Soy ink facts for kids
Soy ink is a special type of ink made from soybeans. Unlike regular inks that use petroleum (oil from the ground), soy ink is better for the environment. It also helps paper get recycled more easily and can make colors look very bright. One thing to know is that it takes a bit longer to dry than other inks.
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How Soy Ink Started
In the late 1970s, newspaper companies were looking for new ways to make ink. The old way used petroleum, which was getting expensive. Also, there were problems getting enough oil from some countries. The Newspaper Association of America wanted to find a cheaper and more reliable way to print.
Finding a New Ink
Researchers tested over 2,000 different plant oils. They finally found that soybean oil worked best! In 1987, a newspaper called The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) tried printing with soy ink. It worked very well.
Today, about one-third of all newspaper printers in America use soy ink. More than 90% of daily newspapers use color soy ink. You can also use ink made from rice bran oil as an alternative.
Promoting Soy Ink
In 1993, the Iowa Soybean Association created the National Soy Ink Information Center. Their goal was to encourage people to research and use soy ink. This center also created the SoySeal mark. This mark helps people know if a product meets the basic rules for soy ink. The center closed in 2005 because soy ink was already very successful. Now, the American Soybean Association manages the SoySeal mark.
How Soy Ink Is Made
To make soy ink, soybean oil is cleaned a little bit. Then, it's mixed with pigment (the color), resins (sticky stuff), and waxes. Even though soybean oil is edible, soy ink is not safe to eat. This is because the colors and other things mixed in are the same as those used in petroleum inks. So, it's not 100% biodegradable.
Environmental Benefits
Studies show that soy ink breaks down almost twice as well as inks made from soy oil and petroleum resins. It breaks down more than four times better than regular petroleum inks. Soy ink is also great for paper recycling. It's much easier to remove from paper during the de-inking process than regular ink.
Soybeans don't always need a lot of water to grow. They also leave less farm waste than other crops. Soy ink also has low levels of VOCs. VOCs are chemicals that can cause air pollution. Using soy ink helps keep our air cleaner.
Brighter Colors and Savings
It's possible to make very bright colors with soy ink. This is because clearer soybean oil is available. When the oil is clearer, less color pigment is needed to get the same bright effect. This can make the ink cheaper to produce. Scientists are even working on making soybean oils even clearer!
Some printers say they use less ink when they print with soy ink. Soy ink can spread about 15% further than petroleum inks. This means less ink is used, and it can save money on cleaning the printing machines.
Newspapers often use soy ink, especially for color printing. It helps create sharper and brighter images. Color soy inks are also very competitive with petroleum-based inks. They might cost a little more at first. However, they save money over time because you use less ink and have lower cleaning costs. This makes them a good choice for printers. Soy inks also work well for printing labels. They can reduce the amount of ink needed by a lot compared to water-based inks.
Challenges with Soy Ink
One main problem with soy ink is that it takes longer to dry. This is because it doesn't have as many fast-drying chemicals (VOCs). This can be a challenge for some printing presses. It's especially true for those that print on shiny, coated papers, like magazines. On these papers, the ink can't soak in as quickly as it does on rough newspaper paper.
New Drying Methods
Companies are now looking into new ways to dry ink, like using UV light. This process dries ink much faster. It also uses less energy and doesn't release any VOCs. However, this new method needs different printing machines. As of 2006, it wasn't widely available for smaller printers.
Environmental Concerns
Soy-based inks come from soybeans. In the past, growing soybeans was sometimes linked to deforestation in Brazil (cutting down forests). This also caused a lot of greenhouse gas emissions. However, efforts are being made to make soybean farming more sustainable.
