NMR spectroscopy, polymer motion, and “Tack” of model printing inks

Polymer motion in solution and in model printing inks (as measured by NMR spectroscopy) was compared to the “tack” or tensile stress developed in the splitting of thin fluid films. For model inks based on polyisobutene, at constant pigment content, increasing the polymer content caused polymer motion to slow down, and caused the tack to increase. At constant polymer content, increasing the pigment level had much less effect on polymer motion. At 20% pigment content, tack values were little different from those of the corresponding polymer solutions. This suggests that the tensile stress developed in an ink film as it splits is related to the motion of its polymeric ingredients, but is much less dependent on the concentration of dispersed solid pigment.