The move follows a three-year period where it offered cobalt-free alongside cobalt-containing inks to prove that the new formulation didn’t compromise performance.
Cobalt-free inks are needed to comply with eco-certifications including the Nordic Swan, German Blue Angel and Cradle to Cradle.
“Many printers were afraid of printing with cobalt-free formulations because they feared an ink that doesn’t dry quickly enough,” said Hubergroup’s European corporate communications manager Marion Steinhart. “All the tests have proved that the cobalt-free version performs as good as the other. The cobalt-free version even shows better drying performance…this improves rub and carboning properties.
“We expect that the demand for cobalt-free formulations will grow in the future because print buyers want to print according to eco labels criteria.”
There is also a possibility that cobalt compounds may be proscribed under REACH regulations in the future.
The firm is not unique, other vendors’ sheetfed inks, including those from Sun Chemical and Flint, are already cobalt-free. Sun Chemical reformulated in 2010 to ensure its products complied with any forthcoming regulations. However, although the information is on product data sheets, it didn’t market the move. Flint changed its formulation three years ago.
However, Hubergroup’s development of alternative drying agents, also known as siccatives, that meet, and even exceed, the performance of cobalt compounds is significant; one ink expert described the achievement as ”impressive”.
