ASTM D6073 Relative Setting of Heatset Printing Inks by the Heatset Tester

Scope:

ASTM D6073 can be used with printing inks that are meant to be dried using heat. This test technique allows to directly compare the setting of a headset ink to a standard under identical temperature and exposure duration circumstances.

Procedure:

Lab print is created by a printing gauge that includes the ASTM D6073 test sample and a standard ink. The freshly created print is immediately exposed to forced hot air in the tester, set to 350°F (177°C) with a belt speed of 30 fpm (0.15 m/s) at first. The print is cooled, then topped with a fresh sheet of material, fed through the printer, and checked for set off. The procedure is repeated at various belt speeds and temperatures until either the test sample or the standard displays set off while the other does not.

Specimen size:

The minimum sample size for each print must be less than 0.034 oz. (1 mL).

Data:

In ASTM D6073, the rate of heat transfer to wet ink is related to the printed area and the temperature differential between the cold surface and the hot air which is calculated as follows:

Q = α. A (t _air – t _surface) watt/sec

Where:

Q = is the rate of heat transfer in watt/second

α = is coefficient of heat transfer [W/m² × K]

A = is the printed inked area in m²

Conclusion:

ASTM D6073 can be used with printing inks that are meant to be dried using heat.