Water-Based Ink Polymer Particles for Gloss and Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional water-based inks for ink jet recording on gloss paper often suffer from issues such as surface changes due to friction and poor stability, leading to clogging and storage problems.
Innovation Solution
A water-based ink comprising polymer particles A with a yellow pigment-containing water-insoluble vinyl polymer and polymer particles B of a pigment-free water-insoluble vinyl polymer, where the polymers are produced using specific monomers to achieve high gloss and stability, including a polyoxyalkylene group-containing monomer, salt forming group-containing monomer, and styrene monomers, with controlled molecular weights and particle diameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If conventional water-based inks are used for ink jet recording on gloss paper, then the ink can be applied and recorded, but the surface of the recorded matter undergoes changes due to friction with clear files or between stacked recorded matters, leading to poor surface stability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite polymer system consisting of two distinct polymer components: a water-insoluble vinyl polymer providing friction resistance and a pigment-dispersing polymer ensuring colorant stability. This composite approach allows the ink film to simultaneously resist friction damage and maintain surface integrity under stacking conditions, resolving the contradiction between surface stability and friction damage.
2Reliability
If conventional water-based inks are used, then the ink can be stored and printed, but the ink suffers from poor reliability including clogging, continuous printing instability, and storage instability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies key parameters of the polymer system including molecular weight, composition ratios of the two polymer components, and particle size distribution. These parameter changes optimize the ink's rheological properties, prevent nozzle clogging by controlling particle size, and ensure storage stability by adjusting polymer-pigment interactions, thereby comprehensively improving ink reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The dual-polymer composite system provides complementary functions: one polymer ensures friction resistance and film formation, while the other provides pigment dispersion and flow stability. This composite material approach prevents clogging through optimized particle characteristics and ensures continuous printing stability through balanced rheological properties.
3Illumination intensity
If conventional water-based inks are used on gloss paper, then the ink can be recorded, but the recorded matter exhibits poor gloss and insufficient fixation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent carefully controls the molecular weight and composition of the water-insoluble vinyl polymer to optimize film formation on gloss paper surfaces. By adjusting polymer parameters and particle size distribution, the ink achieves high gloss appearance while maintaining strong fixation, resolving the contradiction between aesthetic quality and bonding reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a water-based ink that can exhibit high gloss on gloss paper and has excellent fixation while maintaining ink reliability such as recovery from clogging, continuous printing stability, and ink storage stability. The water-based ink comprises at least yellow pigment-containing polymer particles A and pigment-free polymer particles B. The polymer particles A are formed of a water insoluble vinyl polymer produced by polymerizing a specific monomer composition A, and the polymer particles B are formed of a water insoluble vinyl polymer produced by polymerizing a specific monomer composition B and has a minimum film forming temperature of 20° C. or above. The polymer particles B have an average particle diameter of 30 to 60 nm.