77001-00030 is Leibinger's standard butanone-based (MEK) solvent, which a CIJ printer adds to replace the solvent evaporating from the ink and keep its density and viscosity stable. According to the safety data sheet it is a mixture of 96–98% butanone and 2–4% acetone, highly flammable (flash point −4 °C), and supplied by the manufacturer in 950 ml bottles with an RFID activation tag. Before buying, check two things: whether your printer accepts code 77001-00030 or 77001-00187, and whether the supplier provides a full safety data sheet and a bottle with a working tag.
- You use Leibinger printers to code your products and want to know exactly what you are topping up and what drives consumption.
- You buy consumables and are comparing the original with a replacement.
- You are responsible for EHS or storage and need the safety data sheet information in one place.
- Code 77001-00187 has appeared in your fleet and you want to know how it relates to 77001-00030.
01 · Role in the system What solvent 77001-00030 is and what it does in the printer
In a CIJ printer, ink circulates in a closed loop. A pump feeds it to the printhead, the jet breaks up into droplets, and only a small share of them reaches the product. The rest returns through the gutter to the tank. At every stage of this path (in flight, in the gutter, in the return lines) some of the solvent evaporates. The ink thickens, and ink that is too thick means poorly formed drops, unstable printer operation and poorer print quality.
The solvent solves this. The printer monitors ink viscosity and doses exactly as much solvent from the bottle as was lost to evaporation. It is not a thinner added “just in case” but a make-up fluid that restores the ink's original composition. Solvent 77001-00030 works with Leibinger inks whose base solvent is butanone.
The same type of fluid goes by several names in the industry. Leibinger calls it “solvent”, Videojet and Domino call it “make-up”, and online listings often say “additive”. Whatever the name, the rule is the same: the make-up fluid is matched to a specific ink and is never replaced with make-up from another CIJ system.
Leibinger printers have features that directly affect solvent consumption:
- Every model in the range, from JET One to JET3 UP, has Sealtronic automatic nozzle sealing.
- According to the manufacturer, Sealtronic limits evaporation because the ink is not exposed to air.
- A thermal barrier in the cabinet separates the ink circuit from the electronics, keeping the fluid cooler.
- The printers have a built-in Solvent Saving Mode. The Ecosolv option cuts consumption by up to half, according to the manufacturer.
In practice, solvent consumption in Leibinger printers depends mainly on running time (open jet) and to a lesser extent on how long the printer is switched on.
02 · Technical data Composition and key parameters
Full data are in the safety data sheet: download the 77001-00030 SDS (PDF, Polish version).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer's code | 77001-00030 |
| Chemical family | ketone-based, butanone (MEK) |
| Composition | butanone (CAS 78-93-3) 96–98%, acetone (CAS 67-64-1) 2–4% |
| Appearance | colourless liquid with a characteristic odour |
| Flash point | −4 °C |
| Boiling point | above 70 °C |
| Explosive limits | 1.8–11.5% vol. |
| Density (20 °C) | 0.80–0.81 g/cm³ |
| Vapour pressure (20 °C) | 105 hPa |
| Solubility in water | 290 g/l |
| VOC content | 805 g/l |
| CLP classification | Flam. Liq. 2 H225, Eye Irrit. 2 H319, STOT SE 3 H336, EUH066 |
| Transport | UN 1210, class 3, packing group II |
| OEM packaging | 950 ml bottle with RFID tag |
Is 77001-00030 pure MEK?
No, although butanone makes up the vast majority. It is worth comparing safety data sheets from different years:
- The 2008 SDS from Paul Leibinger GmbH & Co. KG (Tuttlingen) listed butanone above 95% and classified the product under the old risk-phrase system.
- The US SDS from Leibinger Inc. (May 2018), which covers codes 77001-00030 and 77001-00001 together, gives the GHS classification Flam. Liq. 2 (H225), Eye Irrit. 2 (H319), STOT SE 3 (H336).
- The current EU SDS states the composition more precisely: 96–98% butanone and 2–4% acetone, with the same classification.
