Alternative models for determining the surface energy components in offset printing

Different ways of calculating surface energy components for substrates used in offset printing are compared. The results of the very useful van Oss-Chaudhury-Good bi-bidentate model (vOCG) are simplified to mono-bidentate and mono-monodentate models. The unbalance in the acid-base values often obtained by the vOCG model is strongly reduced when applying the simple mono-monodentate model. Moreover, the frequently encountered problem of negative square roots of the acid and base components is removed. An attempt to describe the ink transfer during offset printing by calculating theoretical works of adhesion between ink/plate and ink/paper is also made. The effect of paper roughness on the wetting was studied with atomic force microscopy (AFM).