Pretreatment Liquid for Inkjet Adhesion and Bleeding Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pretreatment liquids for inkjet printing on impermeable substrates like film fail to achieve excellent adhesion, blocking resistance, and image quality with long-term storage stability, often resulting in image deterioration and bleeding.
Innovation Solution
A pretreatment liquid composition containing resin microparticles, a polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether surfactant, and a coagulant with controlled water absorptivity, which forms a stable layer on impermeable substrates to enhance adhesion and prevent bleeding, while maintaining storage stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional pretreatment liquids are used on impermeable substrates, then adhesion and blocking resistance are improved, but image quality deteriorates due to bleeding and color irregularities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the water absorptivity of the coagulant (C) to 75% by mass or less at 40°C and 80% RH. This specific parameter control enables the pretreatment liquid to form a stable layer on impermeable substrates that prevents ink bleeding while maintaining excellent adhesion and image quality, resolving the contradiction between adhesion improvement and image quality deterioration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite pretreatment liquid formulation containing resin microparticles (A), polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether surfactant (B), and coagulant (C) with controlled water absorptivity. This composite material approach creates a synergistic effect where the coagulant forms a stable layer that prevents bleeding, while the resin microparticles and surfactant maintain adhesion and image quality, thus resolving the technical contradiction.
2Reliability
If coagulant with high water absorptivity is used, then adhesion to impermeable substrate is improved, but storage stability deteriorates due to swelling and bleeding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by changing the water absorptivity parameter of the coagulant from high to controlled levels (75% by mass or less at 40°C and 80% RH). This parameter optimization allows the coagulant to provide sufficient adhesion to impermeable substrates while preventing excessive swelling and bleeding during storage, thereby maintaining storage stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by ensuring the coagulant has different water absorptivity characteristics in different contexts: sufficient absorptivity to form adhesive bonds with impermeable substrates during printing, but limited absorptivity to prevent swelling and bleeding during storage. This localized optimization of absorptivity properties resolves the contradiction between adhesion and storage stability.
3Duration of action of moving object
If pretreatment liquid forms ink receiving layer, then drying properties are improved, but image quality deteriorates due to absorption of ink components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the coagulant (C) as an intermediary substance that forms a stable layer between the impermeable substrate and the aqueous inkjet ink. This intermediary layer provides sufficient drying properties by controlling liquid distribution while preventing excessive absorption of ink components, thus maintaining image quality. The coagulant acts as a mediator that balances drying function with ink component retention.
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 solution provides excellent adhesion, blocking resistance, and image quality with no color irregularities, and ensures long-term storage stability of printed items on impermeable substrates.
Implementation Method 1
the coagulant (C) has a water absorptivity at a temperature of 40°C and a relative humidity of 80% of 75% by mass or less
Implementation Method 2
the surfactant (B) contains a polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether (b-1) represented by a general formula (1) shown below
Data Source
AI summary
A pretreatment liquid that is used together with an aqueous inkjet ink containing a pigment and water, wherein the pretreatment liquid contains resin microparticles (A), a surfactant (B), a coagulant (C) and water, the surfactant (B) contains a polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether (b-1), and the coagulant (C) contains a polyvalent metal salt and/or a cationic polymer compound and has a water absorptivity at a temperature of 40°C and a relative humidity of 80% of 75% by mass or less.