|
|
|
|
The Orthophthalate Story: Orthophalates have been used for several decades as the main plasticizers in PVC compounds. There are dozens of orthophthalates used today and they give different properties, e.g. cure speed, permanence and viscosity. PVC textile inks have been used by the screen printing industry for the last 20 years or so and these normally contain one of these orthophthalates. Now some of these plasticizers are being looked at by the European Governing bodies as potentially carcinogenic. Most of the evidence comes from a study done about ten years ago on laboratory rats, that caused liver and kidney tumors at high exposure levels. The study was done on Dioctyl Orthophthalate (also called 2-ethlyhexyl phthalate) or DOP. Most plastisol compounders like QCM company stopped using DOP many years ago when the study was first published. Strangely enough DOP is still required for use in many medical applications. This is a case of one technical body (the FDA) not agreeing with another technical body (the EPA). QCM company has elected to manufacture SIX of it's major screen printing ink lines using no orthophthalates at all - the WOW, the LFP, the QMX, the AP, the HS, and the OPC lines.
These lines contain a proprietary type of plasticizer, which is easily metabolized by the body and does not accumulate in the kidneys or liver. It also has biodegradable properties, which has benefits in the disposal (land-filling) of cured PVC inks. Please call Roy Wheeldon at Technical Services for more information : 1-800-321-0170.
|
|
To include your company on our mailing list for future newsletters and announcements, please send e-mail to : assist@qcminks.com for Technical Questions/Quality Issues please e-mail: josh@qcminks.com for International Enquiries please contact : roy@qcminks.com
for COLOR SEPARATIONS/ARTWORK/PHOTOSHOP/ILLUSTRATOR/4-COLOR/SIM-PROCESS questions, email to Colin Huggins: colin@qcminks.com
|
