Abstract:
A non-petroleum base newspaper offset printing ink comprising a blend of Gilsonite (uintaite) flakes and tall oil fatty acid together with carbon black pigment. The proportions of the Gilsonite and the tall oil fatty acid may be varied, as viscosity requirements change due to differences in press speeds, newsprint characteristics, and the like. The ink thus has readily adjustable viscosity, together with an enhanced flow and penetration characteristics, while being extremely economical to manufacture.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     A continuation-in-part of applicant&#39;s earlier application Ser. No. 337,220, entitled PRINTING INK, filed Jan. 6, 1982, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 4,419,132 on Dec. 6, 1983. 
     The present application is restricted to offset inks and contains additional disclosure relating to an offset fountain water formulation. A companion application Ser. No. 556,493 entitled LETTERPRESS PRINTING INK was filed Nov. 30, 1983. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     Printing inks, particularly newspaper printing inks which have a non-petroleum base, which are environmentally acceptable while providing reduced misting with extra mileage and good quality. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Discussed in a PRIOR ART STATEMENT being submitted separately. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the present invention, a non-petroleum base offset ink is formulated from carbon black pigment and a blend of Gilsonite (uintaite) with tall oil fatty acid. The resultant printing ink provides an ink having enhanced viscosity, flow and penetration characteristics, while being exceptionally economical to manufacture. As a result, the ink is highly suitable for printing at contemporary press speeds, is quick drying and, thus, avoids the conventional problems of offset and &#34;strike thru&#34;. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present ink, having a non-petroleum base, is without dependence upon a diminishing petroleum supply, is environmentally acceptable and competitive in cost with the materials used in commercial letterpress and offset inks. 
     A typical formulation includes: 
     EXAMPLE I 
     
         ______________________________________ANPA-OFFSET NO. 275 INK______________________________________FA-1 tall oil fatty acids                   54.90%Gilsonite               23.53%Carbon black            21.57%                   100%______________________________________ 
    
     The acid fountain solution had a pH of 3.5-4.0 and was made from Varn Products Company concentrate. 
     FA-1 Tall Oil Fatty Acid (Arizona Chemical Company), is specified as follows: 
     
         ______________________________________              Speci-Product Characteristics              fication Typical lot______________________________________Color, Gardner, 1963               9 max            5Acid Value         190 min.          194Saponification Value                 197Iodine Value                         131Composition:Moisture, %                 Less than                                0.1Ash, %                      Less than                                0.001Rosin Acids, %     5.0 max           4.5Unsaponifiables %  3.0 max           2.7Fatty Acids Total, %                 92.8Fatty Acid Composition:Linoleic, Non-Conjugated, %          34Linoleic, Conjugated, %              9Oleic, %                             44Saturated, %                         5Other Fatty Acids, %                 8Specific Gravity, 25°/25° C.                                0.906Weight Per Gallon, 25° C., Lbs.                                7.53Viscosity, Gardner-Holdt, 25° C.                                AViscosity, SUS, 100° F.       100Flash Point, Open Cup, °F.    400Fire Point, Open Cup, °F.     440______________________________________ 
    
     Procedure: 
     FA-1 grade tall oil fatty acid is heated with ZECO 11 A grade Gilsonite from Ziegler Chemical Corporation at 300° F. After solution of the solid Gilsonite, the blend is cooled and filtered. After the blend is made, carbon black pigment in the form of Elftex 115 pellets, Cabot Corporation, is dispersed within the blend with a Morehouse Mill. The carbon black pellets were ground to a National Printing Ink Research Institute grindometer reading of one (1). Viscosity adjustment can be made by adding small amounts of the tall oil fatty acid as a final step, if necessary. 
     Gilsonite has been the subject of long-term animal studies which indicate that it is a non-toxic, non-carcinogenic organic substance. In accordance with Section 710.4 of the Toxic Substance Control Act, Gilsonite, as a naturally occurring mineral, is automatically included in the initial inventory. The Chemical Abstract Registry Number is 12002-43-6. 
     Elftex carbon black pellets are a product of Cabot Corporation, 125 High Street, Boston, Mass. 02110, with properties for printing ink applications described as follows: 
     
