JP2007009126A - Ink for inkjet recording - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink for inkjet recording that is excellent in stability, exhibits high color development on a sheet of plain paper and has high glossiness on a sheet of glossy paper, and is excellent in ejection stability of the ink from an inkjet head. <P>SOLUTION: The ink for inkjet recording uses 2,2-dibutyl-1,3-propanediol. The addition amount of 2,2-dibutyl-1,3-propanediol is from not less than 0.1 wt% to not more than 1.5 wt%. Furthermore, the ink for inkjet recording uses a 1,2-alkylene glycol in addition of 2,2-dibutyl-1,3-propanediol. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink for ink jet recording having excellent stability, high color development on plain paper, high gloss on glossy paper, and excellent ink ejection stability from an ink jet head.

  Inkjet recording is a method of recording characters and figures on the surface of a recording medium by ejecting ink as small droplets from fine nozzles. As an ink jet recording method, an electric signal is converted into a mechanical signal by using an electrostrictive element, and ink stored in the nozzle head portion is intermittently ejected to record characters and symbols on the surface of the recording medium. A method of recording characters and symbols on the surface of the recording medium, etc. by rapidly heating a part of the ink stored in the part and generating bubbles by rapidly heating a part very close to the ejection part. Has been put to practical use.

  The ink used for such ink jet recording has no bleeding, good drying properties, can be printed uniformly on various recording medium surfaces, and can be used for color printing. In color printing, characteristics such as that adjacent colors do not mix are required.

  In conventional inks, many of the inks that use pigments, in particular, have been studied to ensure the print quality by suppressing ink wetting on the paper surface mainly by suppressing penetrability and keeping ink droplets near the paper surface. Made and put to practical use. However, with ink that suppresses wetting of paper, there is a large difference in bleeding due to differences in the type of paper, and especially with recycled paper that contains various paper components, there is bleeding due to differences in the wetting characteristics of each component. appear. In addition, such an ink has a problem that it takes time to dry the printing, and there is a problem that adjacent colors are mixed in multicolor printing such as color printing, and further, a pigment is used as a coloring material. Ink also has a problem that the abrasion resistance deteriorates because the pigment remains on the surface of paper or the like.

  In order to solve such problems, attempts have been made to improve the permeability of ink into paper. Addition of diethylene glycol monobutyl ether (see Patent Document 1), Surfynol 465, which is an acetylene glycol-based surfactant. The addition of Nissin Chemical (see Patent Document 2) or the addition of both diethylene glycol monobutyl ether and Surfynol 465 (see Patent Document 3) has been studied. In addition, the use of diethylene glycol ethers for ink has been studied (see Patent Document 4).

  In addition, in the case of an ink using a pigment, since it is generally difficult to improve the ink permeability while ensuring the dispersion stability of the pigment, the selection range of the penetrant is narrow. There are also examples using triethylene glycol monomethyl ether (see Patent Document 5) and examples using ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol or triethylene glycol ethers (see Patent Document 6). There are also examples using 1,2-hexanediol, 1,2-octanediol, 2-methyl-2-propyl-1,3-propanediol, etc. (see Patent Document 7).

US Pat. No. 5,156,675 US Pat. No. 5,183,502 US Pat. No. 5,196,056 US Pat. No. 2,083,372 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 56-147861 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-111165 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-3371

  However, conventional water-based inks have insufficient print quality, and are often smeared when printed on plain paper such as PPC paper, and color density and color developability are also insufficient. Further, the conventional dispersion is unstable, and when a substance having a hydrophilic part and a hydrophobic part such as a surfactant or glycol ether is present, adsorption / desorption is likely to occur, and the storage stability of the ink is poor. there were. Ordinary water-based inks require a substance having a hydrophilic part and a hydrophobic part such as a surfactant and glycol ether in order to reduce bleeding on paper. Ink that does not use these substances has insufficient permeability to paper, and there is a problem in that the type of paper is limited in order to perform uniform printing, which tends to cause a reduction in the printed image.

