DIC Develops Quick-Acting Driers for Coatings and Printing Inks —Environment-friendly cobalt-free driers cut drying time in half—

  • Business & Product
  • News Release
Jun. 15, 2020

Tokyo, Japan—DIC Corporation today announced that it has developed an innovative new driers—an agent that expedites drying by accelerating oxidative polymerization—for coatings and printing inks. The Company has begun shipping samples of the new driers, which it will launch under the name DICNATE. Marketing will focus on the coatings and printing industries in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. DIC has set a target for annual sales of DICNATE of ¥1.0 billion by fiscal year 2025.

Coatings and printing inks contain driers, that is, metal carboxylates that hasten curing and drying. Metal carboxylates are chemical substances consisting of metal salts and fatty acids, and are generally insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents. Cobalt driers are the most commonly used and the most powerful. However, because cobalt is highly toxic and harmful to the environment, as well as costly, DIC sought to develop a cobalt-free alternative that delivers an equal or better performance. In addition to excellent drying speed, the Company’s newly developed drier is environment-friendly and cost-effective. The new drier is also compatible with both solvent- and water-based inks and coatings, thus addressing a wide range of customer requirements.

Guided by its DIC111 medium-term management plan, the DIC Group is working to provide environment-friendly, high-performance offerings with the aim of both contributing to society and achieving sustainable growth. Going forward, the Group will continue to supply highly functional products that meet the needs of customers in the market for printing inks and coatings, thereby expanding the global scale of this key business.

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