Pretreatment Liquid Set for High-Speed Inkjet Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming methods fail to achieve high-quality images with desirable ink fixation during high-speed printing, as the speed of aggregation reactions outpaces crosslink reactions, leading to insufficient abrasion resistance and smearing issues.
Innovation Solution
An image forming method involving a pretreatment liquid set containing acid and an oxazoline group-containing polymer, combined with adipic acid dihydrazide, which enhances crosslinking and fixation by forming a second crosslinked product with higher molecular weight and crosslinking density, improving image quality and fixation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a first liquid and a second liquid are mixed on a recording medium to induce aggregations and crosslink reaction, then image density is improved, but abrasion resistance just after printing remains poor due to the aggregation reaction being much faster than the crosslink reaction
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies a pretreatment liquid containing acid and oxazoline group-containing polymer to the recording medium before ink ejection. This preliminary action creates a crosslinked layer that will subsequently react with the ink, ensuring both high image density and abrasion resistance from the start of the printing process rather than requiring post-printing development time.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention separates the treatment into two distinct components applied in sequence: first the pretreatment liquid with acid and oxazoline polymer, then the ink containing adipic acid dihydrazide. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally - the pretreatment creates the crosslinked structure, and the ink provides the pigment aggregation, achieving both goals without conflict.
2Reliability
If only acid is applied as pretreatment liquid, then the fixing ability is improved compared to no pretreatment, but the fixing ability is still poor compared to applying both acid and oxazoline group-containing polymer
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical parameters of the pretreatment liquid by adding oxazoline group-containing polymer to the acid, creating a new composition with enhanced crosslinking capability. This parameter change transforms the pretreatment from simple acid application to a sophisticated crosslinking system that dramatically improves fixing ability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite pretreatment liquid system combining acid and oxazoline group-containing polymer, which work synergistically to form a crosslinked network on the recording medium. This composite approach provides superior fixing ability compared to either component alone, while maintaining a relatively simple liquid application process.
3Productivity
If high-speed printing is performed with conventional methods, then productivity is improved, but image quality and fixation ability deteriorate due to insufficient crosslinking time
Solution Approach 1:
The crosslinked layer is formed as a preliminary structure before ink ejection, eliminating the need for post-printing crosslinking development time. This allows high-speed printing to proceed without compromising the quality of the crosslinking reaction, as it occurs in advance during the pretreatment step.
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 method achieves high-quality images with improved ink fixation and abrasion resistance, reducing smearing and transfer issues during high-speed printing.
Implementation Method 1
a crosslink reaction between adipic acid dihydrazide and polyvinyl alcohol or a water-soluble polymer at the same time
Implementation Method 2
a first liquid and a second liquid are mixed on a recording medium to induce aggregations of a polyvalent metal salt and a pigment
Data Source
AI summary
To provide an image forming method, which contains: treating a surface of a recording medium with acid, an oxazoline group-containing polymer, and adipic acid dihydrazide.