  Further, additives such as those used in the present invention (acetylene glycol and acetylene alcohol surfactants, di (tri) ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, (di) propylene glycol monobutyl ether or 1,2-alkylene) as used in the present invention. If glycol or a mixture thereof is used, long-term storage stability cannot be obtained, and ink re-dissolvability is poor, so that the ink dries and easily clogs at the tip of the nozzle of the inkjet head. It was.

  Accordingly, the present invention solves such problems, and its object is to provide excellent stability, high color on plain paper, high gloss on glossy paper, and ink from an inkjet head. Another object of the present invention is to provide an ink for ink jet recording having excellent discharge stability.

  The inkjet ink of the present invention is characterized by using 2,2-dibutyl-1,3-propanediol.

  In view of the fact that the present invention is required to have characteristics such as excellent stability, high color development on plain paper, high gloss on special paper, and excellent ejection stability of ink from an inkjet head. This is due to the result of earnest examination.

  The ink for inkjet recording of the present invention is characterized by using 2,2-dibutyl-1,3-propanediol. The amount of 2,2-dibutyl-1,3-propanediol added is preferably 0.1% by weight or more and 2.0% by weight or less. If it is less than 0.1% by weight, the color developability of plain paper is lowered and the glossiness of glossy paper is also lowered. If it exceeds 1.5% by weight, the ejection stability is deteriorated. In the present invention, it is further preferable to use 1,2-alkylene glycol. In the present invention, it is also preferable to use an acetylene glycol surfactant or an acetylene alcohol surfactant. In the present invention, it is preferable to use at least water, a coloring material and a humectant. In the present invention, when a pigment is used as the coloring material, the glass transition temperature of the polymer used for dispersing the pigment is preferably 50 ° C. or lower. When the temperature exceeds 50 ° C., the color developability on plain paper decreases and the gloss on glossy paper also decreases.

  In this way, by preparing the ink for ink jet recording as described above, an ink jet ink that has high color on plain paper, high gloss on special paper, and excellent ink ejection stability from the ink jet head. Can do.

  Color materials that can be used in the present invention include dyes and pigments. As the dye, a general dye that can be used for inkjet can be used. Examples include colorants classified as oil-soluble dyes, basic dyes, etc. in addition to those classified as acid dyes, direct dyes, reactive dyes, vat dyes, sulfur dyes or food dyes in the color index. You can also. In addition, as a pigment for black ink, carbon black (CI pigment black 7) such as furnace black, lamp black, acetylene black and channel black, or copper oxide, iron oxide (CI pigment) Examples include black 11), metals such as titanium oxide, and organic pigments such as aniline black (CI Pigment Black 1). However, carbon black is preferable because it has a relatively low density and does not easily settle in water.

  For color inks, C.I. I. Pigment Yellow 1 (Fast Yellow G), 3, 12 (Disazo Yellow AAA), 13, 14, 17, 24, 34, 35, 37, 42 (Yellow Iron Oxide), 53, 55, 74, 81, 83 (Disazo Yellow HR), 93, 94, 95, 97, 98, 100, 101, 104, 108, 109, 110, 117, 120, 128, 138, 153, 180, C.I. I. Pigment Red 1, 2, 3, 5, 17, 22 (Brilliant First Scarlet), 23, 31, 38, 48: 2 (Permanent Red 2B (Ba)), 48: 2 (Permanent Red 2B (Ca)), 48 : 3 (Permanent Red 2B (Sr)), 48: 4 (Permanent Red 2B (Mn)), 49: 1, 52: 2, 53: 1, 57: 1 (Brilliant Carmine 6B), 60: 1, 63: 1, 63: 2, 64: 1, 81 (Rhodamine 6G rake), 83, 88, 101 (Bengara), 104, 105, 106, 108 (Cadmium red), 112, 114, 122 (Quinacridone magenta), 123, 146, 149, 166, 168, 170, 172, 177, 178, 179, 185, 190, 193, 202, 206, 209, 219, . I. Pigment violet 19, 23, C.I. I. Pigment orange 36, C.I. I. Pigment Blue 1, 2, 15 (phthalocyanine blue R), 15: 1, 15: 2, 15: 3 (phthalocyanine blue G), 15: 4, 15: 6 (phthalocyanine blue E), 16, 17: 1, 56 , 60, 63, C.I. I. Pigment Green 1, 4, 7, 8, 10, 17, 18, 36, etc. can be used.

