Water-Based Inkjet Ink Composition for Stable Ejection on Impermeable Media
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water-based inkjet inks fail to simultaneously achieve high ejection stability, beading suppression, and blocking resistance, especially on impermeable substrates.
Innovation Solution
A water-based inkjet ink composition comprising a specific acetylenediol surfactant with an HLB value of 10 or less, combined with an alkanediol and glycol monoether, to control surface tension and orientation on the gas-liquid interface, enhancing ejection stability and blocking resistance while suppressing beading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If water-based inkjet ink is used on impermeable substrates, then environmental safety and health benefits are improved, but beading occurs due to high surface tension preventing droplet spreading
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the ink by incorporating specific surfactants (nonionic and/or cationic) and adjusting the ratio of water-soluble organic solvents to achieve optimal surface tension (20-35 mN/m) that enables proper droplet spreading on impermeable substrates without beading, while maintaining environmental safety through water-based formulation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces surfactants as intermediary substances that mediate between the water-based ink and the hydrophobic impermeable substrate surface, reducing surface tension and enabling wetting and spreading of ink droplets without direct adverse interaction between water and the substrate
2Manufacturing precision
If surfactants or water-soluble organic solvents are added to reduce surface tension, then droplet spreading is improved, but ejection stability deteriorates due to excessive surface tension reduction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent precisely controls the concentration and type of surfactants and water-soluble organic solvents to achieve a balanced surface tension range (20-35 mN/m), avoiding both excessive surface tension (causing beading) and insufficient surface tension (causing ejection instability), thereby optimizing both droplet spreading and ejection stability simultaneously
3Strength
If water-based inkjet ink does not penetrate into impermeable substrates, then substrate integrity is preserved, but drying becomes insufficient and blocking occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a resin component as an intermediary that forms a binding layer between the ink and the impermeable substrate surface, enabling sufficient adhesion and drying without requiring deep penetration into the substrate, thereby preventing blocking while preserving substrate integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite ink formulation combining water, surfactants, water-soluble organic solvents, and resins that work synergistically to achieve proper wetting, adhesion, and drying characteristics on impermeable substrates without compromising the substrate itself
4Productivity
If droplets are ejected in rapid succession (several hundred microseconds to several tens of milliseconds apart), then printing efficiency is improved, but beading occurs because droplets contact each other before spreading
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by incorporating surfactants and water-soluble organic solvents in the ink formulation that pre-condition the ink to rapidly reduce surface tension upon contact with the substrate, enabling droplets to spread immediately before subsequent droplets arrive, thereby preventing beading even at high printing speeds
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 achieves excellent ejection stability, prevents beading, and provides printed matter with superior blocking resistance on impermeable substrates.
Implementation Method 1
it is common to reduce the surface tension of water-based inkjet inks. For example, surfactants or water-soluble organic solvents are added to water-based inkjet inks to reduce the surface tension
Implementation Method 2
the droplets landed on the substrate, and being in a state with a high surface tension do not spread to wet the substrate
Implementation Method 3
control orientation on the gas-liquid interface, enhancing ejection stability
Data Source
AI summary
A water-based inkjet ink comprising a pigment, a surfactant (A), and a water-soluble organic solvent (B), in which the surfactant (A) includes an acetylenediol surfactant (A1) having an ethylene oxide structure and a propylene oxide structure, and having an HLB value of 10 or less; the water-soluble organic solvent (B) includes an alkanediol (B1) having 3 to 5 carbon atoms, and a glycol monoether (B2) having 4 to 10 carbon atoms; and a mass ratio ((B1)/(B2)) between a content of the alkanediol (B1) having 3 to 5 carbon atoms and a content of the glycol monoether (B2) having 4 to 10 carbon atoms is 0.8 to 12.