Scientists of MEPhI research laboratory № 724 have worked out a printing ink on the basis of ultra-dispersed nanopowders for protection of financial credit documents and articles from counterfeiting.

The invention relates to graphic arts and can be used for printing of paper currency, shares, excise stamps, document forms, commodity output packings, etc.

“There are many ways of protection of goods against counterfeiting: protection of base paper, using of special kinds of printing and special prints, making of certain design of goods using graphic elements of protection from coloured photocopying, making and pressing of holograms”, commented one of the nanopaints’ developers, the Head of the Laboratory №724 Vadim Petrunin.

According to the scientist’s words, the methods listed above offer mostly visual control of their authenticity estimation. But in the processing of big volumes of data protective features which are read with the help of machines are commonly used, and typical methods of authenticity detection include measuring of specific properties of materials: magnetic, optical, electric.

“Traditionally several paints are usually used for the creation of protection elements, in each of them some material with one physical property is used as a pigment. To improve the reliability of protection of shares, for example, bank notes, we have offered to use nanopowder with several protection characteristics as a pigment”, Vadim Petrunin said.

Nanopowder for the protection of production from counterfeiting created in MEPhI has been obtained by the dispersion of ultradispersed powder of rare-earth garnet ferrite with crystallite sizes not more than 100 nm.

With very high degree of dispersion (small size of particles) the stability of the paint is provided by its even distribution in its annectent which improves printing properties of the print, influences its intensity, and improves slickness and shine of the print film.

“Compositions on the basis of alkyd resins are used as annectents which are usually applied in offset, high, metallographic, template and flexographic prints. The additive formula is also determined by a corresponding way of printing”, Vadim Petrunin noted.

It is important to note that plasticity (superplasticity) of ultradispersed nanocrystal powder raised because of the particles’ small size makes it more technological compared with coarse powder (with micron size of particles) in typographical process of protection paintings’ application, and small size of the pigment allows to apply a more elaborate picture (with thinner elements) which impedes counterfeiting.

Nanopaints worked out in MEPhI have been successfully tested in "Option" Joint-Stock Company and Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Goznak”.

MEPhI scientists’ development has provoked a great interest in media.