Water-Soluble Surfactant Composition for High-Speed Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current water-soluble surfactant compositions for inks and paper coatings fail to provide adequate foam control and pigment dispersing capabilities at high-speed printing conditions, while also posing environmental concerns and having insufficient water solubility for transparent coatings.
Innovation Solution
A water-soluble surfactant composition comprising glycidyl ether-capped acetylenic diol ethoxylate and polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether with specific HLB values, which reduces dynamic surface tension and enhances wetting, penetrating, and foam controlling properties, ensuring compatibility with high-speed printing and environmental safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether is used as a wetting agent, then foamability increases, but pigment dispersion and high-speed printing compatibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical structure parameters of the surfactant by introducing acetylenic diol units with specific triple bond configurations and controlling the ethoxylate chain length (n+m=1-100), which fundamentally alters the surfactant's foam control properties while maintaining wetting performance suitable for high-speed printing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite surfactant molecule by combining acetylenic diol core structure with ethoxylate chains and optional aromatic hydrocarbon groups, achieving a balance between foam control and wetting properties that neither component could achieve alone
2Ease of operation
If conventional surfactants are used to reduce surface tension, then wetting properties improve, but foam control capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the surfactant molecular parameters by incorporating acetylenic diol units with specific carbon chain lengths (C4-C12) and controlling the ethoxylate addition (n+m values), which reduces surface tension while simultaneously improving foam control through the unique triple bond structure
3Object-affected harmful factors
If water-based systems are used for environmental safety, then drying speed decreases, but manufacturing speed requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the water-based surfactant system by optimizing the ethoxylate chain length and acetylenic diol structure, which reduces surface tension to enhance wetting and penetration speed, allowing water-based inks to achieve manufacturing speeds comparable to solvent-based systems while maintaining environmental safety
4Object-generated harmful factors
If glycidyl ether-capped acetylenic diol ethoxylate is used, then foam control and dispersing capability improve, but water solubility may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the water solubility parameter by controlling the total ethoxylate chain length (n+m=1-100) and the hydrophobic aromatic group content, ensuring sufficient water solubility for transparent coating formulations while maintaining improved foam control and dispersing capabilities
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 surfactant composition achieves improved substrate wetting, pigment dispersion, and foam control, enabling efficient high-speed printing and coating while being environmentally friendly and water-soluble, thus addressing the limitations of existing surfactants.
Implementation Method 1
a water-soluble surfactant composition which exerts improved wettability, penetrability and foam inhibition
Implementation Method 2
impart wetting, penetrating and dispersing properties relative to substrates
Implementation Method 3
improved foam controlling capabilities
Implementation Method 4
impart wetting, penetrating and dispersing properties relative to substrates
Data Source
AI summary
A water-soluble surfactant composition is provided comprising (A) a glycidyl ether-capped acetylenic diol ethoxylate and (B) a polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether having an HLB of 8-18. When compounded in inks and paper coatings, the surfactant composition exerts improved foam controlling, dispersing, wetting and penetrating capabilities, is water soluble, and complies with high-speed printing and application conditions.