Sorption-based treatment of flexographic printing packaging materials ink waste by synthesis of tri-copolymers via gamma irradiation

The treatment or recovery of waste ink constitutes a significant process for the printing and packaging industries, particularly in the flexographic printing of packaging materials. This poses a substantial challenge in the field of waste management science. The application of waste ink recovery, ensuring a safe environment and human health, along with the recovery and sustainability of Earth's resources, has garnered significant global attention. The present research is solely devoted to creating innovative trends without technological barriers for synthesizing a tri-copolymer to be applied as an effective sorption system for waste ink. The Polyethyleneimine-Poly Glycidyl methacrylate-polyethylene glycol diacrylate tri-polymer (PEI-PGMA-PEGDA tri-polymer) was synthesized and thoroughly investigated using FTIR, TGA, and DSC to confirm its chemical structure, thermal stability, and the shift in melting point affected by radiation dose, respectively. SEM analysis showed significant morphological differences in PEI-PGMA-PEGDA tri-polymer samples before and after treatment with flexographic printing ink waste, offering effective strategies for adsorbing waste printing inks from organic solvents. These findings contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the investigated materials and their potential applications. Additionally, the kinetic study of the sorption efficiency of flexographic ink by two sets of tri-copolymers with doses of 20 and 40 kGy indicated that 40 kGy has a more efficient capacity. The highest sorption capacity, approximately 97.6%, was observed for a sample of GMA 15% irradiated by 40 kGy with a sorption amount of 2.5 g L-1. This suggests that the current new treatment strategy can be categorized as highly effective waste ink management and should be advocated for in such domains to ensure a safe environment and preserve Earth's resources. The treatment of printing ink for packaging materials is a crucial step towards achieving green printing technology, which must be supported and advanced through research and industrial application.