Ink composition for inkjet textile printing and method for textile printing of hydrophobic fibers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet textile printing faces challenges with re-discharge properties after being left open, drying properties on recording media, and color developing properties, particularly with the use of high-volatility organic solvents which affect image transfer and quality on low basis weight papers.
Innovation Solution
An ink composition containing a urethane resin, a dispersant such as styrene-(meth)acrylic copolymers, and a disperse dye, with specific mass ratios and molecular weights, along with a water-soluble organic solvent, to enhance re-discharge, drying, and color developing properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If high-volatility organic solvents are used to improve drying speed, then drying efficiency is improved, but permeability into recording medium increases and color developing property deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the ink by incorporating specific resins (acrylic resin, polyurethane resin, or vinyl resin) in controlled amounts (0.01-5 mass%). This modifies the drying characteristics and permeability control of the ink formulation, allowing faster drying without excessive penetration into the recording medium, thus maintaining color developing property.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite ink formulation by combining disperse dyes with specific resins (acrylic resin, polyurethane resin, or vinyl resin) and surfactants. This composite approach allows the ink to achieve both fast drying through controlled volatility and reduced permeability through the resin matrix, preventing color loss into the recording medium while maintaining vibrant color development.
2Productivity
If processing time is shortened to improve inkjet recording speed, then productivity is improved, but image transfer quality deteriorates due to insufficient penetration and drying
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the ink's physical and chemical parameters by adding specific resins and surfactants in optimized concentrations. This allows the ink to penetrate the recording medium and dry at controlled rates even during high-speed printing, ensuring proper image transfer quality is maintained despite reduced processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates resins and surfactants into the ink formulation in advance, creating a pre-optimized mixture that automatically adjusts its penetration and drying characteristics during high-speed printing. This preliminary preparation ensures that even with shortened processing time, the ink maintains proper flow, penetration, and drying behavior for quality image transfer.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional dispersed inks are used for hydrophobic fibers, then ease of manufacture is improved, but re-discharge property after being left open deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent develops a composite ink formulation that combines disperse dyes with specific resins (acrylic resin, polyurethane resin, or vinyl resin) and surfactants. This composite structure maintains the simplicity of manufacturing conventional dispersed inks while significantly improving re-discharge properties through the resin-surfactant matrix that controls ink behavior during intermittent printing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of conventional dispersed inks by adding specific resins (0.01-5 mass%) and surfactants (0.1-5 mass%). This modification maintains ease of manufacture using standard dispersion processes while fundamentally improving the ink's re-discharge properties after being left open in the printer.
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 improves re-discharge properties, drying efficiency on recording media, and color development, maintaining printability and image quality, especially on low basis weight papers, while preventing image blurring and transfer issues.
Implementation Method 1
an ink composition for inkjet textile printing containing a urethane resin, a dispersant and a disperse dye
Implementation Method 2
along with a water-soluble organic solvent
Implementation Method 3
a dye is transferred from the intermediate recording medium to the hydrophobic fibers by a thermocompression bonding method using a thermocompression bonding roller, a thermo-press, etc.
Data Source
AI summary
An ink composition for inkjet textile printing containing a urethane resin, a dispersant and a disperse dye, in which the content of the urethane resin is greater than 0.035 mass % but less than 6 mass %, and a method for textile printing of hydrophobic fibers using the ink composition.