Gilsonite is utilized in a wide range of applications in Ink & Paint industries. Applying Gilsonite in this segment is used as weatherproofing paint bonding and fade-resisting stain pigments, while there will be an economical approach as well. The application is widely considered for Bitumen-based paints which are commonly used in car manufacturing industry. Adding Gilsonite improves UV resistance and general chemical resistance. Such usage has also made Gilsonite a common additive in wood stains and pipe coatings during the past years.
In ink industry, Gilsonite is used for carbon black wetting, as well as improving the bonding in black inks and headset gravure inks used in newspapers and magazines. Applying Gilsonite in ink makes a better binding with paper which decreases the rubbing effect of the final print. Also, it provides a more economical approach, as 2-5% of the additive is substituted for other additives such as hydrocarbon and phenolic resins.
Generally, utilizing natural bitumen in Paint, Ink & Stains has been successfully tested over and over throughout the years, and has resulted that this application covers a stable market. However, the quantities remain limited as the percentage of this application in the total amount is low.
Gilsonite resin is a good competitor to petroleum hydrocarbon resins, phenolic resins, which can act as a complement or alternative to all of them. Different concentrations of this substance are used to produce special inks with high luminosity. Gilsonite resin will bind the pigments to the paper and one of the most important reason of using Gilosnite in ink industry productions is its resin application. This specification of Gilsonite will avoid from dispersing carbon black on paper and high glass papers.
Gilsonite’s black and brown pigment has many uses, some of them are:
- Use in inkjet printer
- Use in black ink and vivid ink
- Black asphalt paints
- Polished oils
- Covering metal structures such as aircraft and ships
- Taring gas pipes and gas
- Uses in colors with a bitumen base (enhances color stability versus ultraviolet light).
We can create a stabilized ink with Gilsonite powder, with;
- Carbon black in the range 10% to 27.8%.
- Asphalt powder in the range 17.6% to 23.5%.
- Tall oil fatty acid in the range 50.1% to 54.9%.
Gilsonite Powder Solubility
Gilsonite powder is readily soluble without heating in aromatic solvents (Benzene, Toluene, Xylene) and in most chlorinated solvents. It is also soluble without heating in aliphatic and low aromatic solvents (VM&P and other Naphtha, Oils and Mineral Spirits), but mixing time is longer. Without heating, the pulverized grade is recommended. Gilsonite is not soluble in water, alcohols, or acetone.
Films developed from Gilsonite ink powder have a dark colour with little bronzing effect. Solutions do not thicken upon ageing. Gilsonite ink powder is compatible with drying oils, vegetable oils, rosins, hydrocarbon resins, elastomers, asphalts, and waxes for speciality applications. It has limited solubility in most alcohols and ketones.