Polymerizable Ink Composition for Viscosity and Curing Balance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current curable inkjet inks face challenges in balancing viscosity and curing properties while also addressing skin sensitization and storage stability issues, with existing solutions either failing to improve storage stability or causing color changes that affect image quality.
Innovation Solution
A polymerizable ink composition incorporating acrylic acid ester compounds, vinyl ether compounds, an aromatic secondary amine compound, and an alkali component, which maintains low viscosity, excellent curability, and storage stability without significant color change.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a multi-functional (meth)acrylic acid ester compound is used to improve curing property, then cross-linking density increases, but viscosity becomes excessively high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the monomer system into two categories: (meth)acrylic acid ester compounds (providing cross-linking density) and vinyl ether compounds (providing low viscosity). This segmentation allows each component to fulfill its specific function without compromising the other, resolving the contradiction between curing property and viscosity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite monomer system combining (meth)acrylic acid ester compounds with vinyl ether compounds. This composite approach leverages the complementary properties of both monomer types to achieve both high cross-linking density and low viscosity simultaneously, which cannot be achieved with a single monomer type.
2Speed
If conventional polymerization initiators are used, then curing speed is improved, but storage stability deteriorates due to color change
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the polymerization initiator by selecting specific compounds with defined structural characteristics (containing nitrogen-containing six-membered aromatic rings or nitrogen-containing five-membered aromatic rings). This parameter change enables the initiator to provide sufficient curing speed while maintaining storage stability through controlled reactivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces specific nitrogen-containing aromatic ring compounds as intermediaries between the monomers and the polymerization process. These intermediary compounds act as selective initiators that activate polymerization at appropriate rates while being stable enough to prevent unwanted side reactions during storage, thus resolving the contradiction between curing speed and storage stability.
3Reliability
If (meth)acrylic acid ester compounds are used, then curing property is improved, but skin sensitization risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the monomer system to limit the use of (meth)acrylic acid ester compounds while incorporating vinyl ether compounds. This segmentation reduces the overall amount of potentially sensitizing (meth)acrylic acid ester compounds while maintaining adequate curing property through the complementary vinyl ether component.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the compositional parameters by controlling the ratio and types of monomers used. By adjusting the proportion of (meth)acrylic acid ester compounds to vinyl ether compounds, the patent maintains sufficient curing property while reducing the concentration of skin sensitization-risky compounds.
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 composition achieves improved storage stability and curability while preventing skin sensitization and color changes, ensuring stable image quality over extended periods.
Implementation Method 1
curable inkjet ink contains unsaturated organic compounds polymerized by, for example, exposure to electron beams or ultraviolet ray under the presence of a photopolymerization initiator. Such curable inkjet ink produces radicals upon irradiation of energy and the unsaturated organic compounds come to have high molecular weights by the radical reaction.
Implementation Method 2
JP-2010-509426-A discloses a curable inkjet composition that can prevent curing inhibition caused by oxygen and improve attachability by adding a monomer having an epoxy group cured by a cation, a cationic photopolymezation initiator, and water.
Data Source
AI summary
An improved polymerizable ink composition contains polymerizable monomers containing one or both of an acrylic acid ester compound and a methacrylic acid ester compound and a vinyl ether compound; an alkali component; and an aromatic secondary amine compound.