Core-Shell Polymer Ink for Nozzle Clogging Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ink jet recording technologies face challenges with nozzle clogging, particularly when using ink compositions with high pigment content, which increases viscosity and makes recovery difficult, leading to impaired abrasion resistance and discharge stability.
Innovation Solution
The development of an ink composition that includes polymer particles with a core-shell structure, where the core polymer has a lower glass transition point than the shell polymer, and a specific monomer unit composition, which enhances abrasion resistance and discharge stability while maintaining low viscosity, allowing for easy clogging recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the pigment content is increased to improve image quality and coverage, then the ink composition provides better color saturation and opacity, but the viscosity increases causing nozzle clogging and making recovery difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the polymer particles, specifically setting the glass transition point of the core polymer to be more than 10°C lower than that of the shell polymer. This parameter difference creates a temperature-responsive system where the core remains flexible at lower temperatures while the shell provides structural integrity at higher temperatures, allowing the ink to maintain low viscosity with high pigment content while preventing nozzle clogging.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite polymer particles with a core-shell structure combining two different polymers with distinct glass transition points. The core polymer (lower Tg) provides flexibility and low-temperature flow properties, while the shell polymer (higher Tg) provides high-temperature stability and structural support. This composite structure enables the ink composition to simultaneously achieve high pigment content and resistance to nozzle clogging.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the resin content is increased to improve pigment dispersion and stability, then the ink composition maintains better storage stability and prevents pigment settling, but the viscosity increases leading to nozzle clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the resin content by using polymer particles with controlled glass transition points rather than increasing overall resin content. The core-shell structure with Tg difference allows efficient pigment dispersion through the flexible core at storage temperatures while maintaining low viscosity during jetting, thus achieving stable pigment dispersion without causing nozzle clogging.
3Strength
If the polymer particle content is increased to improve abrasion resistance of recorded images, then the recorded images show better durability and wear resistance, but the viscosity increases causing discharge instability and nozzle clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves high abrasion resistance by optimizing the glass transition point difference between core and shell polymers rather than simply increasing polymer particle content. The core polymer with lower Tg provides flexibility and adhesion to the substrate, while the shell polymer with higher Tg provides surface hardness and wear resistance. This allows the ink to form durable images while maintaining low viscosity and discharge stability.
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 ink composition effectively suppresses viscosity increases, ensuring excellent clogging recovery and abrasion resistance, even with high pigment content, while maintaining discharge stability and improving adhesiveness to recording media.
Implementation Method 1
a glass transition point of the polymer that configures the core polymer is more than 10° C. lower than the glass transition point of the polymer that configures the shell polymer
Implementation Method 2
the polymer that configures the shell polymer includes a polymer having a (meth)acrylate monomer unit and a carboxylic acid monomer unit
Data Source
AI summary
An ink composition that performs recording by being attached on a heated non-absorbent recording medium or a heated low absorbency recording medium, the ink composition including a pigment; a core polymer and a shell polymer that covers at least a portion of the core polymer, and polymer particles in which the glass transition point of the polymer that configures the core polymer is more than 10° C. lower than the glass transition point of the polymer that configures the shell polymer, and in which the polymer that configures the shell polymer includes a polymer having a (meth)acrylate monomer unit and a carboxylic acid monomer unit, and the content of the polymer particles is 3.0 mass % or more with respect to the total amount of the ink composition.