Ink compositions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional textile printing processes, especially for polyester fabrics, face challenges with low fixation yield of disperse dyes and high water consumption, requiring pre-treatment and extensive washing steps, which are inefficient and environmentally detrimental.
Innovation Solution
Development of ink compositions comprising disperse dyes and an aqueous carrier with a polyol having at least 5 carbon atoms, allowing direct inkjet printing on untreated polyester textiles with improved color fastness and reduced water usage, eliminating the need for pre-treatment and steam fixation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional direct printing processes are used for disperse dyes on polyester fabrics, then the printing process is simple, but the fixation yield is far from 100% and excessive rinsing is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters of the printing paste by incorporating specific auxiliaries (leveling agents, penetration promoters, and binders) in optimized concentrations. This changes the physical-chemical properties of the dye application, enabling near-100% fixation yield on polyester fabrics while maintaining process simplicity and eliminating the need for excessive rinsing.
2Manufacturing precision
If pre-treatment is applied to fabrics for digital textile printing, then image quality is sharp and vivid, but water and energy consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates preliminary action by including penetration promoters and leveling agents in the printing paste formulation itself, rather than requiring separate pre-treatment steps. This allows the dye to penetrate and level uniformly on the fabric surface during the printing process, achieving sharp and vivid images without the need for additional pre-treatment, washing, or drying steps that consume water and energy.
3Ease of operation
If low viscosity inks are used in digital textile printing, then the ink flows easily, but pre-treatment of fabrics is required and excessive rinsing is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite printing paste system that combines low-viscosity carrier substances with specifically selected auxiliaries (binders, leveling agents, and penetration promoters). This composite formulation maintains excellent flowability for digital printing while the binder component ensures strong adhesion to polyester fibers, achieving color fastness that passes Oeko-Tex Standard 100 without requiring pre-treatment or excessive rinsing.
4Reliability
If steam fixation is applied for 20 minutes, then the image is fixed, but water and energy consumption are high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the fixation parameters by optimizing the printing paste composition to enable effective fixation at lower temperatures and shorter times. The inclusion of penetration promoters and binders allows the dye to penetrate deeply and bond strongly to polyester fibers, achieving reliable image fixation with reduced steam exposure (lower temperature and/or shorter duration), thereby significantly reducing energy consumption while maintaining fixation reliability.
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 compositions achieve color fastness to water and rubbing without pre-treatment, reducing water and energy consumption, and enabling direct inkjet printing with high fixation yield and Oeko-Tex Standard 100 compliance.
Implementation Method 1
heating the first textile to a temperature from about 150° C. to about a melting point of the first textile for a time from about 1 second to about 1 hour to produce a printed textile
Data Source
AI summary
A composition including a disperse dye and an aqueous carrier having a first polyol and a second polyol having at least 5 carbon has atoms, wherein the composition has a color fastness to water of at least 3 according to International Organization for Standardization test ISO 105-EO1:2010 when used in direct inkjet printing on a ready-to-print polyester textile.