Ink Jet Ink Composition with Polyether Siloxane for Storage Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink jet ink compositions for sublimation transfer textile printing face challenges with poor storage stability and image blur due to the decomposition of siloxane surfactants, which affects the surface activity and dispersibility of sublimation dyes.
Innovation Solution
The use of polyether siloxane with a weight average molecular weight of 1000 or more and 5 or more siloxane repeating units, combined with a resin dispersant, maintains high surface activity and stability, even upon decomposition, ensuring low surface tension and improved dispersibility of sublimation dyes, thereby reducing image blur and enhancing storage stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a siloxane surfactant is added to improve surface activity and dispersibility of sublimation dye, then the ink composition shows good initial performance, but the siloxane surfactant decomposes over time leading to poor storage stability and image blur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the molecular weight parameter of the siloxane surfactant to 1000 or more and specifies having 5 or more siloxane repeating units. This parameter change makes the siloxane surfactant more resistant to decomposition while maintaining surface activity, thereby resolving the contradiction between initial performance and storage stability.
2Manufacturing precision
If a dispersant is used to improve dispersibility of sublimation dye, then dispersion quality improves, but image blur increases due to interaction with siloxane surfactant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite approach by combining a resin dispersant with a high molecular weight siloxane surfactant (molecular weight 1000 or more). The resin dispersant provides effective dispersibility while the stable siloxane surfactant maintains appropriate surface tension without excessive decomposition, thereby achieving good dispersibility while minimizing image blur.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If the ink composition is stored for long term to ensure availability, then storage duration increases, but surface tension increases and storage stability decreases due to decomposition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies that the siloxane surfactant should have a molecular weight of 1000 or more and contain 5 or more siloxane repeating units. This parameter change significantly reduces the decomposition rate of the siloxane surfactant, allowing the ink composition to maintain stable surface tension even after long-term storage, thereby enabling extended storage duration while preserving 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 jet ink composition achieves high storage stability and produces high-quality images with reduced blur, even after long-term storage, by maintaining low surface tension and effective dispersibility of sublimation dyes, ensuring reliable ejection and high-quality printing.
Implementation Method 1
the siloxane surfactant is considered to be good at lowering surface tension
Implementation Method 2
the sublimation dye is sublimated by vapor or heat, for example, to dye the print target medium (fabric, for example)
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
An ink jet ink composition includes a sublimation dye, a dispersant for the sublimation dye, and polyether siloxane having a weight average molecular weight of 1000 or more and having 5 or more siloxane repeating units.