Active Energy Ray-Curable Inkjet Ink Set Surface Tension Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Active energy ray-curable inkjet inks used in one-pass printers often result in poor leveling and glossing properties, leading to low-quality prints due to difficulties in adjusting dot deposition and hardening timing, especially on coated papers where ink spread and surface tension control are challenging, resulting in subpar image quality.
Innovation Solution
An active energy ray-curable inkjet ink set comprising two or more inks with a silicone-based surface tension adjusting agent at 1.0 to 5.0% by weight, allowing for controlled surface tension adjustment to achieve high-quality images on both scanning and one-pass printers, with a difference in adjusting agent amounts between colors of 0.5% by weight or less, and using 50 to 95% monomers with EO or PO as the main skeleton for improved ink stability and performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If active energy ray-curable inkjet ink is used in one-pass printers to achieve fast drying speed and reduced environmental load, then productivity and environmental friendliness are improved, but printing quality deteriorates due to poor leveling property, glossing property, and color reproductivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the ink by incorporating specific monomers (50-95% by weight) with EO or PO as main skeleton, along with carefully controlled amounts of surface-active agents (1.0-5.0% by weight). This parameter adjustment allows the ink to maintain fast drying characteristics while improving leveling and glossing properties, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and printing quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite ink formulation combining multiple monomers with EO/PO skeletons, surface-active agents, and active energy ray-curable components. This composite material approach enables the ink to simultaneously achieve fast drying speed and high printing quality with excellent leveling and glossing properties
2Productivity
If dots are printed in one layer in one-pass type printers, then printing speed is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates because it is difficult to adjust deposition positions of dots and hardening timing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts the viscosity and surface tension parameters of the ink through specific monomer selection and surface-active agent incorporation. This enables better control of dot deposition and spreading characteristics in one-pass printing, achieving both high speed and precise dot placement without requiring multiple printing passes
3Adaptability or versatility
If printing is carried out on coated paper and cast paper, then versatility of application is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to unevenness in painting and variation in surface state causing ink spread in indefinite directions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the surface tension and wetting properties of the ink by incorporating surface-active agents at controlled concentrations (1.0-5.0% by weight). This enables the ink to achieve uniform spreading and consistent drying behavior on various coated and cast papers, maintaining dot control precision across different substrate types
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal ink formulation that performs consistently across multiple paper types including coated paper and cast paper. The ink's composition is designed to adapt to different surface conditions while maintaining controlled dot formation and preventing excessive spreading, thus achieving both versatility and precision
4Manufacturing precision
If surface tension is controlled to prevent ink spread on coated paper, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates because small dots are formed requiring repeated superimposing printing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent carefully balances the concentration of surface-active agents (1.0-5.0% by weight) to achieve optimal surface tension. This balanced formulation allows sufficient ink spread for complete dot coverage in a single pass while preventing excessive spreading that would cause distortion, thereby maintaining both dot control and printing efficiency without requiring repeated printing
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 achieves high-quality prints with excellent stability and extended usage time, preventing beading and distortion issues, even on coated papers, by effectively managing surface tension and dot balance across multiple ink heads in one-pass printers.
Implementation Method 1
controlling the surface tension of each color in water-based ink, thereby controlling spread or penetration of colors
Implementation Method 2
active energy ray-curable inkjet ink
Data Source
AI summary
To provide an active energy ray-curable inkjet ink set including ink of at least two different colors, wherein a blending amount of a surface tension adjusting agent to be blended in the ink of each color is 1.0 to 5.0% by weight with respect to a total amount of the ink of each color, a difference in the blending amount of the surface tension adjusting agent in the ink of each color is 0.5% by weight or less with respect to a total amount of the ink of each color according to an order of printing, and a difference between maximum and minimum in the blending amount of the surface tension adjusting agent in the ink of each color is made to be 2% by weight or less.