Soy Inks: Facts about Soy Ink and Toner

Soy ink is now being used by some companies to manufacture printing inks. These ones are made out of soybeans and are said to be more environment-friendly than petroleum-based inks that most homes and businesses are making use of. Just like the printer inks and toner that you know of, soy inks are available in vibrant colors. Additionally, they make it easy for you to recycle your printing papers. Soy inks have also been favored because it does not dry out as fast as other printer inks sold in the market.

The search for soy ink started in the later part of the 1970’s. This was the same period when the Newspaper Association of America (NAA) was looking for better means to produce ink instead of depending on petroleum-based ones. Together with 2,000 other vegetable oil formulas, NAA researchers found out that soybean oil is best in ink production. The Gazette of Iowa was the first to use this printing ink option in 1987.

More Facts on Soy Ink and Toners

Six years after its printing run for Iowa’s the Gazette in 1987, the National Soy Ink Information Center was founded. This was due to the efforts of the Iowa Soybean Association which was then pushing more researches for the viability of soy inks and toners for printing. The SoySeal mark was also created by the team to make sure that certified products are identified by consumers. Certified products pass the basic requirements for the manufacture of these printing inks.

During the year 2004, there were already about 95% of daily newspaper companies making use of the soy inks and toner. A year after, the National Soy Ink Information Center closed knowing that sufficient researches have already been made for these products. The use of the SoySeal is now under the care of the American Soybean Association.

Production Facts on Soy Ink and Toners

Soy ink oil is processed following some steps in the production. Even if the soybean oil is said to be an edible type of vegetable oil, the corresponding soy ink produced from the extract is not edible. Here are some facts to take note of in this product’s manufacture:

1. Blending. To make soy ink from soybean oil, it is first blended with some products such as pigment, waxes and resins. The blending of the vegetable oil with these compounds makes the output a non-edible one.

2. Result of the blending process. Due to its binding with additives, soy ink is said to be not 100% biodegradable. These compounds are also found in petroleum-based inks.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Soy Ink – A Look at Environmental Issues

Soy ink and toner cartridges are beneficial to a lot of people. It aids in paper recycling since the ink can easily be removed from the printout media. Take note however that these easily removable soy inks are those that are not commercially sold in the market.

Another advantage of these printing inks is seen in its naturally clearer solution. This makes it easier to achieve brighter colors for the ink. This eliminates the need for pigmentation thus making the ink cartridges cheaper than other versions in the market. Recent technologies in soy ink researches make the output even clearer. Now, these products are highly favored because they are sure to produce the right and sharp colors for printed media.

But, there are also some drawbacks with the use of soy inks. First, it is not well-suited for all aspects of printing. They cannot be used for your personal printers or in the production of ballpoint pens. Some printing presses find the product challenging because it dries slowly. For example, it will take a lot of time for magazines to have the soy ink dry up on their coated and glossy pages. Furthermore, production of the ink from a single crop may lead to crop disease epidemics.

Despite the drawbacks, a lot of people see the advantages of making use of soy ink over petroleum-based ones. More people recognize the fact that it eliminates some of the hazards in the environment. Lessening the compounds added to the product will make the output more eco-friendly.