Aquarius Plasticharge Additive

Do more with your plastisol inks with Aquarius Plasticharge Additive. This unique water-based product is part of a system that turns plastisol inks into cost effective dischargeable inks in just two easy steps. 

The result? You'll be able to print incredibly soft hand designs on cotton fabrics without having to invest in water-based discharge systems. 

Simply mix Aquarius Plasticharge Additive at a 1:1 ratio with your favorite plastisol inks, like Union Inks' Maxopake or Mixopake lines. Then mix Aquarius' ZF Activator agent - 6 percent by weight of Plasticharge Additive - until it's fully dissolved. 

Printing Plasticharge

Substrate Selection: IMPORTANT: Not all garments are designed to discharge. Shirts must be 100 percent cotton, or a blend mainly comprised of cotton. You'll want to test both ink mixtures AND substrates prior to fully committing to a run. This is another advantage of Avient's plasticharge system. You need only mix as much ink as necessary for testing or printing purposes. 

Plastisol Color Selection: Choose a high opacity plastisol ink, like Union Inks' Maxopake or Mixopake lines, to maintain the necessary color intensity after mixing with Plasticharge Additive. 

Blending - Combine Plasticharge Additive at 1:1 ratio with plastisol inks. Immediately prior to printing, add ZF activating agent and ensure it is completely dissolved. Some colors, particularly Plasticharge reds, may see better results by reducing the amount of activating agent to 5 percent by weight of Plasticharge Additive. For best results, mix and print enough Plasticharge ink for 1-2 hour intervals. 

Testing the curing process - When the project begins, first run two prints down the dryer, then immediately run one of the prints through the dryer again. Then, compare the two prints; if the prints look the same, the dryer is ready for production. If the twice-cured print looks better, slow the dryer and repeat the test until they match.

Remember, in the curing process, there is a plastisol component that still must cure between 300°F–320°F (150°C–160°C). Therefore, in addition to steaming the water out to enable the discharge function, it is also necessary for the ink film to reach cure temperature. As the water evaporates, the plastisol ink will not reach cure temperature until the discharge process is complete. Thus, testing for complete cure is highly recommended.