The differences in presentation largely reflect the regulatory change from risk phrases to CLP/GHS. What matters more to the user is that the chemical family and hazard classification remain the same.
The acetone content matters in practice. Acetone boils at about 56 °C and butanone at about 80 °C, so even a few percent of the more volatile component changes the evaporation profile of the mixture.
03 · Compatibility Which inks and printers it works with
77001-00030 is the standard solvent for Leibinger's regular MEK inks. We most often see it paired with these inks:
| Ink | Type |
|---|---|
| 70000-00030 | black MEK |
| 70000-00101 | black MEK |
| 70000-00126 | black MEK |
| 79000-00104 | white pigmented |
| 74000-00105 | yellow |
This is not the manufacturer's complete list, only the inks we most often see paired with 77001-00030. Always confirm the solvent code in the documentation for your specific ink. If in doubt, check the label of the bottle your printer has been accepting so far.
On the printer side, 77001-00030 serves standard MEK applications in the JET2/JET2neo and JET3/JET3up series. In Poland, the ECO Jet, JET2 and JET3 models, as well as older JET2neo units, still run on this solvent.
77001-00030 vs 77001-00187
Since July 2024, some newer Leibinger printers in Poland have been configured for solvent 77001-00187. In terms of chemical composition, it is exactly the same solvent as 77001-00030. Before topping up, the printer reads the code from the RFID tag, so a bottle with a different code will be rejected regardless of its contents. Plants running both older and newer printers therefore need to stock two solvent codes.
Our own-brand solvents MA01 (for 77001-00030) and MA02 (for 77001-00187) share one safety data sheet. It is the same chemistry; they differ only in the RFID activation tag. We compare the two originals, list the printers and give advice for mixed fleets in a separate article on solvent 77001-00187, coming soon.
04 · Part numbers How to read Leibinger codes
Leibinger's catalogue follows a clear numbering pattern:
| Prefix | Product group | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 77001 | solvents | 77001-00030, 77001-00122, 77001-00125, 77001-00133 |
| 70000 | black inks | 70000-00030, 70000-00126 |
| 74000 | yellow inks | 74000-00105, 74000-00110 |
| 76000 | blue inks | 76000-00110, 76000-00119 |
| 79000 | white pigmented inks | 79000-00104, 79000-00120 |
The part after the hyphen identifies the specific formulation. The 77001 family contains many solvents (including 77001-00122, -00125, -00133 and -00187), because special inks require dedicated solvents.
In US documentation from Leibinger Inc., solvent 77001-00030 is listed together with code 77001-00001.
This is a pattern observed in the catalogue, not an official key from the manufacturer. When ordering, always quote the full code from the label or send us a photo of the label.
05 · Bottle activation RFID tag and topping up, step by step
Every original Leibinger bottle carries an RFID tag. Before adding fluid, the printer reads it and checks whether the code matches the solvent the printer is configured for. Only after acceptance can the operator top up the reservoir.
Top up wearing gloves and safety glasses, away from ignition sources. Close an opened bottle immediately. Butanone evaporates quickly and dissolves well in water (290 g/l), so an uncapped bottle loses content and can absorb moisture from the air. Water is one of the most common contaminants in MEK inks.
06 · Consumption How much solvent a printer uses and how to calculate it
Five factors drive solvent consumption:
- Running time (open jet). Sealtronic keeps evaporation during standby to a minimum, so printing hours count, not power-on hours.
- Nozzle size. A larger nozzle means more ink flowing through the gutter and a larger evaporation surface. The most common nozzle in these printers is 60 µm; the largest, with the highest solvent consumption, is 70 µm.
- Temperature. A warmer hall and warmer ink mean faster evaporation.
- Airflow around the printhead. Fans, draughts and extraction near the head speed up evaporation in the gutter.
- Saving modes. Solvent Saving Mode and the Ecosolv option, if fitted.
A Leibinger printer with a 60 µm nozzle, running three shifts at optimal temperature, can use around 10 bottles of solvent per month. That figure applies to a 60 µm nozzle. A 70 µm nozzle will use more, while single-shift operation or a smaller nozzle will use noticeably less.
