Pretreatment Formulation with VAE Copolymer for Fabric Inkjet Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fabrics and textile materials present challenges for inkjet printing due to their structure and composition, leading to issues with ink adhesion, print quality, wash-fastness, and mechanical durability.
Innovation Solution
A pretreatment formulation comprising at least one ink fixation agent and a vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer (VAE) or its derivative is applied to the fabric, creating a recipient surface that enhances ink adhesion and print quality, while improving wash-fastness and mechanical durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If inkjet printing is applied directly on fabric substrates, then the printing process is simple, but the ink adhesion and print quality are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
A pretreatment formulation is applied to the fabric substrate before inkjet printing to create a recipient surface that enhances ink adhesion and print quality. The pretreatment formulation contains vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer and ink fixation agents that prepare the fabric surface to securely receive and hold the ink, thereby improving print quality without complicating the overall manufacturing process
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional printing methods are used on fabric, then the process is straightforward, but the wash-fastness and mechanical durability are poor
Solution Approach 1:
The pretreatment formulation acts as an intermediary layer between the fabric substrate and the ink. This intermediate layer contains vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer and ink fixation agents that create strong bonding interfaces, ensuring that the ink securely adheres to the fabric and maintains wash-fastness and mechanical durability through repeated washing and handling
3Reliability
If ink formulations contain vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer, then ink adhesion improves, but the ink formulation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer from the ink formulation and places it exclusively in the pretreatment formulation. This separation maintains the ink adhesion benefits of the copolymer while simplifying the ink formulation, as the ink no longer needs to contain this polymer component. The pretreatment layer provides the adhesion functionality, allowing the ink to be simpler in composition
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 pretreatment formulation effectively improves the adhesion and durability of printed images on fabrics, ensuring high wash-fastness and mechanical strength, thus addressing the challenges posed by fabric substrates in inkjet printing.
Implementation Method 1
the formulation is not a colored ink formulation, as it does not comprise a pigment or a dye, but rather a formulation used to form a recipient film or coat on which an ink formulation may be applied or patterned
Implementation Method 2
allow ink immobilization on regions of a substrate on which the ink patterns are to be subsequently formed
Data Source
AI summary
A pretreatment formulation is disclosed which includes at least one ink fixation agent and at least one vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer (VAE) and/or a VAE derivative.