  As described above, it is preferable to use various dyes and pigments as the colorant, but it is more preferable that the dye is dispersed using a polymer, the dye is permeated into the polymer, or the case where polymer fine particles are used. This is a case of coexistence with a polymer.

  When the colorant is a pigment, it is dispersed using a disperser. In this case, various commercially available dispersers can be used as the disperser, but non-media dispersion is preferable. Specific examples thereof include a wet jet mill (Genus), a nanomer (Nanomer), a homogenizer (Gorin), an optimizer (Sugino Machine), and a microfluidizer (Microfluidics).

  The addition amount of the coloring material used in the ink for ink jet recording of the present invention is preferably 0.5 to 30%, and more preferably 1.0 to 15%. If the addition amount is less than this, the print density cannot be ensured, and if the addition amount is more than this, the viscosity of the ink increases or structural viscosity is generated in the viscosity characteristics, and the ejection stability of the ink from the ink jet head tends to deteriorate. .

  In addition, as a vehicle component of the ink for ink jet recording of the present invention, a surfactant, an organic solvent, a humectant, and the like are used. It is preferable that an ink having a surface tension in the range of 20 mN / m or more and 40 mN / m or less is added with at least a surfactant from the viewpoint of expanding the dot diameter printed with the ink jet to an optimum width.

  More preferably, the surfactant is at least one selected from acetylene alcohol surfactants, acetylene glycol surfactants and silicon surfactants. By using these surfactants, bleeding on plain paper is particularly reduced, and the dot diameter on the dedicated paper can be expanded to an optimum width.

  In order to make the surface tension of the inkjet pigment ink of the present invention in the range of 20 mN / m or more and 40 mN / m or less, it is preferable to add at least alkylene glycol monoalkyl ether and / or 1,2-alkylene glycol. . The alkylene glycol monoalkyl ether is preferably an alkylene glycol having 10 or less repeating units and an alkyl ether having 4 to 10 carbon atoms, di (tri) ethylene glycol monobutyl ether and / or (di). Propylene glycol monobutyl ether is preferred. The 1,2-alkylene glycol is preferably 1,2-hexanediol and / or 1,2-pentanediol. These additions improve the dryness of printing, and even if printing is performed continuously, the previous printing portion is not transferred to the back surface of the next medium, so that high-speed printing is possible.

  The addition amount of one or more substances selected from the aforementioned acetylene glycol surfactants, acetylene alcohol surfactants and silicon surfactants is preferably 0.1% or more and 5% or less. In the present invention, at least one selected from the above-mentioned acetylene glycol surfactants, acetylene alcohol surfactants and silicon surfactants, di (tri) ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, (di) propylene glycol And at least one selected from monobutyl ether and 1,2-alkylene glycol. The addition amount of one or more selected from the above-mentioned acetylene glycol surfactants, acetylene alcohol surfactants and silicon surfactants is 0.01% to 0.5%, and di (tri) ethylene glycol It is preferable that the addition amount of one or more selected from monobutyl ether, (di) propylene glycol monobutyl ether and 1,2-alkylene glycol is 1% or more.

