Residual building block chemicals in raw materials and finished printing inks - A risk assessment approach to manufacturing and detection limits

Natasha Banke, INX International Ink Co.

Abstract: The current guidelines for the use of raw materials containing residual building block chemical, like bisphenol A (BPA), vary by country and governmental agency, while the safety of these chemicals continues to be debated among the scientific community. The lack of agreement on safety and acceptability of these materials has created the need for ink manufacturers to eliminate the use of these raw materials completely and develop finished inks with alternative raw materials. Alternatively, we sought to develop a method to detect and quantify residual building block chemicals in raw materials and finished printing inks. The current study developed a targeted method to detect and quantify residual chemicals in raw materials and ink formulations by high–pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) tandem mass spectrometetry (QqQ). This paper will present methodology and data on the detection of free BPA in raw materials and finished printing inks.