Topic of your interest

Topics
Every single person at Fogra stands for research, testing and certification.
fountain concentrates dunk test

Revision of the test standard for assessing the corrosiveness of damping solutions for offset printing

Short name: Corrosiveness of fountain solutions

Fogra no. 30.038
Project leader: Dr P. Stolper
Funding: BMWK (IGF) via AiF
 

Timescale: 01.05.2017 - 30.04.2019

Research Report

Objective and relevance

The research project will examine whether the standard method currently used for corrosion testing of dampening solution additives can be replaced by a time- and thus cost-saving electrochemical method.

Furthermore, the influence of different water qualities on both the printing behaviour and the corrosiveness in the printing press is being investigated.

A faster method for determining the corrosion potential is not only helpful for the new development of dampening solutions, but also leads to cost and time savings for businesses.

Dr Philipp Stolper

Head of Materials & Environment

+49 89 431 82 - 354

Get in touch

Your contact

I would be pleased to answer your questions about the project and look forward to exchanging ideas with you.

Solution steps

Several steps are necessary to achieve the goal of the research project:

  • Introduction of impedance spectroscopy and noise analysis
  • Correlation of the results from the new measuring methods with the mass removal rates of known measuring techniques
  • Influence of different water parameters on the results of the corrosion test
    • Water hardness
    • Buffer systems
    • Biocides
    • Corrosion inhibitors
  • Effect of the water parameters on the printing behaviour
Fogra employee approves fountain concentrates

Achieved results

On the one hand, the results of the research project show that currently no rapid electrochemical method such as impedance spectroscopy and electrochemical noise analysis is available to reliably replace the time-consuming but established standard method for corrosion testing.

There is no correlation between the new procedures and mass removal rates.

Secondly, the results of systematic immersion tests of several fountain concentrates (including commercial products and also experimental formulations) with different, defined raw waters show the influence of various parameters on the corrosiveness of a dampening solution.