Similar to chemicals such as Tripropylene Glycol Methyl Ether or Dipropylene Glycol Methyl Ether, Heptane is a product that is present in many consumer printing inks.
Solvents are often used for this purpose, especially if they have a slow evaporation rate.
Slow evaporation rates allow inks to dry slowly and last as long as possible, that is why chemicals like heptane are ideal for ink manufacturing in products like ballpoint pens, felt-tip pens, and printer ink.
Manufacturing Process
Heptane and other similar solvents are mixed with dyes during the manufacturing process to create the consumer ink that we all enjoy.
The dye that is created for the ink–whether it be printing ink or pen ink–is suspended in the solvent and they are both mixed together in large batches.
For pens, this means that the ink will be poured into an ink reservoir and attached to the body of the pen after all of the parts are created.
In the case of printer ink, cartridges must be constructed to house the ink.
The manufacturing process for printing ink depends on the type of printing ink that is being produced.
Ink for conventional printing involves a mechanical plate using the ink to transfer an image to the object being printed on, and digital non-impact printing, which deals with inkjets and electrophotographic technology.
Heptane is also utilized in rotogravure printing which involves engraving the image onto a cylinder that is then used to print the image onto the paper.
Gravure printing was formerly used primarily to print newspapers, and is still used for commercial printing of magazines and postcards.
Conventional Printing and Colored Inks
Heptane is involved more directly in the process of creating colored inks.
Black inks simply require carbon black, so Heptane is not necessary for its production.
Color inks require an organic pigment to be mixed with a type of oil.
The oil utilized is typically either soybean oil or a heavy petroleum based oil.
Heptane is the ideal solvent to be used in color ink, as it can be used to extract soybean oil, and it is derived from petroleum.
Other Common Applications
Heptane is often utilized in the process of manufacturing printer ink, but it also has many other applications.
Heptane can be found in outdoor stove fuel, rubber cement, and in paint coatings.
Heptane can also be applied in anesthetics, cements, compounders, lab reagents, organic synthetics, and solvents.
Like Hexane, Heptane can also be used to extract vegetable oils and soybean oil, which is a more cost-efficient and environmentally friendly method than using mechanical presses.
Pure Hexane or Heptane is not used to extract vegetable oils, but rather a mixture of isomers that comprise commercial grade Hexane or Heptane.
If you would like to purchase Heptane, please call (800)-563-1305 or shop online here.
The Benefits of Glycol TPM
/in Commodity Chemicals/by Industrial DegreasersWhat is Tripropylene Glycol Methyl Ether?
More commonly known as Glycol TPM, Tripropylene Glycol is a mixture of organic compounds that is typically utilized as a solvent industrially and in laboratories.
Benefits of Glycol TPM
Common Applications
Glycol TPM is commonly used as a solvent and a coupling agent in products like rust, varnish, and paint removers.
Industrial Applications
Tripropylene Glycol is utilized to manufacture many industrial products.
Glycol TPM is used as a solvent in the creation of ink for ballpoint pens, felt-tip pens, stamp-pads and printer ink-both digital and conventional.
Glycol TPM is also used to manufacture the ink in livestock markers.
Consumer Applications
Tripropylene Glycol Methyl Ether is an ingredient in many consumer products.
Glycol TPM aids in creating varnish remover, paint remover, and rust remover as a coupling agent and a solvent.
Glycol TPM and Penetrating Oils
Glycol TPM is used in the manufacturing of penetrating oils that are used to separate mechanical parts that have rusted together.
Glycol TPM is ideal for this application due to its low viscosity which enables it to coat the mechanical parts and remove the problematic rust.
Products like Glycol TPM that are utilized in penetrating oils are most often volatile.
This risk mixed with Tripropylene Glycol Methyl Ether’s slow evaporation rate means that penetrating oils with Glycol TPM should not be applied as a general lubricant.
Penetrating oils can also be used to remove adhesive stickers, lessen the friction on musical instruments with strings, household repair applications, and gardening applications.
Tripropylene Glycol is also applied to create hard surface cleaners used in everyday applications.
Safety and Handling
Glycol TPM is a volatile compound. Proper safety measures should be taken whenever utilizing the product:
If you would like to purchase Glycol TPM, please call (800)-563-1305 or shop online here.
Heptane In Printing Ink
/in Commodity Chemicals/by Industrial DegreasersSimilar to chemicals such as Tripropylene Glycol Methyl Ether or Dipropylene Glycol Methyl Ether, Heptane is a product that is present in many consumer printing inks.
