ink. Advanced Materials, 33(46), p.2005890.

[16] Jamaludin, L., Razak, R.A., Abdullah, M.M.A.B., Vizureanu, P., Bras, A., Imjai, T. and Yong, H.C., 2022. The suitability of photocatalyst precursor materials in geopolymer coating applications: A review. Coatings, 12(9), p.1348.

[17] Zhang, T., Xing, G., Chen, W. and Chen, L., 2020. Porous organic polymers: a promising platform for efficient photocatalysis. Materials Chemistry Frontiers, 4(2), pp.332–353.

[18] Muthamma, K., Gouda, B.M., Sunil, D., Kulkarni, S.D. and PJ, A., 2023. Water-based fluorescent flexo-ink for security applications. Chemical Papers, 77(7), pp.4033–4040.

[19] Roy, S., Vasudevan, R. and Chandrasekaran, S., 2025. A critical review of printed electronics and its application. Nanotechnology.

[20] Chan, K.F., Zaid, M.H.M., Mamat, M.S., Liza, S., Tanemura, M. and Yaakob, Y., 2021. Recent developments in carbon nanotube-reinforced ceramic matrix composites: A review on dispersion and densification techniques. Crystals, 11(5), p.457.

[21] Chen, Y.Y., Huang, K.T. and Huang, C.J., 2025. Polymerizable fatty acid surfactant: Encapsulation of organic pigments for excellent colloidal stability in aqueous solution and water-repellent property. Dyes and Pigments, 232, p.112488.

[22] Azani, M.R. and Hassanpour, A., 2024. UV-curable polymer nanocomposites: material selection, formulations, and recent advances. Journal of Composites Science, 8(11), p.441.

[23] Jalowy, L., Nemec, D. and Ilhan, O., 2025. Comparison of dispersing processes of bio-based and synthetic materials: A review. ChemEngineering, 9(2), p.36.

[24] Ahmed, K.A. and Ahmed, E.A., 2025. Fluorescent inks and their potential applications in textile printing. Journal of Industrial Textiles, 55, p.15280837241310890.

[25] Ahn, J., Lim, H., Ko, J. and Cho, J., 2024. Unlocking high-efficiency energy storage and conversion with biocompatible electrodes: the key role of interfacial interaction assembly and structural design. Energy Advances, 3(9), pp.2152–2174.

[26] Xie, Z., Wang, F., Li, J., Cui, N., Lu, L., Lu, H. and Qi, D., 2022. Nanoscale polymer encapsulated pigment hybrid latexes with high pigment content for binder-free pigment printing of cotton/polyester blend fabrics. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 654, p.130107.

[27] Deng, Y., Liu, Y., Zhang, D. and Cao, Z., 2025. A hybrid gradient boosting model for predicting longitudinal dispersion coefficient in natural rivers. Water Resources Management, pp.1–21.

[28] Fatimi, A., Okoro, O.V., Podstawczyk, D., Siminska-Stanny, J. and Shavandi, A., 2022. Natural hydrogel-based bio-inks for 3D bioprinting in tissue engineering: a review. Gels, 8(3), p.179.

[29] Zhang, R. and Sun, T., 2024. Ink-based additive manufacturing for electrochemical applications. Heliyon, 10(12).

[30] Naik, N., Sunil, D., Rao, A. and Nayak, R., 2025. Biopolymer-based carbon conductive inks for printed electronics: a comprehensive review. Polymer Bulletin, pp.1–26.

Keywords:

Pigment Dispersion, Inkjet Ink, Flexographic Ink, Surface Chemistry, Colloidal Stability.