Gilsonite in Inks & Paints

Gilsonite is utilized in a wide range of applications in Ink & Paint industries. Applying Gilsonite in this segment is used as weatherproofing paint bonding and fade-resisting stain pigments, while there will be an economical approach as well. The application is widely considered for Bitumen-based paints which are commonly used in car manufacturing industry. Adding Gilsonite improves UV resistance and general chemical resistance. Such usage has also made Gilsonite a common additive in wood stains and pipe coatings during the past years.

In ink industry, Gilsonite is used for carbon black wetting, as well as improving the bonding in black inks and headset gravure inks used in newspapers and magazines. Applying Gilsonite in ink makes a better binding with paper which decreases the rubbing effect of the final print. Also it provides a more economical approach, as 2-5% of the additive is substituted for other additives such as hydrocarbon and phenolic resins.

Generally, utilizing natural bitumen in Paint, Ink & Stains has been successfully tested over and over throughout the years, and has resulted that this application covers a stable market. However the quantities remain limited as the percentage of this application in the total amount is low.

References:

• Book of “Industrial Minerals & Rocks: Commodities, Markets, and Uses”
• www.americangilsonite.com