Have you ever opened a water based ink and smelt a strong smell of Ammonia ?

 

Ammonia and amines are commonly used in water-based inks. Amines are used as one of the ingredients in water based inks as they control PH and are required for good stability, keeping your ink a good consistency for printing.

 

Due to the high volatility of the ammonia, it will collect in the headspace of the ink containers and can be strong when opened.  Ammonia is that strong but fresh smell that you get from household cleaners. The chemical formula is NH3 . It has a pair of non-bonded electrons that make this chemical electron rich (a base). Since it does not have carbon, ammonia is not a VOC (Volatile organic compound) by definition. VOC's  are compounds that easily become vapors or gases.

 

Amines are defined as organic derivatives of ammonia in which one or more of the ammonia hydrogens are replaced by organic groups. Amine compounds were studied in the early 1900s for their ability to cure diseases like beriberi, rickets, and scurvy. As such, they were considered “vital amines,” which has come down to us as “vitamines.” A Polish biochemist, Casimir Funk, published his research at Pasteur Institute of Paris under the title: “The Vitamines.” Later research showed that not all nutrition products are amines, and the term was shortened to “vitamins.”

 

Ammonia as well as low molecular amines have very pungent odors. Everyone knows what ammonia smells like, but most amines have an odor, which is sometimes characterized as “fishy.” As a result, use of amines or ammonia in water-based inks requires good drying to remove them from the printed products.

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If your water based ink has an Ammonia smell your ink probably has a good consistency !