White Ink for Transparent Packaging with Bimodal Titanium Oxide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printing on transparent flexible packaging materials often results in insufficient opacity and surface smoothness, requiring a white ink that can provide high whiteness, opacity, and glossiness while maintaining preservation stability, especially when dealing with uneven surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A white ink formulation containing titanium oxide particles with specific particle size distributions and ratios, including a first peak in the range of 40-155 nm and a second peak in 165-340 nm, along with a pigment dispersion and binder resin, to enhance lightness, opacity, and surface smoothness, while ensuring preservation stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a white ink for inkjet printing is used to ensure opacity and whiteness on transparent flexible packaging, then the opacity and whiteness of the formed image are improved, but the surface smoothness deteriorates when there are projections and recesses on the underlying layer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the particle size parameters of titanium oxide particles, specifying a narrow range of 100-200 nm, to optimize both opacity and surface smoothness. This parameter optimization allows the ink to fill surface irregularities while maintaining high opacity, resolving the contradiction between these two properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite ink formulation combining titanium oxide particles with specific binders and dispersants. This composite approach enables the ink to achieve both high opacity through titanium oxide and surface smoothness through the binding and leveling properties of the other components, simultaneously satisfying both requirements.
2Quantity of substance
If titanium oxide particles with specific particle sizes are used to achieve high whiteness and opacity, then the whiteness and opacity are improved, but the preservation stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the particle size parameter of titanium oxide to 100-200 nm, which provides the right balance between whiteness/opacity and preservation stability. This specific parameter range prevents particle aggregation and sedimentation while maintaining high whiteness, thus resolving the contradiction between these properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by using different particle size ranges for different functions: 100-200 nm particles provide both whiteness and stability. This localized optimization at the particle level allows simultaneous achievement of multiple properties that would otherwise be contradictory.
3Quantity of substance
If the white ink is applied to form an underlying layer for color ink printing, then the opacity is improved, but the surface smoothness required for subsequent color printing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies precise particle size parameters (100-200 nm) for titanium oxide particles that enable the white ink layer to achieve high opacity while maintaining surface smoothness. This parameter control ensures the underlying layer is suitable for subsequent color printing, resolving the contradiction between opacity and surface smoothness.
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 high whiteness, opacity, and glossiness, reducing redness and improving surface smoothness, while maintaining excellent preservation stability by optimizing the particle size and content of titanium oxide particles.
Implementation Method 1
The first titanium oxide particles have a percentage content of at least 12.0% by mass and no greater than 33.0% by mass in the titanium oxide particles. The second titanium oxide particles have a percentage content of at least 67.0% by mass and no greater than 88.0% by mass in the titanium oxide particles.
Data Source
AI summary
A white ink for inkjet printing contains titanium oxide particles and an aqueous medium. In particle size distribution measurement for the titanium oxide particles, the titanium oxide particles exhibit at least a first peak present in a particle diameter range between 40 nm and 55 nm and a second peak present in a particle diameter range between 165 nm and 340 nm. Where of the titanium oxide particles, titanium oxide particles with a particle diameter of at least 40 nm and no greater than 155 nm are taken as first titanium oxide particles and titanium oxide with a particle diameter of at least 165 nm and no greater than 340 nm are taken as second titanium oxide particles, ratios of major axis length to minor axis length of the first titanium oxide particles and the second titanium oxide particles each are at least 2 and no greater than 15.