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Home / News / Industry News / Carbon Black Viscosity Too High in Ink Systems? Insufficient Dispersion May Be Why
Industry News
Solventborne & UV Inks · Carbon Black Dispersion · QT-24000
In solventborne coatings, UV coatings, and all kinds of ink systems, if carbon black and organic pigments are not sufficiently dispersed, insufficient colour development, high viscosity, and poor storage stability can easily result. Using a polymeric dispersant can improve the wetting and dispersion efficiency of pigments, improve viscosity reduction, and give colour pastes more excellent tinting performance and processing stability.
1
High-surface carbon black difficult to disperse
Pigment agglomerates easily, grinding efficiency is low, and tinting effect is hard to develop.
2
System viscosity too high
Insufficient dispersion causes colour paste viscosity to rise, affecting processing and application.
3
Insufficient blackness and tinting strength
Non-uniform carbon black dispersion causes blackness to decline and hue to become unstable.
4
Poor packaging ink stability
Re-coarsening and settling during storage affects print quality.
Why Extending Grinding Time Is Not Enough
Extending grinding time or increasing equipment shear force can improve dispersion to some degree, but energy consumption is high, the improvement for high-surface carbon black is limited, and production efficiency may be impacted. By contrast, using a polymeric dispersant to improve pigment wetting and de-flocculation capability is more effective for reducing system viscosity and improving colour paste stability and tinting performance.
QT-24000: Polymeric Dispersant for Solventborne and UV Systems
QT-24000 is a polymeric dispersant suitable for solventborne (including UV) coatings and ink systems, with excellent wetting and dispersion capability for carbon black and organic pigments. The product is especially suitable for dispersion of high-surface carbon black in packaging inks, can improve grinding efficiency, and has a good viscosity-reduction effect — maintaining good system flowability. It also helps achieve a more uniform and stable colour paste, improving tinting effect and product storage stability.
| Carbon Black Dispersion | Excellent wetting and dispersion capability for high-surface carbon black — reduces grinding difficulty and production cycle time |
| Viscosity Reduction | Improves system flowability, maintaining lower viscosity even at high pigment content |
| Colour Development | More uniform dispersion supports better blackness, tinting strength, and colour consistency |
| Storage Stability | Helps achieve a more stable colour paste, reducing re-coarsening and settling tendency |
| Application Scope | Suitable for solventborne and UV coatings and ink systems, especially packaging inks |
For solventborne coatings, UV coatings, and packaging inks, excellent pigment dispersion is an important foundation for ensuring product quality. Selecting a suitable polymeric dispersant can not only improve carbon black and organic pigment dispersion efficiency, but also reduce system viscosity, improve tinting effect and storage stability, and provide a reliable dispersion solution for inks and coatings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is high-surface carbon black particularly difficult to disperse compared to standard grades?
High-surface carbon black — such as channel black or fine furnace black grades — has a very large specific surface area (often 100–1,500 m²/g) and strong inter-particle van der Waals attraction. The enormous surface area means far more dispersant is required per unit mass to achieve adequate surface coverage, and the strong attractive forces between particles make mechanical shear alone insufficient to achieve stable de-agglomeration. A polymeric dispersant that adsorbs strongly and provides steric stabilisation is the most effective approach.
Can QT-24000 also be used for organic pigments beyond carbon black?
Yes — it has excellent wetting and dispersion capability for both carbon black and organic pigments in solventborne and UV systems. For specific organic pigments with unusual surface chemistry, a trial evaluation at the target pigment loading is recommended to confirm the optimal dosage and performance outcome.
