To meet the demand for inkjet printing worldwide, Fujifilm plans to double its pigment dispersion production capacity in the United States. To do so, its inkjet ink division will invest $28 million in the construction of a 1,000-meter 2 located in New Castle, Delaware, USA. This production site will specialize in the production of pigment dispersions for aqueous inkjet printing.
Pigment dispersions are stable suspensions of a pigment in a liquid. It is the main coloring ingredient in the formulation of inkjet inks.
Fujifilm will use these pigment dispersions in its Reactive Dispersant (RxD) inks. Fujifilm's aqueous ink technology creates a stabilization process that locks the pigment particles into a cross-linked polymer cage, resulting in a perfectly stable dispersion. It allows for the creation of high-quality inks used for various markets (packaging, textile or commercial printing), according to Fujifilm.
The Japanese group supplies RxD aqueous inks for inkjet OEMs and RxD pigment dispersions directly to other ink formulators.
Construction of the plant starts this month. It should be operational by the summer of 2023. The launch of the new site will be accompanied by the creation of 30 jobs in the areas of quality, engineering, production and administration.
The pigment dispersion plant will be the group's second in the United States. Its first U.S. plant, designed to bolster its existing European-based production, is scheduled to open in spring 2022.