Solvents are often used for this purpose, especially if they have a slow evaporation rate.
Slow evaporation rates allow inks to dry slowly and last as long as possible, that is why chemicals like heptane are ideal for ink manufacturing in products like ballpoint pens, felt-tip pens, and printer ink.
Manufacturing Process
Heptane and other similar solvents are mixed with dyes during the manufacturing process to create the consumer ink that we all enjoy.
The dye that is created for the ink–whether it be printing ink or pen ink–is suspended in the solvent and they are both mixed together in large batches.
For pens, this means that the ink will be poured into an ink reservoir and attached to the body of the pen after all of the parts are created.
In the case of printer ink, cartridges must be constructed to house the ink.
The manufacturing process for printing ink depends on the type of printing ink that is being produced.
Ink for conventional printing involves a mechanical plate using the ink to transfer an image to the object being printed on, and digital non-impact printing, which deals with inkjets and electrophotographic technology.
Heptane is also utilized in rotogravure printing which involves engraving the image onto a cylinder that is then used to print the image onto the paper.
Gravure printing was formerly used primarily to print newspapers, and is still used for commercial printing of magazines and postcards.
Conventional Printing and Colored Inks
Heptane is involved more directly in the process of creating colored inks.
Black inks simply require carbon black, so Heptane is not necessary for its production.
Color inks require an organic pigment to be mixed with a type of oil.
The oil utilized is typically either soybean oil or a heavy petroleum based oil.
Heptane is the ideal solvent to be used in color ink, as it can be used to extract soybean oil, and it is derived from petroleum.
Other Common Applications
Heptane is often utilized in the process of manufacturing printer ink, but it also has many other applications.
Heptane can be found in outdoor stove fuel, rubber cement, and in paint coatings.
Heptane can also be applied in anesthetics, cements, compounders, lab reagents, organic synthetics, and solvents.
Like Hexane, Heptane can also be used to extract vegetable oils and soybean oil, which is a more cost-efficient and environmentally friendly method than using mechanical presses.
Pure Hexane or Heptane is not used to extract vegetable oils, but rather a mixture of isomers that comprise commercial grade Hexane or Heptane.
If you would like to purchase Heptane, please call (800)-563-1305 or shop online here.
The Benefits of MEK
/in Commodity Chemicals/by Industrial DegreasersWhat Is MEK?
MEK, otherwise known as Methyl Ethyl Ketone or 2-Butanone, is an industrial solvent with a slow evaporation rate.
Benefits of MEK
Common Applications
MEK has many household and industrial applications. It is often utilized as in paint coatings due to its effectiveness as a solvent.
Industrial Applications
Industrially, MEK is utilized in the manufacturing of plastic, textiles, and paraffin wax.
Methyl Ethyl Ketone is used to manufacture adhesives like those used in the production of PVC pipes, and the manufacturing of pharmaceutical and personal care products such as antiseptics, anesthetics, lotions, and pharmaceutical drugs.
MEK is also utilized in powder coatings in the automobile and electronics industries.
Consumer Applications
On the household level Methyl Ethyl Ketone is often found in lacquer, varnish, lacquer thinner, paint remover, denatured alcohol, glues and adhesives, and dry-erase markers.
MEK is also used in the production of lubricating oil and magnetic tape.
The most uncommon application of MEK is not strictly industrial or commercially produced–it’s natural.
Methyl Ethyl Ketone is a natural ingredient in many popular consumer food products including honey, raw chicken, apple juice, beans, butter, and a variety of cheeses.
The amount of MEK that is present in these foods is negligible.
MEK and Acetone
MEK is especially common in most lacquer thinner with a similar function to acetone that yields a fast evaporation rate and produces a strong cleaning agent.
MEK is present in Ecolink’s Lacquer Thinner #48, as well as Toluene, Acetone, Glycol EB–or 2-Butoxyethanol.
Methyl Ethyl Ketone is often considered as a potential replacement for acetone, because the two substances have similar properties, but MEK is better suited for many applications for several reasons.
Methyl Ethyl Ketone is a stronger cleaning agent than acetone, because MEK possesses a higher boiling point and a slower evaporation rate.
MEK, unlike acetone, also forms an azeotrope with water, this means that MEK and water reach a constant boiling point.
Azeotropes are useful when distilling moisture in certain applications, because the water is absorbed by the Methyl Ethyl Ketone.
