Encapsulated Aqueous Textile Inkjet Ink for Wash-Fast Direct Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current digital printing techniques for textiles require pre- and post-treatments, such as heat transfer and washing, which are wasteful and limit the range of substrates that can be printed on, and often result in undesired physical properties like plastic feel and skin irritation.
Innovation Solution
Development of an aqueous inkjet ink containing thermally reactive capsules with a polymeric shell and core, allowing direct printing on a wide range of textiles without pre- or post-treatments, and achieving improved wash fastness, chemical resistance, and scratch resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If direct printing with acid dye inks is used for printing on silk, polyamide and wool, then good color fastness is achieved, but pre-treatments and post-treatments are required which increase process complexity and waste
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the dyeing function from separate pre-treatment and post-treatment steps and integrates it into the inkjet ink formulation itself. The ink contains dye compounds that directly bond to the textile fibers upon application, eliminating the need for separate mordanting or fixing baths that would otherwise be required for direct printing on protein-based and polyamide fibers.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges multiple functions (dyeing, bonding, and printing) into a single inkjet ink formulation. The ink contains dye compounds with specific chemical groups that enable direct bonding to fibers, combining what would traditionally require separate pre-treatment (fiber preparation) and post-treatment (dye fixation) steps into one application step.
2Reliability
If reactive dye inks are used for printing on cellulose based textiles, then good wash fastness is achieved, but pre-treatments and post-treatments are required which increase process complexity and waste
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the reactive dyeing function from separate treatment steps and incorporates it directly into the inkjet ink formulation. The ink contains reactive dye compounds that can form covalent bonds with cellulose fibers upon application and subsequent drying/curing, eliminating the need for separate reactive dyeing baths and extensive rinsing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges printing and reactive dyeing into a single step by formulating inkjet inks with reactive dye compounds that bond to cellulose fibers. This combines what would traditionally require separate fabric preparation, dye application, and extensive washing steps into one integrated inkjet printing operation.
3Reliability
If disperse dye inks are used for printing on polyester and nylon, then good color fastness is achieved, but wash off post treatment is required which increases process complexity and waste
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the dye transfer function from separate wash-off treatment and incorporates it into the inkjet ink formulation itself. The ink contains disperse dye compounds that can directly penetrate and bond to hydrophobic fibers like polyester and nylon upon application, eliminating the need for separate hot wash-off treatments that would otherwise be required to set the dye.
4Device complexity
If transfer printing using sublimation dyes is used, then pre- and post-treatments are avoided, but heat transfer step is required which causes waste and limits substrate range
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the thermal sublimation mechanism with a direct chemical bonding mechanism. Instead of using heat to sublimate dye from a transfer medium, the inkjet ink contains dye compounds that chemically bond to the fiber surface upon direct application and drying, eliminating the need for heat transfer equipment and transfer media while expanding substrate compatibility.
5Reliability
If pigmented UV curable inkjets are used to improve wash fastness, chemical resistance and scratch resistance, then physical properties are improved, but undesired plastic look-and-feel is produced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters of the ink formulation by using dye compounds instead of pigments suspended in UV-curable polymers. The ink contains dye molecules that penetrate and bond with fibers, and the formulation uses water or volatile solvents that evaporate completely, leaving no plastic residue that would alter the textile's hand or appearance.
6Reliability
If UV curable inkjet inks based on acrylate polymerizable compounds are used, then wash fastness and chemical resistance are improved, but uncured acrylates remain causing skin sensitivity or irritation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful uncured monomer component from the ink formulation and replaces it with dye compounds that complete their bonding reaction through simple evaporation or low-temperature drying. The ink contains dye molecules that bond to fibers without requiring UV-curable polymers, eliminating the risk of uncured acrylate monomers remaining in the printed textile and causing skin irritation.
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 method enables reliable, economical, and eco-friendly printing on various textiles without altering their feel, with high chemical resistance and excellent wash fastness, eliminating the need for heat transfer and washing steps.
Implementation Method 1
the core which contains one or more thermally curable compounds
Implementation Method 2
b) thermally fixing the inkjet printed image
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing printed textiles including the steps of: a) inkjet printing an image onto a textile substrate with one or more inkjet inks including an aqueous medium and capsules composed of a polymeric shell surrounding a core which contains one or more thermally curable compounds; and b) thermally fixing the inkjet printed image. Also disclosed are inkjet printed textiles containing a printed image on a textile substrate wherein pigments and/or disperse dyes are at least partially encapsulated by polymeric shell material from capsules composed of a polymeric shell surrounding a core.