With Bayscript Yellow 4GF, the specialty chemicals group LANXESS has launched a product that is optimally tailored to meet the needs of the ink jet industry. It is characterized by, among other things, a very narrow particle size distribution and an extremely low salt content. “We are addressing both ink jet printer OEMs and independent manufacturers of consumables for large-format ink jet printing with the new Bayscript Yellow 4GF,” said Dr. Thomas Sommermann, Head of Technical Service & Development Colorants in the Functional Chemicals business unit. “That is an excellent basis for succeeding in this very highly developed market.” The large-format ink jet segment, which includes the printing of banners and films of various sizes for outdoor advertising, for example, has been growing steadily for years and has already completely replaced analog printing processes in many areas.

The new colorant is based on Yellow Pigment 150, an azo-metal complex pigment boasting outstanding fastness properties. The standard grades are used for the formulation of industrial coatings and printing inks. As one of the leading manufacturers of colorants based on Yellow Pigment 150, LANXESS also distributes higher-quality grades of these light and weatherfast pigment types for the coloration of laminates, plastics and automotive coatings. Furthermore, the Levascreen line offers six product variants manufactured to precisely matching quality requirements for use in the color filters of LCD monitors. 

The Functional Chemicals business unit belongs to the Performance Chemicals segment of LANXESS, which achieved total sales in 2009 of EUR 1,530 million.