How to measure your own consumption
- For 4 weeks, log the date and number of bottles added, separately for each printer.
- Convert to litres: number of bottles × volume (0.95 l for the original).
- Compare printers running in similar conditions. Clearly higher consumption is a signal to check the printer's working conditions: airflow, temperature and saving-mode settings.
950 ml or 1000 ml
A printer using 9.5 l of solvent per month needs 114 l per year. That is 120 bottles of 950 ml or 114 bottles of 1000 ml, i.e. 6 fewer top-ups and 6 fewer bottles to dispose of per printer per year. When comparing offers, compare price per litre, not per bottle: divide the price of a 950 ml bottle by 0.95.
07 · Original or replacement How to evaluate a 77001-00030 replacement
A good replacement solvent meets five conditions:
- Matching composition. Butanone with a small share of acetone and the same CLP classification.
- Working RFID tag. The printer must accept the bottle without any software modification.
- Controlled purity. In a closed loop the solvent evaporates, but contaminants stay behind and accumulate in the system. We cover non-volatile residue (NVR) in our article on switching to replacement ink.
- Audit documentation. Safety data sheet, batch number on the label, declaration of conformity.
- Pilot test. Start with one printer, monitor consumption and print quality, then roll out to the whole fleet.
Never top up with solvents of unknown origin from non-specialist suppliers. You have no control over purity or the evaporation profile, and the printer will not accept a bottle without a tag anyway.
MMTech supplies the original solvent 77001-00030 (950 ml) and our own-brand product MA01 in 1000 ml bottles with pre-programmed RFID tags. According to the technical documentation, these solvents have the same chemical composition and CLP classification.
When switching to MA01/MA02 and continuing with the same ink, the hydraulic system does not need flushing, because you are adding a fluid of the same composition. Changing the ink is a different situation and requires its own procedure, described in Switching from OEM ink to a replacement.
08 · Health, safety and storage What EHS and warehouse staff need to know
- Classification. H225 (highly flammable liquid and vapour), H319 (causes serious eye irritation), H336 (may cause drowsiness or dizziness), EUH066 (repeated exposure may cause skin dryness or cracking). Signal word “Danger”, pictograms GHS02 and GHS07.
- Exposure limits. EU indicative limits (Directive 2000/39/EC): butanone 600 mg/m³ (200 ppm) as an 8-hour TWA and 900 mg/m³ (300 ppm) short-term; acetone 1,210 mg/m³ (500 ppm). National limits may be stricter. Poland, for example, sets 450 mg/m³ for butanone, with a skin notation.
- Protective equipment. Gloves to EN 374; the MA01/MA02 SDS recommends 0.5 mm butyl rubber and, for prolonged contact, performance level 6 (breakthrough time over 480 min). Safety glasses. Where limits are exceeded, respiratory protection with a type A filter.
- Storage. Cool, dry, well-ventilated area, away from ignition sources. Containers tightly closed and upright. Recommended temperature 10–25 °C. Vapours are heavier than air and collect near the floor.
- Installations and tools. The manufacturer's SDS requires grounding and bonding of containers during transfer, non-sparking tools, explosion-proof equipment and measures against static discharge (statements P240–P243).
- Waste. Suggested European Waste Catalogue code 08 03 12* (waste ink containing hazardous substances). Do not pour into drains.
- Transport. UN 1210, proper shipping name “Printing ink related material”, class 3, packing group II, tunnel code D/E. The limited quantity (LQ) threshold is 5 l per inner packaging, so 950 ml and 1000 ml bottles can ship as LQ if the other conditions are met. By air: up to 5 l per package on passenger aircraft and 60 l on cargo aircraft.
It is good practice to keep a printed safety data sheet at the station where solvent is topped up.
09 · FAQ Frequently asked questions
10 · Related Further reading
Need 77001-00030 or an equivalent?
Send us your printer model, the code from the bottle label and your approximate monthly consumption. We will reply with a quote for the original and MA01, the safety data sheet and a delivery date.