ASTM D6336-11(2021) PDF

Overview

ASTM D6336-11(2021) is a widely recognized standard published by ASTM International. This standard provides a standard practice for the evaluation of flushing vehicles for pigment wetting using a vacuum-modified sigma blade mixer. The method offers guidelines that enable reproducible preparation of pigment flushes, particularly useful for comparing the effects of different raw materials on pigment wetting and dispersion processes. This practice ensures consistency and reliability in laboratory-scale evaluations, supporting ink, pigment, and varnish manufacturers in optimizing their formulas and understanding the relative performance of different flushing vehicles.

Key Topics

• Reproducibility: By adhering to the method outlined in ASTM D6336, laboratories can achieve consistent and repeatable results when using the same raw materials and process parameters.
• Relative Evaluation: The standard focuses on relative comparisons, using control and experimental flushes to assess changes in pigment strength, grind, grit, gloss, and other characteristics.
• Vacuum-Modified Sigma Blade Mixer: The procedure utilizes a vacuum flusher equipped with sigma-shaped blades that knead and mix pigment presscake, vehicle, and additives, facilitating the displacement of water and effective pigment dispersion.
• Standardized Reporting: Results are reported based on after-vacuum strength, grind size, grit content, tack, and viscosity, supporting detailed assessments of flushing vehicle efficacy.
• Safety and Best Practices: Users are responsible for applying appropriate safety, health, and environmental measures during testing, in line with regulatory requirements.

Applications

The ASTM D6336-11(2021) standard is primarily applied in:

• Ink Manufacturing: Assists ink companies in formulating and comparing different vehicles and additives for optimal pigment wetting and dispersion.
• Pigment Production: Enables pigment manufacturers to benchmark the effectiveness of various flushing vehicles or additives in pigment transfer and dispersion performance.
• Varnish Formulation: Supports varnish producers in evaluating the relative wetting efficiency of vehicles under laboratory conditions before scaling up to production.
• Quality Control: Used as a quality assurance tool to monitor consistency across batches and validate raw material changes on pigment wetting properties.
• Research and Development: Facilitates experimental comparisons when developing new flushing vehicles or modifying existing formulations.

This practice provides a relative indicator of how a formula will perform in production, after establishing a correlation between laboratory and production-scale flushing. It ensures that product development and process optimization are based on systematic and data-driven approaches, emphasizing standardized dispersion, grind, and viscosity measurements.

Related Standards

For comprehensive pigment dispersion and evaluation, ASTM D6336-11(2021) references and aligns with several related ASTM standards, including:

• ASTM D280 - Test Methods for Hygroscopic Moisture in Pigments
• ASTM D387 - Test Method for Color and Strength of Chromatic Pigments with a Mechanical Muller
• ASTM D1316 - Test Method for Fineness of Grind of Printing Inks
• ASTM D2066 - Test Methods for Relative Tinting Strength of Paste-Type Printing Ink Dispersions
• ASTM D2067 - Test Method for Coarse Particles in Printing Ink Dispersions
• ASTM D4017 - Test Method for Water in Paints and Paint Materials
• ASTM D4040 - Test Method for Rheological Properties of Paste Printing and Vehicles by the Falling-Rod Viscometer

These standards work collectively to ensure robust and universally accepted assessment of pigment dispersions, flush vehicles, and finished ink or varnish products.

By following ASTM D6336-11(2021), organizations can achieve consistent, standardized pigment flushing evaluations, supporting innovation while maintaining quality and performance in pigment-based product development.