         __________________________________________________________________________TYPICAL PROPERTIES OF CABOT FURNACE PROCESSCARBON BLACKS FOR PRINTING INK APPLICATIONS                                  Oil (DBP)                   Surface Area                           Particle                                  Absorption                                           Tinting                                                 Volatile                                                      Fixed             Nigrometer                   (N.sub.2 S.A.)                           Size   cc/100 grams                                           Strength                                                 Content                                                      CarbonFluffy Pellets    Index m.sup.2 /gm                           Millimicrons                                  Fluffy                                       Pellets                                           Index %    %__________________________________________________________________________  ELFTEX ® Pellets             90    75      27     --   123  99   1.0  92.5  ELFTEX Pellets 115             90    66      27     --   115 100   1.0  92.5ELFTEX 8          90    85      27     103  --  100   1.0  99.0ELFTEX 12         93    45      37      95  --   73   1.0  99.0__________________________________________________________________________ The above data in no way constitute a specification or certification for any particular shipment or shipments, but simply represent typical values based on analyses of spot samples from actual recent production of these grades. MOGUL BLACK PEARLS, REGAL, ELFTEX, STERLING and VOLCAN are registered trademarks for carbon blacks manufactured by Cabot Corporation. 
    
     Physical characteristics of the ink formulations have been determined as follows: 
     
         ______________________________________Formulation %      Ink 275  53209     53213______________________________________FA-1         54.9       50.1      50.4Carbon 115   21.6       27.8      19.3Zeco 11A     23.5       19.9      21.6910 B Toner  --          2.2       2.1Bentone 12B  --         --         6.6TOTAL        100.0      100.0     100.0Viscosity, Brookfield        900 Poises 1000 Poises                             1000 PoisesMicrometer Tach (400 RPM)        4.0         3.5       3.25Flow Inches/Minute        0.75        0.2       0.2______________________________________ 
    
     Milori Blue 910 B is manufactured by Diacolor Division of Dainichiseika Color &amp; Chemicals and is described as follows: 
     MILORI BLUE 910 B 
     Beaded Form-Dustless 
     This product is recommended for use in Nitrocellulose, Polyamid, Quickset, Heatset, and Alkyd systems, where it offers high gloss, high speed dispersibility and low viscosity. Can be used for toning of heatset and quickset black inks. 
     
         ______________________________________Color Index - Pigment Blue 27 No. 77510CAS No. - 25869-98-1Physical Data:       Light Fastness:Specific Gravity       2.05     Full Strength  ExcellentPounds/Gallon      17.10     Reduced Shade  GoodOil Absorption      40.00pH          5.00Properties:          Bleed ResistantStability inAcid &amp; Alkali2% H.sub.2 SO.sub.4      Excellent Litho Varnish  Excellent2% NAOH    Poor      Mineral Spirits                               &#34;                Xylene         &#34;                Methyl Ethyl Ketone                               &#34;                Paraffin       &#34;Heat Resistance:130° C. - 30 min.      Very good Water          &#34;180° C. - 30 min.      Fair      Ethyl Alcohol  &#34;______________________________________ 
    
     Bentone 128 is a gellant product of NL Industries, Inc., Industrial Chemicals Division, P.O. Box 700, Hightstown, NJ 08520, with properties described as follows: &#34;a special montmorillonite clay that has been organically modified. This rheological additive is designed for non-polar printing inks and will also gel inks containing solvents of intermediate polarity (from &#34;Bentone 128-a rheological additive specifically designed for printing inks, DS-471, June 1978&#34;). 
     The foregoing Example I offset printing ink formulation may be employed with a tap water fountain, comprised as follows: 
     
         ______________________________________            Parts/100                   LBS (10 gal.)______________________________________Tap Water           100     83.4Gum Arabic         0.1 to 1.0                       --CaCl.sub.2         0.0581   0.0485AMWAY L.O.C.       0.025    0.02085Conductivity, Micromhos/cm. =              1500pH -               7.25______________________________________ 
    
     The Amway L.O.C. (Liquid Organic Cleaner), was manufactured by Amway Corporation, Ada, Mich., U.S.A., and is described as an all purpose liquid cleaner from a specially processed organic base derived from pure coconut oil. 
     BROOKFIELD VISCOSITY 
     The lower limit of viscosity and upper limit of flow have not been determined to date. The ink appears to have less strike-through even at low viscosities and at long flow length versus petroleum inks. 
     Principal advantages of the ink include the capability of printing at high press speeds, the low cost of formulation and the elimination of petroleum. The ingredient, Gilsonite, may be fed to animals and indeed, fatty acids are edible. 
     It is found that letterpress and offset inks having a viscosity in the range 20 to 1000 poises may be suitable. It appears that 1000 poises would be the upper limit for a printing ink when the inking cylinder actually contacts a reservoir of ink. Ink of such viscosity would be difficult to pump in some modern press usage. The ink viscosity is correlated, of course, to the density of the newspaper stock and the thickness of the page, as well as press speed. 
     Manifestly, various proportions of the Gilsonite and tall oil ingredients may be employed without departing from the spirit of invention.