Aqueous Ink Jet Blanket With Surface Energy Domains for Wetting and Release
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printers face challenges in achieving both good wetting and release properties for aqueous latex ink on transfer members, as high-energy substrates allow good spreading but poor release, while low-energy substrates allow release but poor wetting, and existing solutions like surfactants lead to uncontrolled spreading and jetting issues.
Innovation Solution
A transfer member with a non-woven polymer fiber matrix and conductive particles, where the polymer fiber matrix has a first surface energy and the polymer has a second surface energy, creating a difference of 30 mJ/m2 to 5 mJ/m2, enabling optimal wetting and release properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a high-energy hydrophilic substrate is used for the transfer member, then the aqueous ink spreads and wets well on the substrate, but the dried ink does not release well from the substrate
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer member incorporates a polymer layer with specific surface energy properties that creates local quality differences on the substrate surface. This polymer layer, having different surface energy than the base substrate, provides localized regions that facilitate both ink wetting and subsequent release, resolving the contradiction between good spreading and good release properties
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer member is constructed as a composite material system combining a base substrate with an additional polymer layer. This composite structure integrates the benefits of both materials: the base substrate provides structural support while the polymer layer provides the optimal surface energy characteristics for both ink wetting and release, thus resolving the technical contradiction
2Ease of operation
If a low-energy substrate is used for the transfer member, then the ink releases well from the substrate, but the ink does not wet and spread on the substrate
Solution Approach 1:
The polymer layer creates local quality variations on the transfer member surface, providing zones with optimized surface energy for ink interaction. This local modification enables the surface to exhibit different properties at different stages of the printing process: good wetting during ink application and good release during transfer
Solution Approach 2:
By combining the base low-energy substrate with a polymer overlay, the system creates a composite material that achieves both good release (inherited from the low-energy base) and good wetting (provided by the polymer layer's surface properties), resolving the contradiction between release and wetting
3Manufacturing precision
If surfactants are added to the ink to reduce surface tension, then the ink spreads better on the substrate, but the ink causes uncontrolled spreading that makes edges wavy and fails to meet minimum surface tension requirements for jetting
Solution Approach 1:
The polymer layer on the transfer member acts as an intermediary between the ink and the base substrate. It mediates the ink-substrate interaction by providing a surface that promotes controlled spreading without requiring surfactants, thus maintaining ink stability for reliable jetting while achieving good wetting and spreading control during printing
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the spreading control function from the ink composition itself and transfers it to the transfer member surface. By removing surfactants from the ink formulation and placing the spreading control mechanism on the transfer member surface, the system maintains jetting reliability while achieving controlled ink spreading
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 solution effectively balances ink spreading and release, improving image quality and transfer efficiency in inkjet printing by creating a surface with variable energy domains that facilitate both wetting and transfer of aqueous ink.
Implementation Method 1
The polymer fiber matrix has a first surface energy and the polymer has a second surface energy. The difference between the first surface energy and the second surface energy is from about 30 mJ/m2 to about 5 mJ/m2
Implementation Method 2
aqueous ink is inkjetted onto a transfer member or intermediate blanket where the ink film is dried with heat or flowing air or both
Implementation Method 3
the ink film is dried with heat or flowing air or both
Data Source
AI summary
There is described a transfer member or blanket for use in aqueous ink jet printer. The transfer member includes a non-woven polymer fiber matrix and a polymer dispersed throughout the non-woven polymer fiber matrix. The polymer fiber matrix has a first surface energy and the polymer has a second surface energy. The difference between the first surface energy and the second surface energy is from about 30 mJ/m2 to about 5 mJ/m2.