Ink Supply Tube Resin Composition for Kink Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ink supply tubes for ink jet recording apparatuses face challenges with flexibility, moisture barrier performance, and air barrier performance, particularly in small-size printers, leading to issues with fatigue failure, ink quality, and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A resin composition for ink supply tubes is developed, blending a thermoplastic elastomer containing a (b)-(a)-(b)-type isobutylene triblock copolymer with a lubricant, optimizing the content ratio to achieve excellent moisture barrier, air barrier, and kink resistance, allowing for reduced tube thickness and mass while maintaining performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the ink supply tube is made with high flexibility to cope with reciprocating motion, then fatigue failure is reduced, but moisture barrier performance and air barrier performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite material consisting of a thermoplastic elastomer matrix combined with specific rubber components (nitrile rubber, neoprene, or butyl rubber) to achieve both flexibility and barrier performance. The rubber component content is controlled at 5-50 parts by mass per 100 parts of thermoplastic elastomer, creating a composite that simultaneously provides fatigue resistance through elasticity and moisture/air barrier performance through the hydrophobic and low-permeability characteristics of the rubber phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes specific parameters including the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the thermoplastic elastomer (-50°C to 0°C), the content of rubber components (5-50 parts by mass per 100 parts thermoplastic elastomer), and the mass ratio of thermoplastic elastomer to rubber (95:5 to 50:50). These parameter optimizations enable the material to achieve both high flexibility for fatigue resistance and adequate barrier performance against moisture and air.
2Strength
If the ink supply tube is made with high rigidity to maintain structural integrity, then structural stability is improved, but flexibility to cope with reciprocating motion deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent controls the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the thermoplastic elastomer within -50°C to 0°C and optimizes the rubber component content at 5-50 parts by mass per 100 parts thermoplastic elastomer. These parameter settings ensure the material maintains adequate structural integrity while achieving the flexibility required for reciprocating motion in ink jet recorders.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite structure combining thermoplastic elastomer with rubber components (nitrile rubber, neoprene, or butyl rubber) creates a material that balances structural strength and flexibility. The rubber phase provides elasticity and shock absorption for flexibility, while the thermoplastic elastomer matrix provides structural integrity.
3Weight of moving object
If the tube thickness is reduced to decrease carriage mass, then productivity and energy efficiency are improved, but kink resistance and barrier performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite material system with thermoplastic elastomer and rubber components (5-50 parts by mass per 100 parts thermoplastic elastomer) that provides enhanced mechanical properties including kink resistance. This allows the use of thinner tube walls while maintaining adequate kink resistance and barrier performance, thereby reducing carriage mass.
Solution Approach 2:
The optimized glass transition temperature range (-50°C to 0°C) and rubber content (5-50 parts by mass per 100 parts thermoplastic elastomer) enhance the material's toughness and resistance to deformation, enabling thinner tube designs that maintain kink resistance despite reduced wall thickness.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a resin composition which is a material for ink supply tubes and which has excellent moisture barrier performance, air barrier performance, and kink resistance. The resin composition contains a thermoplastic elastomer (A) containing a (b)-(a)-(b)-type isobutylene triblock copolymer containing polymer blocks (a) having isobutylene units and polymer blocks (b) having styrene units and also contains a lubricant (B). The content of the thermoplastic elastomer (A) in the resin composition is 70% to 95% by mass. The content of the lubricant (B) in the resin composition is 5% to 15% by mass. The content of the (b)-(a)-(b)-type isobutylene triblock copolymer in the resin composition is 50% to 95% by mass. The content of the polymer blocks (a) in the (b)-(a)-(b)-type isobutylene triblock copolymer is 80% to 90% by mass. The content of the polymer blocks (b) in the (b)-(a)-(b)-type isobutylene triblock copolymer is 10% to 20% by mass.