Ink Set With Block Polymer Dispersants for Uniform Pigment Aggregation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image recording methods using a pretreatment liquid and multiple inks result in non-uniform aggregation of pigment dispersants, leading to image breakage when applied on impermeable base materials.
Innovation Solution
An ink set comprising colored and white inks with pigment dispersants having crosslinked or block polymer structures, and specific surface tension differences, applied with a pretreatment liquid to ensure uniform aggregation and minimize image breakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a pretreatment liquid is applied onto a base material before recording with colored and white inks, then image quality is improved, but image breakage occurs due to non-uniform aggregation of pigment dispersants
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the molecular structure parameters of the pigment dispersant from conventional linear polymers to specifically designed block polymers with hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments. This structural parameter change enables uniform aggregation behavior in the pretreatment liquid, preventing image breakage while maintaining high image quality. The block polymer structure with specific hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance is the key parameter modification that resolves the contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite block polymer structures combining different functional segments (hydrophilic blocks and hydrophobic blocks) within a single dispersant molecule. This composite structure allows the dispersant to simultaneously interact with both aqueous components and pigment particles uniformly, enabling consistent aggregation across the entire ink composition without causing image breakage, thus resolving the contradiction between image quality and reliability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If pigment dispersants are used to disperse pigments in colored and white inks, then pigment dispersion is improved, but non-uniform aggregation occurs when combined with pretreatment liquid
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the molecular architecture parameter of pigment dispersants by introducing block polymer structures with specific hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments. This structural change enables the dispersant to maintain effective pigment dispersion while simultaneously achieving uniform aggregation when combined with pretreatment liquid containing aggregating agents. The block structure parameters (block length, hydrophilic-hydrophobic ratio) are optimized to resolve the contradiction between dispersion stability and aggregation uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The block polymer dispersant exhibits local quality differentiation with distinct hydrophilic segments interacting with aqueous components and hydrophobic segments interacting with pigment particles. This localized functional distribution within the single dispersant molecule enables simultaneous achievement of good pigment dispersion and uniform aggregation behavior, resolving the contradiction between dispersion stability and aggregation uniformity in multi-component ink systems.
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 set effectively suppresses image breakage by promoting uniform aggregation of pigment dispersants, enhancing image quality and stability on impermeable surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
a pretreatment liquid containing an aggregating agent that aggregates components of the aqueous ink composition
Implementation Method 2
the pigment dispersants respectively contained in the colored ink and the white ink contain a polymer having a crosslinked structure or a block polymer
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are an ink set including a colored ink containing a colored pigment which is at least one of a chromatic pigment or a black pigment, a pigment dispersant, and water, and a white ink containing a white pigment, a pigment dispersant, and water, in which the pigment dispersants respectively contained in the colored ink and the white ink contain a polymer having a crosslinked structure or a block polymer, and an image recording method.