Ink Drying on Impermeable Substrates via Hot Air and Aggregating Agent
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image recording methods on impermeable base materials face challenges in achieving high-quality images with excellent adhesiveness while avoiding streak-like image omission, as high-speed air drying can degrade image quality and cause shape disturbances.
Innovation Solution
An image recording method involving a pretreatment liquid with an aggregating agent and an ink containing a colorant, where hot air at 40°C or higher and a wind speed greater than 15 m/s is used for drying, with specific viscosity and surface tension conditions of a kneaded material to enhance adhesiveness and prevent streaks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If high-speed hot air is blown to the ink to dry it quickly, then the adhesiveness of the image is improved, but the shape of the ink is disturbed and image quality is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the wind speed (greater than 15 m/s) and temperature (40°C or higher) of the hot air, along with controlling the viscosity of the kneaded material (30-500 mPa·s) and ink application amount (X≥2.0 g/m²). These parameter optimizations enable the ink to maintain its shape while achieving sufficient adhesiveness during drying.
2Productivity
If high-speed air drying is used to improve adhesiveness, then drying speed is increased, but streak-like image omission occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by optimizing multiple parameters simultaneously: wind speed greater than 15 m/s, temperature of 40°C or higher, viscosity of kneaded material between 30-500 mPa·s, and ink application amount X≥2.0 g/m². This coordinated parameter control enables fast drying without causing streak-like image omission.
3Productivity
If the wind speed of hot air is increased to 30 m/s or greater for better adhesiveness, then the drying efficiency is improved, but the disturbance of ink shape is more severe
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by setting the wind speed to 30 m/s or greater while simultaneously controlling the viscosity of the kneaded material to be between 30-500 mPa·s and the ink application amount to be X≥2.0 g/m². These coordinated parameter adjustments enable high drying efficiency while maintaining ink shape stability.
4Productivity
If the wind speed of hot air is increased to 50 m/s or greater for maximum adhesiveness, then the drying speed is maximized, but the image quality degradation is more significant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by setting the wind speed to 50 m/s or greater while simultaneously optimizing the viscosity of the kneaded material to be between 30-500 mPa·s and the ink application amount to be X≥2.0 g/m². This coordinated parameter control enables maximum drying speed while minimizing image quality degradation.
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 achieves high-quality images with excellent adhesiveness on impermeable base materials while suppressing streak-like image omission by optimizing the drying process with controlled viscosity and surface tension.
Implementation Method 1
a drying step of drying the ink applied onto the region to obtain an image, in which the drying step includes blowing of hot air at a temperature of 40° C. or higher and a wind speed of greater than 15 m/s to the ink applied onto the region
Implementation Method 2
an image recording method of recording an image using an ink and an aggregating agent that aggregates components in the ink
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an image recording method including an applying step of applying a pretreatment liquid containing water and an aggregating agent onto an impermeable base material and applying an ink containing water and a colorant onto a region of the impermeable base material where the pretreatment liquid has been applied, and a drying step of drying the ink applied onto the region to obtain an image, in which the drying step includes blowing of hot air at a wind speed of greater than 15 m/s to the ink applied onto the region, and in a case where the number of grams of the ink applied per 1 m2 in an image area with a density of 100% is defined as X, and the number of grams of the pretreatment liquid applied per 1 m2 in the image area with a density of 100% is defined as Y, a viscosity of a kneaded material obtained by adding (6.5Y/X) mg of the pretreatment liquid to 10 g of the ink and defoaming and kneading the mixture at 200 rpm for 5 minutes is in a range of 30 mPa·s to 500 mPa·s.