Properties and interaction of layers in board-biodegradable primer-printing ink screen-printed system

Surface interactions of the materials during and after the printing process are extremely important for understanding and optimizing the process of graphic reproduction. In screen printing on porous and absorbent substrates, mesh type and ink composition significantly influence the properties of the printed product. To protect the absorbent printing substrates such as board from moisture penetration and to ensure the optimal interaction of the printed ink layer and the substrate, board substrates can be coated with protective primers before printing. In this research, biodegradable primers made of poly(ɛ‐caprolactone) and poly(lactic acid) were applied on the board substrate which was then screen-printed using two screen rulings of the mesh and two different types of water-based printing inks on unprimed and primed board substrates. Printed ink layer thickness, surface roughness, water vapor transmission rate, surface free energy and adhesion parameters were measured/calculated on all produced samples. Microscopy of the printed elements was performed to visualize the influence of the primers on the printed line edge. Results of the research have shown that the primers influence the roughness reduction of the printed ink layer. Furthermore, thickness of the printed ink layers increased when the primers were applied on the substrate, pointing to the decreased permeability of the board, which was confirmed by the reduced water vapor transmission rate of the primed and printed substrates. The surface free energies of the tested surfaces and the adhesion parameters between biodegradable primers and prepared printing inks differed depending on the type of the ink and primer, pointing to the optimal combination of the primer and ink for the favorable acceptance of printing ink on the substrate. Results of this research have enabled the optimization of the quality of screen-printed board product.