UV-Curable Pigment Ink via Mini-Emulsion Polymerization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current UV-curable pigment inks for textile printing face challenges in achieving high colorfastness due to incomplete monomer conversion, leading to issues with ink fluency and durability on textiles.
Innovation Solution
A method combining thermal and photo initiators with mini-emulsion polymerization to create a UV-curable pigment ink, where monomers undergo partial heat-initiated polymerization followed by complete UV-initiated polymerization, enhancing monomer conversion and colorfastness, and incorporating a water-soluble cosolvent and non-ionic surfactant to improve ink properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If binders are added to improve adhesion and colorfastness, then colorfastness is improved, but ink fluency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the binder by using polymerizable compounds that undergo polymerization upon UV irradiation. This transforms the binder from a state that affects fluency to a state that provides adhesion only after curing, resolving the contradiction between fluency and colorfastness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the phase transition of polymerizable binders from liquid (affecting fluency) to solid polymer network (providing adhesion) through UV-induced polymerization. This temporal separation resolves the contradiction by having the binder in different states during different process stages.
2Productivity
If conventional thermal polymerization is used to prepare pigment particles, then monomer conversion reaches about 81%, but remaining monomer adversely affects colorfastness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges thermal polymerization and UV polymerization processes. Thermal initiators provide initial polymerization during particle formation, while UV initiators complete the conversion afterward, achieving both high productivity and excellent colorfastness by eliminating remaining monomer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary thermal polymerization during particle preparation to establish the pigment structure, then completes the monomer conversion through subsequent UV irradiation. This two-stage approach ensures both efficient particle formation and complete monomer consumption for superior colorfastness.
3Manufacturing precision
If pigment particle size is reduced to improve print quality, then diffusion reflection is reduced, but nozzle blocking risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates composite pigment particles where pigment is embedded within a polymer matrix formed by polymerizable compounds. This composite structure allows for reduced particle size with improved print quality while the polymer network prevents aggregation and nozzle blocking, resolving the contradiction between print quality and nozzle reliability.
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 results in a UV-curable pigment ink with high monomer conversion rates (>90%) and excellent colorfastness, ensuring good fluency and durability on textiles.
Implementation Method 1
monomers, photo initiators and thermal initiators are mixed with pigment particles to make a UV-curable pigment mini-emulsion paste
Implementation Method 2
monomers undergo heat-initiated partial polymerization during the preparation of pigment paste. After printing the pigment ink onto the substrate, UV light is used to initiate the complete polymerization reaction
Implementation Method 3
we combined thermal polymerization reagents, UV-curable reagents and mini-emulsion polymerization process to make a UV-curable pigment ink
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a method of preparing UV-curable inkjet pigment ink for textile printing, in which mini-emulsion techniques are used to encapsulate monomer, photo initiator, thermal initiator and pigment in mini-emulsion particles to make a UV-curable pigment paste, and the UV-curable pigment paste is mixed with water-soluble co-solvent, surfactant and water to make a UV-curable pigment ink. The preparation process is simple and easy. The UV-curable inkjet pigment ink of the invention exhibits good fluency during printing, bright color and strong color fastness in printed products.