In the printing industry, ink cleaning is crucial for ensuring efficient equipment operation and print quality. Traditional ink cleaning agents are gradually being replaced by environmentally friendly alternatives due to concerns about high volatile organic compound (VOC) content, flammability, explosiveness, and residual pollution. The liquid cleaning agent developed by the Tsinghua team, with its unique formulation and technological innovations, has become an ideal cleaning solution for both domestic and imported web and sheet-fed offset printing presses. The following highlights its five lesser-known core advantages, encompassing cleaning efficiency, environmental safety, and process compatibility.
I. Molecular-Level Penetration: A "Dissolve-Strip" Dual-Action Mechanism that Increases Cleaning Power by 50%
Traditional cleaning agents rely on the strong solubility of organic solvents, but can easily damage delicate components such as rubber rollers and metal anilox rollers. Qinghua Liquid Cleaning Agent utilizes a bio-based surfactant + nano-scale penetrant system to achieve molecular-level penetration by reducing surface tension to below 25 mN/m (compared to approximately 35-40 mN/m in conventional cleaning agents).
Directional dissolution: The surfactant's hydrophilic groups encapsulate the pigment particles in the ink, while the hydrophobic groups bind to the resin, forming a water-washable micelle structure.
Mechanical exfoliation: The nano-penetrant (particle size <50 nm) penetrates deep into the micropores between the ink and substrate, disrupting adhesion through van der Waals forces and allowing residue to automatically fall off.
Experimental data shows that this cleaning agent is 50% more efficient at cleaning UV and solvent-based inks than traditional products, and can achieve a 98% removal rate for inks that have dried for more than 24 hours. Tests at a large printing company have shown that using this cleaning agent has extended roller replacement cycles by 30%, saving over 200,000 yuan in annual consumables costs.
II. Zero VOC Emissions: Environmental Performance Breaks Through Industry Bottlenecks
Traditional ink cleaning agents often contain over 30% aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, and xylene, making them the primary source of VOC emissions in printing workshops. Qinghua Liquid Cleaning Agent achieves zero pollution through three key technological innovations:
Bio-based raw materials: Isopropyl laurate, derived from plant oils, is the primary solvent, with a volatility only one-fifth that of traditional solvents and a biodegradability of >95%;
Phosphorus-free formula: Sodium gluconate is used as a chelating agent instead of sodium tripolyphosphate to prevent eutrophication;
Low-temperature catalytic process: Using molecular sieve adsorption technology, the cleaning agent can be regenerated at 40°C, reducing energy consumption by 60% compared to traditional distillation processes.
This product has passed SGS testing and complies with EU RoHS standards. After simple oil separation, the wastewater's COD (chemical oxygen demand) value can be reduced to below 100 mg/L, allowing direct connection to the municipal sewage network for treatment.
III. Intrinsically Safe Design: Redefining the Risk Level of Industrial Cleaning
Traditional cleaning agents are classified as flammable and explosive hazardous materials due to their low flash point (often <30°C), requiring storage in separate hazardous chemical warehouses. Qinghua Liquid Cleaning Agent achieves intrinsic safety through formula optimization:
No flash point: The main ingredient, isopropyl laurate, has a flash point >120°C, significantly exceeding the national standard requirement of >60°C.
Flame retardant: The addition of nano-aluminum hydroxide (5%) decomposes at high temperatures, absorbing heat and releasing flammable gases, effectively suppressing the spread of fire.
Fire extinguishing synergy: Experiments have shown that when sprayed on the surface of burning ink waste, this cleaning agent can reduce the temperature to below the flash point within 10 seconds, achieving an 80% fire extinguishing efficiency.
In a fire incident at a printing plant, operators successfully controlled the initial blaze using this cleaning agent, preventing significant damage. This characteristic makes it the preferred safety solution for high-risk printing workshops.
IV. Full-Scenario Adaptability: Seamless Flow from Manual to Automated Processes
To meet the diverse cleaning needs of printing equipment, Qinghua Liquid Cleaning Agent achieves full coverage through its physicochemical properties:
Adaptive Concentration: The stock solution can be used directly for manual cleaning, and even after dilution 5-10 times, it maintains high cleaning power, making it compatible with automated cleaning systems.
Temperature Tolerance: It operates stably within a temperature range of 10-80°C, meeting the requirements of both cold washes (e.g., UV inks) and hot washes (e.g., solvent-based inks).
Material Compatibility: It is non-corrosive to common printing press materials such as EPDM rubber, stainless steel, and ceramics. A 72-hour salt spray test demonstrated a metal component rust rate of <0.1%.
Users of imported rotary printing presses reported that using this cleaning agent reduced equipment failure rates by 40%, and reduced downtime due to cleaning from 8 hours per week to 2 hours.
V. Economic Revolution: Recycling Model Reduces Cost Per Bucket by 35%
Traditional cleaning agents are single-use products, but Qinghua Liquid Cleaning Agent achieves cost optimization through the following design features:
Concentrated formula: Active ingredient content reaches 85%, a 70% increase compared to conventional products (approximately 50%), and the cleaning area per bucket increases by 50%;
Recycling: After distillation and filtration of waste liquid, 90% of the cleaning agent can be recovered and reused over 10 times;
Intelligent Monitoring System: A companion turbidity sensor monitors cleaning fluid contamination in real time. When the ΔEab value (color difference parameter) exceeds 1.5, an automatic warning is issued to avoid excessive replacement.
A medium-sized printing plant calculated that after adopting this cleaning agent, annual cleaning agent purchases were reduced from 120 barrels to 78 barrels, waste liquid treatment costs were reduced by 60%, and overall costs were reduced by 35%.
A Paradigm Shift in Cleaning Technology for the Printing Industry
Qinghua Liquid Cleaning Agent redefines the technical standards for ink cleaning through five key innovations: molecular-level cleaning, zero pollution emissions, intrinsic safety, full-scenario adaptability, and economic recycling. This innovation is the result of a deep integration of materials science, chemical engineering, and environmental protection technologies. These include the targeted synthesis of bio-based surfactants, the precise control of nano-penetrants, and the synergistic effects of flame retardant additives. Each breakthrough embodies the wisdom of interdisciplinary research. With the advancement of green printing policies, this product is penetrating beyond high-end packaging printing into consumer sectors like book and label printing, becoming a key driver of sustainable development in the industry. In the future, with the further integration of intelligent monitoring technology and cleaning agents, cleaning management in printing workshops will enter a new era of automation and precision.
