Inks

Sasol Performance Chemicals

Inks About Us

About Us
Sasol Performance Chemicals
develops and markets a broad
portfolio of organic and inorganic
commodity and specialty chemicals
and comprises three key business
divisions: Organics, Advanced
Materials and Wax. Our offices in
18 countries serve customers around
the world with a multifaceted
portfolio of state-of-the-art chemical
products and solutions for a wide
range of applications and industries.

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Inks At a Glance

At a Glance
The Wax Division of Sasol Performance Chemicals is a leading
specialist in innovative wax technology.

For many decades the Wax Division of Sasol Performance Chemicals has focussed on
the development and sales of paraffin waxes, micro waxes, synthetic waxes and blends
or emulsions thereof. Today we serve different industries like inks, paints and coatings,
rubber and tire, paper and packaging, textiles, cosmetics as well as road construction,
candles and many others.
Micro and macro crystalline waxes are renowned for a wide range of possible applications.
Their use ranges from rather simple applications to process oriented tailor-made blends
for state-of-the-art production equipment. Specialties are created for innovative
solutions.
Refined paraffin waxes are mixtures of saturated hydrocarbons, purified by modern,
environmental friendly technologies. All our products are constantly monitored by a
stringent quality control system and are nontoxic. Their environmental properties are
characterized by inherent biodegradability and non-cumulative effects.

Wax solutions
for every process.

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Inks Printing Inks

Printing Inks
Sasol Performance Chemicals manufactures a number of specialised
wax grades which are available in pelletised and micronised form for
use in the printing ink industry.
Utilisation of the Fischer–Tropsch (FT) process together with state-of-the-art fractionation,
micronisation and blending facilities enables Sasol Performance Chemicals to produce
superior products designed to satisfy the needs of ink makers in every area of application
involving intermediate wax grinders, dispersion and compound producers.

Waxes are used as additives in printing inks:

• To improve the resistance of the ink film to rubbing, scratching
and scuffing
• To serve as a slip aid

FT wax properties:
• High level of hardness
• Low melting points (energy-saving)
• Low viscosity (after melting)
• Combined with the ability to flow well in liquid form

Micronised Powders

Sasol Performance Chemicals offers a range of micronised waxes. The

defined particle size of our micronised powders and the low surface
tension of Sasol’s FT waxes ensure excellent slip performance in a
variety of different types of inks. Our micronised waxes are produced
by spraying and grinding processes.

SASOLWAX Spray 30-G is an economical, finely micronised wax powder with a medium
melting point, good rub resistance, excellent slip performance and outstanding gloss
properties. This product is particularly suitable for lithographic heat-set inks due to its
medium melting point and excellent slip performance. It also performs very well as an
additive to water-based inks, provided high-speed mixing equipment is used to disperse the
wax in the ink.
SASOLWAX Spray 30 is the sprayed alternative to SASOLWAX Spray 30-G.
SASOLWAX Spray 30G-EF is the extra-fine version of SASOLWAX Spray 30-G with an even
smaller particle size.
SASOLWAX Spray 105-G is a high-performance micronised wax with a high melting point,
excellent rub resistance and slip performance and good gloss properties. It was developed
specifically for applications in which a high rub resistance is required. This product is
resistant to most printing ink solvents and may be used as a high-performance additive in
most solvent-based printing inks. Because it has a higher surface tension than SASOLWAX
Spray 30, you can print over this product with most commercial UV varnishes, and is
therefore suitable for use in lithographic sheet-fed inks.

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Inks Printing Inks

SASOLWAX Spray 105 is the sprayed alternative to SASOLWAX Spray 105-G.

SASOLWAX Spray 105G-EF is the extra-fine version of SASOLWAX Spray 105-G with an even
smaller particle size.
SASOLWAX H1N4-G is a micronised powder and improves the performance of newspaper
inks without significantly impacting costs.
SASOLWAX Aqua 30-G is a chemically modified hard wax available in a fine-powder form.
It is designed for improving the dispersion of powder in water-based ink systems. The wax
provides the final ink with good rub resistance, slip performance and gloss.
SASOLWAX Aqua 30G-EF is the extra-fine version of SASOLWAX Aqua 30-G with an even
smaller particle size.
Microcrystalline waxes are the base materials for heat-set ink compounds. With our flexible
production technique, we’re able to design these materials specifically for each customer to
provide the best possible results.

Micronised Fischer–Tropsch Waxes

Penetration Molecular Particle size (μm)

Mettler drop
at 25 °C (1/10 Colour weight
point* (°C)
mm) (dalton) D50 D90

Sprayed waxes

SASOLWAX Spray 30 112 <1 White 880 6.5* 13.2*

SASOLWAX Spray 105 117 <1 White 1110 6.1* 12.6*

Ground waxes

SASOLWAX H1N4-G 112 <1 White 880 7* 17*

SASOLWAX C80-G 88 4–9 White 620 7* 17*
SASOLWAX Spray 30G 112 <1 White 880 6.5* 13.2*
SASOLWAX Spray 105G 117 <1 White 1110 6.1* 12.6*
SASOLWAX Spray 30G-EF 112 <1 White 880 4–5 8–10
SASOLWAX Spray 105G-EF 117 <1 White 1110 4–5 8–10
SASOLWAX Spray 30G-M 112 <1 White 880 9–11 20–26
SASOLWAX Spray 30 G-L 112 <1 White 880 11–13 25–31
SASOLWAX Aqua 30G >95 < 1,5 White 1120 7 14
SASOLWAX Aqua 30G-EF >95 < 1,5 White 1120 5 10
* = Arithmetic mean

