Inks

Abstract

An ink comprising: (a) from 1 to 25 parts of titanium dioxide pigment; (b) from 0 to 8 parts of a styrene butadiene latex binder; (c) from 0 to 8 parts of a polyurethane latex binder; (d) from 0 to 5 parts of a glycol selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol or triethylene glycol; (e) from 1 to 10 parts of 2-pyrrolidone; (f) from 1 to 10 parts of glycerol; (g) from 0.01 to 2 parts of an acetylenic surfactant; (h) from 0.001 to 5 parts of biocide; (i) from 0 to 10 parts of a viscosity modifier; and (j) the balance to 100 parts water; provided that (b) plus (c) is greater than 0. Also ink jet printing processes, ink-jet ink containers, printed substrates and ink-jet printers.

Claims

1. An ink comprising: (a) from 1 to 25 parts of titanium dioxide pigment; (b) from 0 to 8 parts of a styrene butadiene latex binder; (c) from 0 to 8 parts of a polyurethane latex binder; (d) from 0 to 5 parts of a glycol selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol or triethylene glycol; (e) from 1 to 10 parts of 2-pyrrolidone; (f) from 1 to 10 parts of glycerol; (g) from 0.01 to 2 parts of an acetylenic surfactant; (h) from 0.001 to 5 parts of biocide; (i) from 0 to 10 parts of a viscosity modifier; and (j) the balance to 100 parts water; provided that (b) plus (c) is greater than 0.

2. An ink as claimed in claim 1 wherein the titanium dioxide pigment comprises a surface treated titanium dioxide pigment.

3. An ink as claimed in claim 1 comprising 0 parts of the polyurethane latex binder.

4. An ink as claimed in claim 1 comprising 0 parts of the styrene butadiene latex binder.

5. An ink as claimed in claim 1 containing either the styrene butadiene latex binder in the range of from 2 to 6 parts or the polyurethane latex binder in the range of from 2 to 6 parts.

6. An ink as claimed in claim 1 wherein the glycol comprises ethylene glycol

7. An ink as claimed in claim 1 wherein the glycerol is present in the range of from 2 to 7.5 parts.

8. An ink as claimed in claim 1 wherein the acetylenic surfactant comprises 2,4,7,9-tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol.

9. An ink as claimed in claim 1 wherein the viscosity modifier comprises polyethylene glycol.

10. An ink as claimed in claim 1 comprising: (a′) from 5 to 20 parts of titanium dioxide pigment; (b′) from 2 to 6 parts of a styrene butadiene latex binder; (c′) from 0.5 to 2.5 parts of ethylene glycol; (d′) from 2.5 to 7.5 parts of 2-pyrrolidone; (e′) from 2 to 7.5 parts of glycerol; (f′) from 0.05 to 1.0 parts of 2,4,7,9-tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol; (g′) from 0.001 to 2 parts of biocide; (h′) from 3 to 8 parts of a viscosity modifier; (i′) the balance to 100 parts water.

11. An ink as claimed in claim 1 comprising: (a″) from 5 to 20 parts of titanium dioxide pigment; (b″) from 2 to 6 parts of a polyurethane latex binder; (c″) from 0.5 to 2.5 parts of ethylene glycol; (d″) from 2.5 to 7.5 parts of 2-pyrrolidone; (e″) from 2 to 7.5 parts of glycerol; (f″) from 0.05 to 1.0 parts of 2,4,7,9-tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol; (g″) from 0.001 to 2 parts of biocide; (h″) from 3 to 8 parts of a viscosity modifier; (i″) the balance to 100 parts water.

12. An ink-jet printing process wherein the ink according to claim 1 is printed onto a substrate using an ink-jet printer with an ink re-circulating print-head.

13. A substrate printed by an ink-jet printing process as described in claim 12.

14. An ink-jet printer ink container containing an ink as defined in claim 1.

15. (canceled)

Description

EXAMPLES

[0135] The present invention will now be illustrated by the following examples in which all parts are by weight unless stated to the contrary.

[0136] Titanium dioxide 1 is GLW75PFSP from Kobo Products.

[0137] Titanium dioxide 2 is a Titania NanoDispersion from Evonik Industries

[0138] Surfynol® 440 is an acetylenic surfactant from Air Products.

[0139] Sancure® 20025F is an aliphatic polyester urethane polymer dispersion. from Lubrizol.

[0140] Rovene® 4111 is a styrene butadiene dispersion from Mallard Creek Polymers.

[0141] Rovene 6102 is a styrene acrylic dispersion from Mallard Creek Polymers.

[0142] 1,2-Benzisothazolin-3-one was obtained as Proxel® GXL (20% solution) from Lonza.

