Magenta Inkjet Ink Formulation for Low-Absorption Substrates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional water-based magenta inks face challenges in achieving high color reproducibility and image quality on low-absorption substrates due to high surface tension, poor wet spreading, and nozzle blockages, especially when using azo pigments which have stability issues with organic solvents and surfactants.
Innovation Solution
A magenta inkjet ink set comprising a cyan ink, yellow ink, and magenta ink, where the magenta ink includes two or more pigments such as naphthol AS and β-oxynaphthoic acid-based lake pigments, a diol-based solvent, a water-soluble organic solvent, and a surfactant, with specific blending ratios to enhance color development, sharpness, and reproducibility, while minimizing voids and nozzle blockages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If water-based ink is used on low-absorption substrates, then safety and environmental considerations are improved, but wet spreading and penetration are insufficient due to high surface tension
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters of the water-based ink by incorporating specific organic solvents (glycol ethers, glycols) and surfactants to adjust surface tension and wetting properties, enabling effective penetration and wet spreading on low-absorption substrates while maintaining water-based safety and environmental benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite ink formulation combining water, organic solvents, surfactants, and pigments to achieve synergistic effects that enable both environmental safety and effective wet spreading on low-absorption substrates
2Manufacturing precision
If azo pigment is used in water-based magenta ink, then color development and sharpness are improved, but stability to organic solvents deteriorates causing pigment dissolution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the concentration parameters of organic solvents and surfactants in the ink formulation to maintain azo pigment dispersion stability while preserving its high color development and sharpness properties, preventing pigment dissolution during storage and printing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces surfactants and specific organic solvents as intermediary substances that mediate between the hydrophobic azo pigment and the hydrophilic water-based medium, ensuring stable dispersion and preventing pigment dissolution while maintaining color performance
3Object-affected harmful factors
If water-based ink is used on low-absorption substrates, then environmental safety is improved, but droplet coalescence occurs resulting in uneven density
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts the surface tension parameters of the water-based ink through careful selection and dosing of surfactants and organic solvents to optimize droplet impact behavior on low-absorption substrates, preventing coalescence and ensuring uniform density while maintaining environmental safety
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 images with excellent storage stability, discharge stability, and drying properties on low-absorption substrates, preventing mixed color bleeding and ensuring high color reproducibility and image quality.
Implementation Method 1
water-based inks have a high surface tension due to water, and therefore, they are unlikely to penetrate into low-absorption substrates
Implementation Method 2
they are extremely unlikely to undergo wet spreading on low-absorption substrates
Implementation Method 3
since the surface tension of water-based inks is high, coalescence of the droplets are caused on the substrate at the time of impact
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment of the present invention relates to a magenta ink for an inkjet containing two or more pigments, a water-soluble organic solvent (A), a surfactant and water, wherein the two or more pigments contain an azo pigment, an amount of the azo pigment is from 0.5 to 8% by mass of a total mass of the magenta ink for an inkjet and from 35 to 100% by mass of a total mass of the pigments, the water-soluble organic solvent (A) contains a specific diol-based solvent (A-1) in a molar amount of from 5 to 250 times a molar amount of the azo pigment, a molar amount of a specific diol-based solvent (A-2) in the water-soluble organic solvent (A) is 0.1 times or less the molar amount of the diol-based solvent (A-1), and an amount of a cyclic amide-based solvent in the water-soluble organic solvent (A) is not more than 4.5% by mass of the total mass of the magenta ink for an inkjet.