Water-Based Ink System Using Organic Solvent Emulsion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional water-based inks with leuco dyes suffer from slow color development and weak color intensity due to the dyes' insolubility in water, and organic solvent-based inks have drawbacks like expense, odor, and oily residues.
Innovation Solution
A water-based ink composition comprising an organic solvent, a coloring agent, and an emulsifier, forming an oil-in-water emulsion that reacts with a color developer on a treated surface to produce vivid, bold colors without external manipulation, and includes additives for stability and performance enhancement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If water is used as a solvent for leuco dyes, then cost is reduced and odor is eliminated, but color development speed decreases and color intensity becomes weak
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the leuco dye from solid particles/microcapsules to dissolved state in organic solvent droplets. This parameter change enables rapid color development while maintaining water as the continuous phase, thus reducing cost and eliminating odor while improving color development speed and intensity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite emulsion system where organic solvent droplets containing dissolved leuco dye are dispersed in water. This composite structure combines the advantages of both water-based (cost-effective, odorless) and organic solvent-based (rapid color development, intense color) systems.
2Stability of the object's composition
If leuco dyes are dispersed as solid particles or microcapsules in water, then the ink composition is stable, but color intensity becomes weak due to incomplete reaction with color developer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the dispersion state of leuco dye from solid particles/microcapsules to dissolved state in organic solvent. This enables complete contact and reaction between the dye and color developer, producing intense color while the emulsion structure maintains compositional stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The organic solvent acts as an intermediary medium that dissolves the leuco dye and delivers it to the color developer. The emulsifier serves as another intermediary to stabilize the dispersion of organic solvent droplets in water, ensuring both stability and reactivity.
3Productivity
If organic solvent-based compositions are used, then color development is rapid and intense, but undesirable odors and oily residues are produced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the organic solvent into small dispersed droplets within an aqueous emulsion. This segmentation allows the organic solvent to provide rapid and intense color development where needed, while the continuous water phase prevents the formation of oily residues and reduces odor.
Solution Approach 2:
The emulsifier acts as an intermediary substance that enables the organic solvent to be dispersed in water without forming oily residues. It stabilizes the emulsion, allowing the benefits of organic solvent-based dyes to be realized without the harmful effects of odor and greasiness.
4Illumination intensity
If increased amounts of leuco dye are used in water-based dispersion ink, then color intensity may improve, but the dye cannot fully react with color developer due to dispersion as solid particles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the state of leuco dye from solid particles to dissolved form in organic solvent droplets. This ensures complete reaction with the color developer regardless of the amount of dye used, while still achieving high color intensity. The dissolved state allows molecular-level contact between dye and developer.
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 system achieves rapid and intense color formation on treated surfaces while preventing color transfer to unintended surfaces and eliminating oily residues, with improved stability and cost-effectiveness compared to previous ink compositions.
Implementation Method 1
forming an oil-in-water emulsion
Implementation Method 2
an emulsifier
Implementation Method 3
reacts with a color developer on a treated surface to produce vivid, bold colors
Implementation Method 4
As the water evaporates, more of the coloring agent dissolved in the organic solvent droplets is able to react with the color developer-treated surface
Data Source
AI summary
A no-mess water-based ink including a composition including water, an organic solvent, a coloring agent dissolved in the organic solvent and an emulsifier for use in conjunction with a specially treated substrate containing a color developer.