Copolymer Ink Binder for High-Speed Printing Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current inkjet printing systems face challenges with ink stability, image density, and beading issues on various printing media, particularly at high speeds, and struggle to maintain pigment dispersion and storage stability over time.
Innovation Solution
A copolymer with specific structural units, including a naphthyl group, is used as a binder or pigment-dispersing resin to enhance pigment adsorption, prevent beading, and improve storage stability by forming a stable dispersion with the pigment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a penetrating agent is added to accelerate water penetration, then printing speed is improved, but storage stability of ink deteriorates and image density decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical parameters of the ink by incorporating specific polymers with carboxyl groups and controlling pH levels (pH 6-8), which changes the interaction between ink components and paper without requiring penetrating agents, thus maintaining storage stability while enabling high-speed printing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses polymers containing carboxyl groups as intermediaries that facilitate pigment fixation on paper surfaces. These polymers act as mediators between the pigment and paper, enabling effective image formation without penetrating agents that would compromise storage stability
2Manufacturing precision
If pigment ink is used on plain paper, then image density is improved, but paper curl occurs due to differential stretching
Solution Approach 1:
The patent controls the pH parameter of the ink within a specific range (6-8) and uses polymers with specific carboxyl group contents, which modifies the drying characteristics and reduces differential paper stretching, thereby preventing curl while maintaining image density
3Productivity
If high-speed printing is performed on non-permeable media, then productivity is improved, but beading occurs reducing image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts the surface tension and viscosity parameters of the ink by incorporating specific polymers and controlling pH, which prevents beading on non-permeable media during high-speed printing while maintaining image quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite polymer systems combining different functional components (polymers with carboxyl groups, pH buffers, and other additives) that work synergistically to prevent beading and ensure uniform pigment distribution on non-permeable media at high printing speeds
4Manufacturing precision
If pigment is made unstable with diphosphonic acid to improve image density, then image density is improved, but storage stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses polymers containing carboxyl groups as intermediaries that enable effective pigment fixation and high image density without making the pigment unstable. These polymer intermediaries provide a stable interface between pigment and paper, achieving both high image density and storage stability
Data Source
AI summary
A copolymer including a structural unit represented by General Formula (1) below, and a structural unit represented by General Formula (2) below,where, in General Formula (1), R1 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, L1 is an alkylene group having 2 or greater carbon atoms but 5 or less carbon atoms, and X is a hydrogen atom or a cation,where, in General Formula (2), R2 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group and L2 is an alkylene group having 2 or greater carbon atoms but 18 or less carbon atoms.