Powder Organic Pigment Yellow 14 for Gravure Flexo Inks

While this powdered Organic Pigment Yellow 14 (Diarylide Yellow AAOT) is an industry workhorse for gravure and flexographic inks due to its exceptional tinctorial strength, high transparency, and low rheological impact, it harbors critical thermal and regulatory limitations. Its Achilles’ heel is its restricted thermal stability; at temperatures approaching or exceeding 200°C—often encountered during the “heat-sealing” phase of packaging converting—it undergoes thermal decomposition. This degradation can release 3,3′-dichlorobenzidine (DCB), a regulated toxic substance, rendering it non-compliant for high-temperature food packaging or sterilization applications under strict safety standards. Furthermore, its mediocre lightfastness (Blue Wool Scale 3-4) makes it unsuitable for outdoor signage or shelf displays requiring long-term UV resistance, as it suffers from rapid fading.