Undried Coated Titanium Dioxide Ink for Sedimentation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Printing inks with titanium dioxide particles face challenges such as sedimentation, leading to reduced dispersibility, clogged nozzles, and the need for multiple printings to achieve desired hiding power, which are time- and cost-intensive, and existing solutions involve dispersants that increase costs and potential ink image impacts.
Innovation Solution
An aqueous printing ink using undried, coated titanium dioxide pigment particles with coats of silica, alumina, or zirconia, which reduces sedimentation and enhances dispersibility without the need for additional dispersants, allowing higher titanium dioxide content and improved shelf life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If titanium dioxide content is increased to achieve desired hiding power, then hiding power is improved, but sedimentation tendency increases leading to nozzle clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the surface properties of titanium dioxide particles through coating with silica, alumina, or zirconia. This changes the physical and chemical parameters of the pigment particles, reducing their sedimentation tendency while maintaining high hiding power. The coated particles exhibit improved dispersibility and reduced aggregation, allowing higher titanium dioxide content without nozzle clogging.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining titanium dioxide with coating materials (silica, alumina, or zirconia) to create coated pigment particles. This composite structure provides the benefits of both materials: the high hiding power of titanium dioxide and the improved dispersibility and reduced sedimentation of the coating materials.
2Stability of the object's composition
If dispersants are added to reduce sedimentation, then dispersibility is improved, but ink composition complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the dispersibility function from external additives (dispersants) and integrates it into the pigment particles themselves through surface coating. The coating materials silica, alumina, or zirconia provide inherent dispersibility, eliminating the need for separate dispersant chemicals and simplifying the ink composition.
Solution Approach 2:
The coated titanium dioxide particles are self-dispersing due to their surface coating properties. The coating materials provide steric or electrostatic repulsion that prevents aggregation, allowing the particles to maintain dispersion without requiring external dispersants. This self-service approach reduces ink formulation complexity.
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 ink exhibits reduced sedimentation, easy handling, and longer shelf life with improved hiding power achieved in fewer prints, avoiding nozzle clogging and reducing the need for manual re-dispersion or mechanical aids.
Implementation Method 1
forming at least one coat on said titanium dioxide base pigments, the coat is selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina, zirconia
Implementation Method 2
enhances dispersibility without the need for additional dispersants
Data Source
AI summary
An aqueous printing ink comprised of undried, coated titanium dioxide pigment particles obtainable by a method comprising the steps of (i) providing an aqueous suspension of titanium dioxide base pigments, and (ii) forming at least one coat on said titanium dioxide base pigments as well as to an aqueous slurry containing the pigment particles. In addition, the present invention pertains to a method for obtaining said aqueous printing ink, a method for printing the aqueous printing ink onto the surface of a substrate, and a printing ink container as well as an inkjet printer comprising said ink. Finally, the present invention relates to the use of the aqueous printing ink to print a printing image onto the surface of a substrate.