Safe Use and Handling
Practice optimal safety when using MEK as it can be toxic under some circumstances:
If you would like to purchase MEK please call (800)-563-1305 or shop online here.
The Benefits of Heptane
/in Commodity Chemicals/by Industrial DegreasersWhat is Heptane?
Heptane is a colorless liquid hydrocarbon of the alkane series. It is derived from crude oils such as petroleum. It has a gas-like odor and is often found in gasoline.
Benefits of Heptane
Common Heptane Applications
Heptane is often utilized as a non-polar solvent both industrially and in small laboratory applications.
Heptane is used in labs as a reagent, a solvent, and for organic synthesis.
Heptane Industrial Applications
Industrially, Heptane is used to manufacture various types of ink including printer ink, and stamp pad ink.
Heptane is also used to produce cements, compounders, and hospital anesthetics.
Heptane is also used to extract oil from vegetables as a cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional machine press method.
Pure Heptane or Hexane are not used for vegetable oil extraction, but rather a mixture of isomers that comprise commercial grade Heptane or Hexane.
Consumer Applications
Heptane is a component of many common consumer products.
Heptane is found in rubber cement, outdoor stove fuel, and in paint coatings.
Printer ink bought in stores also contains Heptane–solvents like Heptane are common in types of ink, because they suspend the dye and help contribute to the final product being smooth, glossy, and long lasting.
Heptane and Gasoline
Heptane is known best to consumers by its role in the creation of common gasoline.
Heptane and similar products like Hexane are derived from crude oils.
The same petroleum that becomes fuel for the average car is what will create Heptane and Hexane.
Heptane has its own special role in the fuel industry.
The commonly known Octane rating scale would not exist without Heptane.
The Octane scale rates how good or bad a specific brand of fuel is supposed to be for a car’s engine.
Pure Heptane sits at 0% on the Octane scale–the higher the rating, the more compression the fuel can handle before igniting.
Therefore, Heptane is better off in a laboratory or a warehouse than in a car’s engine.
Safety and Handling
Heptane is less toxic than products like MEK or Hexane, but proper safety measures should always be taken when handling this product:
If you would like to purchase Heptane, please call (800)-563-1305 or shop online here.
Denatured Alcohol vs. Rubbing Alcohol
/in Denatured Alcohol Cleaners/by Industrial DegreasersIt is important to know the difference when you are comparing denatured alcohol vs rubbing alcohol. Read on to learn more, or if you are interested in purchasing a form of alcohol, shop our variety of alcohol and alcohol-related products by clicking buy now below!
How is Alcohol Used in Various Industries?
Alcohol is one of the many organic compounds that companies use to clean parts or machinery involved with the manufacturing of a finished product. It is applied in a variety of industries and is also included in fuels, antiseptics, preservatives, and solvents. Products containing alcohol as a base have varying percentages of ethanol. For example, an alcoholic beverage can range anywhere from 2% percent to over 90% percent ethanol by volume, whereas an antiseptic often contains between 60 and 95 percent ethanol (they may also contain propanol or isopropanol). Alcohols such as ethanol and methanol are often used as solvents in the industry because it is more environmentally friendly than other solvents such as formaldehyde and tetrahydrofuran.
What Is Denatured Alcohol?
Denatured alcohol, sometimes referred to as “methylated spirits”, includes specific additives that make it non-drinkable. This form of ethanol has a bad taste, smells foul, and is poisonous if ingested. The additive (which is usually 10 percent methanol) serves to deter individuals from attempting to consume it for recreational purposes. Denatured alcohol has a wide range of applications- it is used to sand wood, as a fuel for small camping stoves, as a cleaning aid, and as a solvent.
How Is Rubbing Alcohol Different?
Rubbing alcohol is considered to be a “surgical spirit” rather than a “methylated spirit” since it is often used in medical environments. It consists of pure isopropyl alcohol or ethanol (most commonly isopropyl alcohol), usually at a concentration of 70% or 99%. Like denatured alcohol, it is used as a solvent, but it can also be used as a disinfecting and cleaning agent (for both medical and technological purposes), as an astringent, and even as a paint stripper.
Applications of Denatured Alcohol vs Rubbing Alcohol
As was discussed above, some of denatured alcohol’s common applications include:
Some typical uses of rubbing alcohol include:
In addition, both types of alcohol are highly flammable, making it important to take precautions when handling in an enclosed environment or using in large quantities.
Looking For Denatured or Rubbing Alcohol?
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