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Inks Technical Data

Technical Data
Printing Inks

Application Products
Lithography, sheet-fed Spray 30/-G/-EF/-M/-L, Spray 105/-G/-EF
Lithography, web-fed, heat-set Petroleum jellies, paraffin and microcrystalline waxes
Lithography, web-fed, cold-set Spray 30/-G/-EF/-M/-L, Spray 105/-G/-EF
Flexography/gravure/screen-
Spray 105/-G/-EF, Aqua 30-G/-EF
printing
Spray 30/-G/-EF/-M/-L, Aqua 30-G/-EF, Spray 105/-G/-EF,
Digital printing, inkjet
Narrow Cut Materials (NCMs)
Digital printing, xerography Narrow Cut Materials (NCMs)
Thermal transfer ribbon Narrow Cut Materials (NCMs)
Spray 30/-G/-EF/-M/-L, Aqua 30-G/-EF, Spray 105/-G/-EF,
Energy-curable inks
Narrow Cut Materials (NCMs)

NCM (Narrow-Cut Material)

Technological trends such as higher processing speed, the idea of ‘more with less’ and lower
energy requirements require highly technical products with distinct technical properties.
FT waxes from Sasol comprise linear molecules by nature, offering a high crystallinity and
a low viscosity. In order to meet customer requirements in highly demanding application
processes, the molecular distributions need to be narrowed. Therefore, Sasol has decided to
introduce narrow-cut materials (NCMs) to its portfolio.
These products can be used in various market segments and application fields such as
plastics, inks and coatings; hot melt adhesives; and personal care – and specifically for
toners; TTR (thermal transfer ribbon); micronised products; EPS (expanded polystyrene); PU
mould release; lipsticks; and antiperspirants.
The combined advantages of NCM products are:
• A high level of hardness and crystallinity in solid form
• Low melting point (energy-saving)
• Low viscosity (after melting)
• Ability to flow well in liquid form (Newtonian fluid)
• Distinct phase transition from the solid to liquid phases/temperature switch function

Pen N Pen N Kin. viscosity Kin. viscosity

Congealing
Product name 25 °C 40 °C 100 °C 120 °C
point (°C)
(0.1 mm) (0.1 mm) (0.1 mm) (0.1 mm)
ASTM D938-05 D1321-10 D1321-10 D7042-11 D445-11a
SASOLWAX NCM 9335 76 9 23 6.9 – NEW!
SASOLWAX NCM 9385 84 8 – 11.5 –
SASOLWAX NCM 9395 90 3 8 12.2* 9 NEW!
* = Calculated values

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Inks Technical Data

Sasol Fischer–Tropsch Waxes

The base waxes are available in coarse powder, flake and pastille form for use in intermediate
grinders and compounders.
SASOLWAX H1, a high melting Fischer–Tropsch wax with a molecular weight of 750 g/mol, is
available in flaked and pellet form and is mostly used by intermediate companies who do wax
grinding. Due to its favourable price–performance ratio, this product is ideal for blending with
high-priced grades such as PTFE. Processed for use in: Lithographic heat-set inks / Water-
based liquid inks / Wax blend components
SASOLWAX C105, a high-performance wax with a high melting point and a molecular weight
of 1300 g/mol is available in pellet form. This product, with a narrow carbon distribution, is
particularly applicable for use in the production of wax compounds. Its narrow crystallisation
curve and lack of low-boiling components leads to very controllable compound production.
Production of compounds for: Lithographic sheet-fed ink / Lithographic heat-set ink
SASOLWAX A28, available in a coarse powder form, is a chemically oxidised hard wax which
has been specifically developed for incorporation into water-based inks. This product can be
easily emulsified. It can be used in water-based inks to provide excellent rub resistance, slip
and gloss. Making emulsions for: Water-based liquid inks
FT waxes are not considered as polymers in the sense of ECHA (European Chemicals Agency)
and do not fall under the plastic defintion.

Petroleum Jelly
In the production of printing inks, petroleum jelly significantly reduces “Tack”, without
affecting the viscosity in the process. Petroleum jelly is used in all types of printing inks,
but the main use is in the field of heat-set and offset inks.
For applications in the printing ink industry, we recommend MERKUR 500.

Cone
Viscosity
Colour Congealing penetration
at 100 °C
lovibond point (°C) at 25 °C
(mm2/s)
(1/10 mm)
MERKUR 500 0 – 0.5 50 – 56 min 140 – 160 5.0 – 9.0

Dispersion

Water Viscosity
pH
content typical Emulsifier
typical
[%] [mPa·s]
HydroWax 115* 52 – 56 250 8.5 Anionic
Anionic /
HydroWax 138* 38 – 42 350 9
Nonionic
HydroWax 46* 38 – 42 250 7 Cationic
HydroWax RV* 48 – 52 800 7 Anionic
HydroWax ProA18* 48 – 52 180 9.5 Anionic
* complies with FDA and/or BfR regulations

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At Your Service

Sasol Performance Chemicals

Wax Division

Worthdamm 13–27
20457 Hamburg, Germany

www.sasol.com

Source reference
Cover: Fotolia/industrieblick, p. 2: Sasol Ltd., p. 3: Michael Heissner

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are the property of the Sasol Group of companies, except where it is clear from the context
that not. Users of this document are not permitted to use these trademarks without the prior
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Disclaimer: The information contained in this document is based on Sasol’s knowledge and
experience at the time of its creation. We reserve the right to make any changes to this document
or the products described therein, as a result of technological progress or developments. This
information implies no liability or other legal responsibility on our part, including with regard to
existing third-party patent rights. In particular, no guarantee or warranty of properties in the legal
sense is implied. The customer is not exempted from the obligation to conduct careful inspection
and testing of incoming products. All our business transactions are governed exclusively by our
Inks 08/19

General Business Terms (https://www.sasolgermany.de/de/agb/).