Plastisol curing

[mooseman]

Question for plastisol ink gurus......after proper cure through the dryer does plastisol ink continue to cure or stabilize over time like concrete cures over time or does the cure in plastisol abate with the return to low temp?
basically is plastisol purely thermal or part thermal & chemical cure once elevated in temp?
Thanks
mooseman

[tonypep]

Purely thermal unless you add a catalyst

[mooseman]

That is what we believed also but recently watched a video that suggested the cure continued over time (normal out the bucket plastisol) exhibited some additional cure qualities over the following 24 ish hours after dryer. Again the topic was was standard untreated plastisol which kinda confused me
mooseman

[Frog]

You can see a "drying",especially if on fabric, an absorption of the plasticizers, but the molecules have not cross linked, and it is not going to hold up to laundering.

[ScreenFoo]

You can see a "drying",especially if on fabric, an absorption of the plasticizers, but the molecules have not cross linked, and it is not going to hold up to laundering.

Or wicking, especially on polyester--but either way, not after it's cured...

Got a link?

[mooseman]

You can see a "drying",especially if on fabric, an absorption of the plasticizers, but the molecules have not cross linked, and it is not going to hold up to laundering.

Or wicking, especially on polyester--but either way, not after it's cured...

Got a link?

i don't take this gentlemen too seriousely he is OK but I like to look at everything as I find it gives us a different perspective and often changes my thought process if not my actual methods.

At any rate here  is the link  see the video starting at @ 7min 40 sec to about 8:00 minutes where the "overnight reference is given for plastisol to realistically cure is mentioned.

Screen Printing Tee Shirts: Curing Tests For Plastisol Textile Inks

mooseman

[Frog]

Not rubbing as a test while still hot, and needing to wait overnight, are two quite different situations. I bet that even Mr. Catspit may agree after reviewing the statement.

[Screened Gear]

I maybe wrong but the "rub test" is for light color shirts. The ink deposit on lights is so thin even if fully cured will break when doing a pull test (not always). Both tests are not perfect but they do give you some instant feed back.

[tonypep]

The "rub test" is technically referred to as a Crock Test and there is a device  (crockmeter) for accurately measuring this. Primarily used for rotary WB folks. As for the sitting overnight this is incorrect. Once the garment has returned to room temperature the curing or lack thereof is incomplete. And donut probes will point out weakspots in the dryer if any. Exit temperature only tells half the story

[inkman996]

Rubbing (crock testing) a white print on something dark does work as well. Wet ink is wet ink no matter the color.

But I think he is dead wrong even piping hot ink right off the belt will not transfer by being rubbed because it is fully cured, it will stick to it self tho especially hot ink on poly material.

Mike funny you mentioned the concrete analogy, they say the concrete inside the hoover damn is so thick it is still curing today and pumping out a lot of heat as it does.

[Colin]

In every conversation I ever had with a chemist... the plastisol is still TECHNICALLY curing over the next 24 hours.  Small chemical bonds are still taking place.  Example:  Don't wash your garment right after curing.  Wait 24 hours for best washability.  It's very minor, the difference you have with a 24 hour wait, but it's there.

So yea.  It's still curing, but unless you are using a Special Effects type ink, don't worry about it.  Don't stretch "stretch ink" for 24 hours etc...