Development of acrylic based antimicrobial water‐based ink using curcumin for active packaging applications

Abstract This experiment was conducted to formulate a water‐based ink with antimicrobial properties for packaging applications. Two distinct types of inks were developed, one with synthetic yellow color pigment and the other with curcumin, as an antimicrobial and a natural yellow pigment. The resulting two inks were then printed on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films, and the physiochemical characteristics of the ink were thoroughly examined. The coated inks had an average thickness of 10 microns for both the inks. The viscosity of the water‐based ink and the antimicrobial water‐based ink were determined to be 54cp and 30cp, respectively and the drying time of the inks was 10 sec. At the same time, the gloss value increased from 30% to 50% in the case of antimicrobial ink. The antimicrobial efficacy of the antimicrobial water‐based ink, as demonstrated against S. aureus and E. coli , surpassed that of the conventional water‐based ink. These findings showed that the antimicrobial water‐based ink had a good drying time, increased gloss, and favorable storage stability. Using curcumin as a pigment in water‐based ink may be significant for printing applications of active food packaging materials. It can also help lower the risk of contamination of the food components with microbes. Highlights Synthesis of antimicrobial water‐based ink Active packaging printing Curcumin as an antimicrobial Curcumin used as a natural color pigment in the ink Acrylic resin synthesis