Value-added ground work of polyester film forming co-binder for flexographic solvent based printing inks

Abstract

A new series of hyperbranched polyester-type polymers were synthesized from a variety of comonomers like adipic acid, 1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylic anhydride, phthalic anhydride, trimethylolpropane, glycerol, trimellitic anhydride and citric acid using dibutyltin oxide as catalyst according to two steps one pot A2+B3 approach by solution polymerization with a fixed monomers ratio. The consequential polymers were brittle, soluble in ethanol, ethyl acetate and methylethylketone. The prepared polymers were utilized as a novel film forming co-binder with nitrocellulose for solvent based printing inks application. The physico-chemical characteristics were confirmed by FT-IR, GPC and acid value as well as hydroxyl value determinations. The mechanical and optical properties of the produced inks printed film were evaluated. The results show that the overall properties of the inks are of promise quality for use as co-binder resins for solvent based printing inks with 50 % partial substitution in formulation.