Example Ink 1

[0143]

TABLE-US-00001 Component Formulation At 100% Active (Wt %) Titanium Dioxide 1 12.0 Glycerol 3.75 Ethylene glycol 1.25 2 Pyrrolidone 95% 5.0 Surfynol 440 0.065 1,2-Benzisothazolin-3-one 0.015 Rovene 4111 4.0 PEG 20K 6.40 DI Water to 100

Properties of Example Ink 1

[0144]

TABLE-US-00002 Properties Viscosity at 32° C. 11.34 Surface Tension D/cm 34.74

Example Ink 2

[0145]

TABLE-US-00003 Component Formulation At 100% Active (Wt %) Titanium Dioxide 1 10.0 Titanium Dioxide 2 4.0 Glycerol 3.75 Ethylene glycol 1.25 2 Pyrrolidone 95% 5.0 Surfynol 440 0.065 1,2-Benzisothazolin-3-one 0.015 Rovene 4111 4.0 PEG 20K 6.10 DI Water to 100

Properties of Example Ink 2

[0146]

TABLE-US-00004 Properties Viscosity at 32° C. 12.56 Surface Tension D/cm 35.13

Example Ink 3

[0147]

TABLE-US-00005 Component Formulation At 100% Active (Wt %) Titanium Dioxide 1 12.0 Glycerol 3.75 Ethylene glycol 1.25 2 Pyrrolidone 95% 5.0 Surfynol 440 0.030 1,2-Benzisothazolin-3-one 0.015 Sancure 20025F 4.0 PEG 20K 5.4 DI Water to 100

Properties of Example Ink 3

[0148]

TABLE-US-00006 Properties Viscosity at 32° C. 11.56 Surface Tension D/cm 34.43

Example Ink 4

[0149]

TABLE-US-00007 Component Formulation At 100% Active (Wt %) Titanium Dioxide 1 10.0 Titanium Dioxide 2 4.0 Glycerol 3.75 Ethylene glycol 1.25 2 Pyrrolidone 95% 5.0 Surfynol 440 0.030 1,2-Benzisothazolin-3-one 0.015 Sancure 20025F 4.0 PEG 20K 5.40 DI Water to 100

Properties of Example Ink 4

[0150]

TABLE-US-00008 Properties Viscosity at 32° C. 11.56 Surface Tension D/cm 35.5

Comparative Example Ink 1

[0151]

TABLE-US-00009 Component Formulation At 100% Active (Wt %) Titanium Dioxide 1 12.0 Glycerol 3.75 Ethylene glycol 1.25 2 Pyrrolidone 95% 5.0 Surfynol 440 0.6 1,2-Benzisothazolin-3-one 0.015 Acrylic latex 4.0 PEG 20K 5.80 DI Water to 100

Properties of Comparative Example Ink 1

[0152]

TABLE-US-00010 Properties Viscosity at 32° C. 12.78 Surface Tension D/cm 33.00

Comparative Example Ink 2

[0153]

TABLE-US-00011 Component Formulation At 100% Active (Wt %) Titanium Dioxide 1 10.0 Titanium Dioxide 2 4.0 Glycerol 3.75 Ethylene glycol 1.25 2 Pyrrolidone 95% 5.0 Surfynol 440 0.6 1,2-Benzisothazolin-3-one 0.015 Acrylic latex 4.0 PEG 20K 5.40 DI Water to 100

Properties of Comparative Example Ink 2

[0154]

TABLE-US-00012 Properties Viscosity at 32° C. 12.00 Surface Tension D/cm 33.29

Comparative Example Ink 3

[0155]

TABLE-US-00013 Component Formulation At 100% Active (Wt %) Titanium Dioxide 1 12.0 Glycerol 3.75 Ethylene glycol 1.25 2 Pyrrolidone 95% 5.0 Surfynol 440 0.028 1,2-Benzisothazolin-3-one 0.015 Rovene 6102 4.0 PEG 20K 5.2 DI Water to 100

Properties of Comparative Example Ink 3

[0156]

TABLE-US-00014 Properties Viscosity at 32° C. 11.56 Surface Tension D/cm 34.43

Comparative Example Ink 4

[0157]

TABLE-US-00015 Component Formulation At 100% Active (Wt %) Titanium Dioxide 1 10.0 Titanium Dioxide 2 4.0 Glycerol 3.75 Ethylene glycol 1.25 2 Pyrrolidone 95% 5.0 Surfynol 440 0.030 1,2-Benzisothazolin-3-one 0.015 Rovene 6102 4.0 PEG 20K 5.40 DI Water to 100

Properties of Comparative Example Ink 4

[0158]

TABLE-US-00016 Properties Viscosity at 32° C. 11.62 Surface Tension D/cm 33.6

[0159] All inks were left standing for 1 week and at the end of this time visually observed and the degree of sedimentation visually evaluated as low, medium or high. The results are shown in the Table below.

TABLE-US-00017 Ink Degree of Sedimentation Example Ink 1 Low Example Ink 2 Low Example Ink 3 Low Example Ink 4 Low Comparative Example Ink 1 Medium Comparative Example Ink 2 Medium Comparative Example Ink 3 High Comparative Example Ink 4 High

[0160] The improvement in sedimentation behaviour seen with the inks of the present invention can also be seen by diluting the supernatant of the ink after 1 week to 0.06% with water and determining the light transmission at various wavelengths between 380 nm and 700 nm. At all these wavelengths the Comparative Example Ink showed a significantly greater light transmission than any of the Example Inks due to the fact that in the Example Inks much more titanium dioxide remained in suspension in the ink. The results at 700 nm are shown below.

TABLE-US-00018 Ink Transmission of Light at 700 nm % Example Ink 1 4.9 Example Ink 2 12.7 Example Ink 3 5.7 Example Ink 4 15.6 Comparative Example Ink 1 66.1 Comparative Example Ink 2 88.5 Comparative Example Ink 3 98.4 Comparative Example Ink 4 96.7

[0161] Example inks 1 to 4 were successfully printed through a SG1024 re-circulating print head from FUJIFILM Dimatix onto a variety of substrates to give robust prints without causing any faceplate wetting.