Aqueous Inkjet Inks for Decorative Panels

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing aqueous inkjet inks for manufacturing decorative panels face challenges in reliability and image quality, particularly due to nozzle clogging and insufficient color reproduction, especially in high-speed industrial printing environments.

Innovation Solution

A combination of piezoelectric through-flow print heads with nozzles having an outer nozzle surface area smaller than 500 μm² and a specific aqueous inkjet ink set, which includes cyan, red, yellow, and black inks with defined pigment compositions and water content ranges, optimized for improved reliability and image quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If high-speed single-pass inkjet printing is used to maintain productivity, then manufacturing speed increases, but nozzle clogging occurs more frequently reducing reliability

Engineering Contradiction:

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters of the aqueous inkjet ink, specifically adjusting the concentration ranges of polymeric dispersants, polyalkyleneglycol dialkylethers, and other additives to optimize flow properties and prevent nozzle clogging during high-speed printing operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The ink formulation combines multiple components including water, pigments, polymeric dispersants, polyalkyleneglycol dialkylethers, and other additives into a composite aqueous inkjet ink system that maintains stability and prevents clogging under high-speed printing conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Device complexity

If standard aqueous CMYK ink sets are used to simplify the printing system, then device complexity is reduced, but color reproduction accuracy and metamerism deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the standard magenta component with a red inkjet ink containing specific red pigments (C.I. Pigment Red 57/1, 122, 170, 175, 176, 187, 188, 207, 242, 254, 272), thereby changing the colorimetric parameters of the ink set to achieve superior wood color reproduction and eliminate metamerism while maintaining a practical five-color printing system

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution enhances the reliability of the inkjet printing process by reducing nozzle clogging and improving image quality through better color reproduction and metamerism, while maintaining productivity and cost-effectiveness in high-speed printing.

Implementation Method 1

piezoelectric through-flow print heads

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPiezoelectric effect: Piezoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentUS12209195B2Aqueous inks for manufacturing decorative panels

Publication Date: 2025.01.28

AI summary

A combination of: a) piezoelectric through-flow print heads having nozzles with an outer nozzle surface area NS smaller than 500 pm2; and b) aqueous inkjet inks from an aqueous inkjet ink set for manufacturing decorative panels, wherein the aqueous inkjet ink set comprises specific cyan, red, yellow and black aqueous inkjet inks containing water in an amount of A wt % defined by Formula (I): 100 wt %−sqrt(NS)×3.8 wt %/μm≤A wt %≤100 wt %−sqrt(NS)×2.2 wt %/μm wherein the wt % is based on the total weight of the aqueous inkjet ink; wherein sqrt(NS) represents the square root of the outer nozzle surface area NS; and wherein A wt %≥40 wt %.