EC Vehicle
*ETHOCEL is a trademark of the Dow Chemical Company.
Paste application of EC Vehicle
EC Vehicle and Ethylcellulose
ETHOCEL (Ethylcellulose) is widely used as a binder in the firing pastes such as of conducting materials, dielectric materials and insulating materials.
Following are main reasons why ETHOCEL is used.
Suitable especially for the application of a screen painting.
Excellent in the solubility in the solvents
(of high boiling point such as terpineol and BCA).
Moderate firing pattern being obtainable.
Excellent in the dispersibility of various materials.
Excellent in the firing resolvability.
Though ETHOCEL has the above excellent physical properties, we have to take some measures to meet customers' severe requests in quality such as for less than one micron in Ni paste's thickness for MLCC application, and for zero (0) in the number of foreign material for PDP application.

We are not in a position to cope with the above requests with Standard ETHOCEL (Ethylcellulose) for the following reasons:

The insoluble cellulose, and the black carbide (if contained in paste) in ETHOCEL (Ethylcellulose), will cause the troubles such as a void in conducting materials or insulating materials, which leads to an inferiority in conductivity or insulation respectively.

The solvent also greatly effects the features of paste. Especially in the case of using the terpineol, the content each of alpha-terpineol, beta-terpineol and gamma-terpineol depends on the origin (China, South America, etc.) of a pine tree (raw materials) or on the refining conditions, which leads to a change in the solubility of ETHOCEL, effecting the viscosity and causing the appearance of gel-like substance.

EC Vehicle
To solve the above problems, we had studied various measures, which led to our succeeding in developing EC Vehicle where ETHOCEL (Ethylcellulose) is dissolved in a specific solvent.
Following are advantages of EC Vehicle:
Constancy in viscosity.
Constancy in solid content.
Removal of foreign matter.
Capability of adjusting the fluidity.
EC Vehicle is effective in producing a good paste each for MLCC application and PDP application. Our customers used to do a complicated work of viscosity adjustment to get a certain viscosity of ETHOCEL (Ethylcellulose). EC Vehicle can release them from the above labor.

For example, especially in the production of the fluorescent paste for PDP, the ingredient contained in ETHOCEL (Ethylcellulose) greatly effects the coloring property of fluorescent paste. So grasping the above correctly, we are providing EC Vehicle suitable for fluorescent paste.

From such a viewpoint, we can also provide EC Vehicle suitable for the paste for Rib or Dielectric substance. We are also developing EC Vehicle of higher adhesive strength and of environment-friendly.
List of EC Vehicle
Grade Main application Feature
EC-100 FTP Fluorescent substance Low viscosity, High-speed screen printing, Pattern printing, Thickening of coating, Controlling of foreign matter/gel
EC-200 FTP Fluorescent substance High viscosity, Inlaying printing type, Thinning of coating, Controlling of foreign matter/gel
EC-300 FTP Fluorescent substance Low resin quantity, Inlaying printing type, Improvement in firing efficiency, Controlling of foreign matter/gel
EC-100 FTR Rib High adhesive strength, Improvement in alkali resistance, Controlling of foreign matter/gel
EC-200 FTR Rib, Electrode Fine line printing, High thixotropic type, Controlling of foreign matter/gel
EC-100 FTD Dielectric substance High leveling, Controlling of foreign matter/gel
EC-200 FTD MLCC Thin screen printing, Controlling of foreign matter/gel

Generally speaking, the fluidity of vehicle depends on the feature of powder blended, and also on the process in which paste is used. So we are designing the vehicle with the aim of obtaining the fluidity meeting each materials and process.
From a processing viewpoint
EC-Vehicle (Example: EC-100 FTD) of high leveling type
  This type is suitable for the coatings such as with a roll coater and with a doctor blade, being excellent in surface smoothness after coated, and in adhesion with basic substance.
EC Vehicle (Example: EC-200 FTR) of high thixotropic type
  This type is suitable (sharp and precise) for screen printing, though surface smoothness is unobtainable.
It is excellent especially in fine pattern, high-speed printing and printing wear resistance.
From a materials view point
EC-Vehicle (Example: EC-100 FTD) for the fine powder and
the powder of high specific surface and/or of high oil absorption.
The above powder comes to be a thixotropic paste through being blended with an ordinary vehicle. However, this powder can obtain a good leveling through being blended with EC Vehicle.
EC Vehicle (Example: EC-200 FTR) for the coarse powder and
the powder of low specific surface and/or of low oil absorption
The above powder comes to be an anti-thixotropic paste through being blended with an ordinary vehicle. However, even this powder can obtain a good thixotropy through being blended with EC Vehicle.
For more information, please contact Electronic Materials Team at the following office:
Osaka Head Office TEL: +81-6-6203-1891 FAX: +81-6-6227-0612
Tokyo Branch Office TEL: +81-3-3866-1141 FAX: +81-3-3866-1480
Nagoya Branch Office TEL: +81-52-957-2223 FAX: +81-52-957-2229
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