Inkjet Ink Formulation for Jetting Stability and Color Bleeding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inkjet recording inks face challenges in maintaining jetting stability and preventing color bleeding on low ink absorbability recording media, with previous solutions either compromising on color saturation or requiring complex and costly formulations.
Innovation Solution
An inkjet recording ink comprising a pigment, water-soluble organic solvents, surfactants, polyether-modified silicone oil, and dispersing agents represented by specific general formulas, with a combination of glycerin and other diols as solvents, and a mass ratio optimized to prevent nozzle clogging and enhance image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a water-soluble organic solvent with higher surface tension is used in color inks, then color bleeding is suppressed, but jetting stability deteriorates due to dryness or bubbling in nozzles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the surface tension parameter of the water-soluble organic solvent to a specific range (30-60 dynes/cm) to simultaneously achieve color bleeding suppression and maintain jetting stability. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction by finding the optimal balance point where both requirements are satisfied.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite solvent system combining water-soluble organic solvents with specific surfactants and additives. This composite approach allows the ink to exhibit both low color bleeding (through high surface tension solvent) and good jetting stability (through surfactant modulation), resolving the contradiction between these two properties.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If UV irradiation is utilized to prevent color bleeding, then color bleeding is suppressed, but device complexity increases and cost elevates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the UV irradiation component from the inkjet recording system, achieving color bleeding prevention through chemical formulation alone. By removing the UV irradiation step, the device complexity and cost are reduced while maintaining the color bleeding suppression function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive and complex UV irradiation equipment with a simple chemical formulation using water-soluble organic solvents and surfactants. This substitution uses inexpensive, easily obtainable chemical materials to achieve the same functional result, reducing both device complexity and cost.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If ink is left to stand for a long period, then adhesion to head's repellent film occurs, but jetting stability is maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates preliminary action through the use of surfactants and additives that prevent adhesion during storage. These components are pre-added to the ink formulation to maintain jetting stability even after prolonged storage, preventing the harmful adhesion effect before it occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses surfactants as intermediary substances between the ink and the head's repellent film. These surfactants act as mediators that prevent direct adhesion between the ink and the repellent film during storage, thereby maintaining jetting stability while allowing long-term storage.
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 achieves reduced color bleeding, improved jetting stability, and enhanced ink storageability, ensuring high-quality images on low ink absorbability media without increasing complexity or cost.
Implementation Method 1
a water-soluble organic solvent; wherein the water-soluble organic solvent contains: glycerin as a first water-soluble organic solvent; and a second water-soluble organic solvent
Implementation Method 2
a surfactant
Implementation Method 3
a polyether-modified silicone oil
Implementation Method 4
a dispersing agent represented by the following General Formula (1) or (2)
Data Source
AI summary
An inkjet recording ink, including: a pigment; a water-soluble organic solvent; a surfactant; a polyether-modified silicone oil; a dispersing agent represented by the following General Formula (1) or (2); and water, wherein the water-soluble organic solvent contains: glycerin as a first water-soluble organic solvent; and a second water-soluble organic solvent, wherein the second water-soluble organic solvent is dipropylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol, 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,6-hexanadiol, or any combination thereof, and wherein a mass ratio of the first water-soluble organic solvent:the second water-soluble organic solvent is 1:0.75 to 1:2.25,where R1 represents a C1-C20 alkyl group, an allyl group or an aralkyl group, L is an integer of 0 to 7, and n is an integer of 20 to 200,where m is an integer of 1 or greater.