Edible Ink Composition for Streak-Free Tablet and Capsule Printing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Edible inks for ink-jet printing on low permeability surfaces such as film-coated tablets and capsules suffer from poor wettability, leading to streaks and reduced dispersion stability and printing resumability.
Innovation Solution
An edible ink composition comprising water, titanium oxide, a dispersant (sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, sodium alginate, or sodium carbonate), a wetting agent (propylene glycol), and a water-soluble polysaccharide (maltodextrin or trehalose) with a molecular weight under 10,000, which enhances dispersion stability and printing resumability while ensuring quick drying.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If an alcohol-based solvent or surfactant is added to improve wettability, then wettability is improved, but dispersion stability or printing resumability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the ink by replacing alcohol-based solvents with water as the base solvent, and using specific food-grade surfactants (Tween 20, Tween 80, or Span 80) in controlled amounts (0.1-5 mass%). This parameter change maintains wettability while preserving dispersion stability and printing resumability through the selective use of food-compatible additives.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite ink formulation combining water, food-grade pigment (titanium oxide), specific surfactants (Tween 20/80 or Span 80), and water-soluble polysaccharide (maltodextrin or trehalose). This composite material approach achieves both good wettability and maintained reliability through the synergistic interaction of multiple components, each serving a specific function.
2Ease of manufacture
If a solvent that spreads and wets the surface better is added to improve wettability, then wettability is improved, but drying speed reduces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts the solvent composition to water-based with controlled amounts of food-grade surfactants (0.1-5 mass%), which modifies the surface tension and wetting properties without excessively slowing evaporation. The water-soluble polysaccharide (maltodextrin or trehalose) at 1-10 mass% also influences evaporation rates, creating a balanced drying speed while maintaining good wettability.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If water-based pigment is used for printing on low permeability surfaces, then edibility is maintained, but streaks appear due to poor wettability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces food-grade surfactants (Tween 20, Tween 80, or Span 80) as intermediary substances that mediate between the water-based pigment and the low permeability surface. These surfactants reduce surface tension and improve wetting without compromising the edibility of the final printed product, thereby preventing streaks while maintaining print quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent formulates a composite ink containing water, food-grade pigment (titanium oxide), food-grade surfactants (Tween 20/80 or Span 80), and water-soluble polysaccharide (maltodextrin or trehalose). This composite material achieves both edibility and high print quality by ensuring proper wettability and adhesion on low permeability surfaces through the coordinated action of its components.
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 maintains dispersion stability and printing resumability, reduces drying time, and prevents streaking on low permeability surfaces, providing high-quality prints on tablets and capsules.
Implementation Method 1
a dispersant, and the dispersant includes at least one of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, sodium alginate, and sodium carbonate
Implementation Method 2
a wetting agent, and a water-soluble polysaccharide having a weight average molecular weight smaller than 10,000
Implementation Method 3
a water-soluble polysaccharide having a weight average molecular weight smaller than 10,000
Data Source
AI summary
An edible IJ ink that has good dispersion stability and printing resumability (intermission resumability), dries quickly, and provides good print quality (for example, prevents streaking), and to provide a tablet and a capsule including a printed part printed using the edible IJ ink, the edible IJ ink comprises water, titanium oxide, a dispersant, a wetting agent, and a water-soluble polysaccharide having a weight average molecular weight smaller than 10,000, and the dispersant includes at least one of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, sodium alginate, and sodium carbonate.