Fujifilm Corporation subsidiary Fujifilm Imaging Colorants Inc. (FFIC) is committing $19 million to open a new inkjet pigment dispersions manufacturing plant in the United States to support the growth of its global inkjet business, the firm announced in a recent release.

Pigment dispersions will be produced at the site with Fujifilm’s proprietary core dispersion technology, RxD (“Reactive Dispersant”), for use as colorants in water-based pigment inks. Demand for the inks is rising, according to the company, because they have a minimal impact on the environment and the dispersions are able to meet compliance and food packaging safety requirements.

Fujifilm’s RxD technology cross-links polymer dispersants adsorbed on the pigment particles, which creates a stable dispersion by preventing desorption. The products are used in inks made by Fujifilm and other ink manufacturers.

The company currently manufactures pigment dispersions at its Fujifilm Imaging Colorants Ltd. plant in Grangemouth, Scotland.

“Expansion of our manufacturing capacity is part of a commitment to ensure we can meet increasing demand to support our global customer base,” Ian Wilkinson, president and chief operating officer for FFIC Inc. in the US, said in a statement. “We are already manufacturing a very high-quality product in the UK. In this venture we are using the design and project management expertise of our UK team to execute this project in the US. This, alongside expert knowledge, technology, and processes will ensure that we manufacture RxD dispersions to the same exceptional standard across both sites.”

Work on the new plant is scheduled to begin this April and reach completion in 2022.