Sublimation Heat Transfer Sheet Layer Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sublimation transfer method images suffer from poor durability and adhesion issues due to low molecular weight dyes and the trade-off between releasability and adhesion when using releasing agents in thermal transfer sheets, leading to peeling noise, running failures, and inadequate protective layer adhesion.
Innovation Solution
A sublimation type thermal transfer sheet with a specific layer configuration, including a yellow, magenta, and cyan dye layer, where one or more layers contain silicone oils, silicone-modified resins, or phosphoric esters as releasing agents, and alkyl cellulose resin, with the third dye layer having minimal or no releasing agent to ensure good adhesion to a protective layer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If releasing agents are incorporated into all dye layers to improve releasability, then releasability between dye layer and receiving layer is improved, but adhesion between protective layer and image deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the releasing agent content across different dye layers. The first and second dye layers contain releasing agents at higher concentrations to ensure proper releasability during transfer, while the third dye layer contains releasing agents at reduced concentrations (0.01-5 wt%) or not at all, to maintain strong adhesion for the protective layer. This spatial variation in chemical composition resolves the contradiction between releasability and adhesion requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the dye layer structure into multiple functional zones with different releasing agent concentrations. By dividing the colorant layers into first, second, and third layers with progressively different releasing agent contents, the system can optimize each layer's function: earlier layers prioritize releasability while the final layer prioritizes adhesion, thus resolving the overall contradiction through functional segmentation.
2Reliability
If releasing agent content is increased in later dye layers to improve releasability, then releasability is sufficiently satisfied, but adhesion between image and protective layer becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by not increasing releasing agent content in later layers, but rather decreasing it in the third dye layer compared to the first two layers. This inversion resolves the contradiction by recognizing that the final image layer has different requirements (adhesion priority) compared to intermediate layers (releasability priority), thus applying the opposite strategy to the last layer.
3Manufacturing precision
If sublimation dyes are used to achieve concentration graduation and high quality images, then image quality is improved, but durability of the image deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials by combining sublimation dyes with specifically selected binder resins in the third dye layer. The binder resin content is optimized at 5-50 wt% to create a composite structure that maintains the concentration graduation capability of sublimation dyes while the binder resin provides the necessary durability and adhesion for the final image layer, thus resolving the contradiction between image quality and durability.
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 achieves improved releasability during image formation and strong adhesion to the protective layer, preventing peeling issues and enhancing the durability of the tertiary color image.
Implementation Method 1
the sublimation transfer method is an image forming method wherein sublimation dyes in the colorant layers are transferred onto a transfer receiving article by heating in order to form an image
Implementation Method 2
the melt-transfer method is an image forming method wherein colorant layers which are melted and softened by heating are transferred onto a thermal transfer receiving sheet in order to form an image
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
To provide a sublimation type heat transfer sheet capable of forming an image that has good adhesiveness to a protective layer, and capable of showing a good releasability of its dye layers during the image formation. The disclosed is a sublimation type thermal transfer sheet in which a first dye layer (3Y), a second dye layer (3M), and a third dye layer (3C) are frame sequentially provided on a surface of a substrate in this order, and a back-face layer is provided on another surface of the substrate, wherein the first dye layer (3Y), the second dye layer (3M), and the third dye layer (3C) contain an each individual sublimable dye and an each individual binder resin, one of the first dye layer and the second dye layer further contains at least a releasing agent selected from a first group consisting of silicone oils, silicone-modified resins and phosphoric esters, and another dye layer further contains either one or both of at least a releasing agent selected from the first group and a cellulosic resin, and the third dye layer (1) contains no releasing agent of the first group, or (2) contains the releasing agent at an amount of not more than 0.3 % by weight based on the total weight of the solid content of the third dye layer at the most.