Color Materials Business

Color inkjet printers are used in homes and offices, and the high resolution of the images they can produce today is comparable to that of silver halide photography. Nippon Kayaku is engaged in the development of colorants that are more vivid and colorfast than ever before, and is providing coloring materials that facilitate technical innovation for inkjet printers. The company also offers various coloring materials for commercial inkjet printers, as well as for textile inkjet printing, and is helping to expand commercial and industrial applications for inkjet printing.

With SDGs becoming more common in our everyday lives, it has become essential for the printing industry to respond to small run lengths and shorter delivery times. This is accelerating the need for high-speed, high-quality industrial inkjet printing systems.

To support this need, we have successfully developed ink formulations, for commercial printing, based on the know-how we have cultivated over many years in organic dye synthesis and manufacturing.

In recent years, we have been focusing on the development of advanced pigment-based inks utilizing our dispersion technology, which is positioned as one of our core technologies. In particular, we intend to contribute to SDGs by developing water-based inks that can be printed on non-porous / non-absorbent media such as coated paper, films and foils.

There are a broad range of textile materials in the world, including polyester fibers,cellulose fibers such as cotton and rayon, polyamide fibers such as silk and nylon, and acryl fibers. Using dyes that are best suited to each textile material and dyeing method will produce a high quality finish. Nippon Kayaku has the right type of dye for each textile material, including disperse dyes for polyester, reactive dyes, cationic dyes, direct dyes, acid dyes, and sulfur dyes. Our dyes are used in a wide array of products we see and use every day, including apparel, home interiors, and car seats.

In order to promote the digitization of textile printing, we offer a variety of textile inkjet inks, including acid inks and sublimation inks that are suitable for various textile materials.

As SDGs continue to progress, the utilization of digital inkjet printing is increasing for products such as T-shirts and interior decorations.

We are contributing to this progress with our textile pigment inks, which allow clean inkjet printing without generating wastewater.

We have various dyes for papers (direct dyes and cationic dyes) suitable for high-quality paper and liners. Because these are used extensively in a wide range of daily use paper products including toilet papers and tissue papers, colored high-quality papers, copier papers, and corrugated cardboard, we use our synthesis technologies to provide safe for use dyes. We contribute to the development of a better living environment through dyes.

The labels attached when checking in a bag at the airport are printed with codes containing variable information such as the destination. This printing uses a thermal reaction between a leuco dye and a developer.

Because thermal printing does not require development and fixing, and the printing equipment is compact and easy to maintain, it is widely used for printing receipts at convenience stores and supermarkets, food/medical/logistics labels, theater tickets, and medical diagnostic films.

We provide various thermal recording materials, including environmentally-friendly developers with excellent print image stability , and coating materials for enhancing the visibility and durability of printed materials.

Today, CMOS Image Sensors are used in a wide variety of devices. In addition to providing pigments that enable stable dispersion of fine pitch, high-resolution RGB arrays , we are also developing image sensor active materials and other new functional colorants with high durability by utilizing our synthesis technology and know-how.

Although often used behind the scenes, we are developing products that contribute to SDGs and support social development by turning “near-future” wishes into reality.