  Further, the ink-jet pigment ink in the present invention is a moisturizer or dissolution aid for the purpose of ensuring its standing stability, stable ejection from the ink-jet head, for improving clogging, or for preventing ink deterioration. Various additives such as chelating agents for trapping metal ions that affect dispersion, penetration control agents, viscosity modifiers, pH adjusters, dissolution aids, antioxidants, antiseptics, antifungal agents, corrosion inhibitors, and dispersion agents Can also be added.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described. Examples are shown using pigments dispersed using the most preferred polymer, but dyes can be used in the same manner, and the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[Example 1]
(1) Production of Pigment Dispersion 1 The pigment dispersion 1 was carbon black (Pigment Black 7), Monarch 880 manufactured by Cabot Corporation of the United States. The reaction vessel equipped with a stirrer, thermometer, reflux tube and dropping funnel was purged with nitrogen, and then 65 parts of paracumylphenoxyethylene glycol acrylate, 10 parts of benzyl acrylate, 2 parts of acrylic acid, and 0.3 part of t-dodecyl mercaptan were added. Heat to 70 ° C., and separately prepare 150 parts of paracumylphenoxyethylene glycol acrylate, 15 parts of acrylic acid, 5 parts of butyl acrylate, 1 part of t-dodecyl mercaptan, 20 parts of methyl ethyl ketone and 1 part of sodium persulfate in a dropping funnel. Then, the dispersion polymer was polymerized while being dropped into the reaction vessel over 4 hours. Next, methyl ethyl ketone was added to the reaction vessel to prepare a dispersion polymer solution having a concentration of 40%. A portion of this polymer was taken out and dried, and then the glass transition temperature was measured by a differential operation calorimeter (EXSTAR6000DSC, manufactured by Seiko Denshi).

  Further, 40 parts of the dispersion polymer solution, 30 parts of Monarch 880 powder (manufactured by Cabot) as carbon black, 100 parts of a 0.1 mol / L aqueous sodium hydroxide solution, and 30 parts of methyl ethyl ketone were mixed. Then, using an ultra-high pressure homogenizer (Ultimizer HJP-25005 manufactured by Sugino Machine Co., Ltd.), it was dispersed by passing 15 passes at 200 MPa. Then, it moved to another container, 300 parts of ion-exchange water was added, and also it stirred for 1 hour. And the whole amount of methyl ethyl ketone and a part of water were distilled off using the rotary evaporator, and it neutralized with 0.1 mol / L sodium hydroxide, and adjusted to pH9. Thereafter, it was filtered through a 0.3 μm membrane filter and adjusted with ion-exchanged water to obtain a pigment dispersion 1 having a pigment concentration of 20%.

(2) Production of Pigment Dispersion 2 First, Pigment Dispersion 2 was prepared in the same manner as Pigment Dispersion 1 using Pigment Blue 15: 1 (trichlorocopper phthalocyanine pigment: G500 manufactured by Sanyo Color Co., Ltd.).

(3) Production of Pigment Dispersion 3 First, Pigment Dispersion 3 was prepared in the same manner as Pigment Dispersion 1 using Pigment Violet 19 (Quinacridone Pigment: Clariant).

(4) Production of Pigment Dispersion 4 First, Pigment Dispersion 3 was prepared in the same manner as Pigment Dispersion 1 using Pigment Yellow 74 (Condensed Azo Pigment: Clariant).

(5) Preparation of inkjet recording ink Table 2 shows examples of compositions suitable for inkjet recording ink. The ink for ink jet recording of the present invention was prepared by using the dispersion 1 prepared by the above method and mixing it with the vehicle components shown in Table 2. In the remaining amount of water in Table 1, 0.05% of the top side 240 (manufactured by Permachem Asia Co., Ltd.) is used to prevent ink corrosion, and 0.02 of benzotriazole is used to prevent ink jet head member corrosion. %, In order to reduce the influence of metal ions in the ink system, 0.04% of EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) · 2Na salt was added to ion-exchanged water.

(6) Evaluation of dispersion stability Table 1 shows the rate of change in viscosity (%) and the settling rate (%) when ink-jet pigment inks prepared using dispersions having different pigment particle diameters are left at 60 ° C. for 30 days. Show. The dispersion stability is shown as the rate of change in viscosity (%) when each water-based ink is left at 60 ° C. for 30 days. The change in viscosity is measured by an AMVn manufactured by Anton Paar, Germany, at an angle of 60 °, and is shown as 100-percentage (%) of 1- (value after 30 days) / (initial value). Moreover, it shows about the example compared about the presence or absence of addition of 2, 2-dibutyl-1, 3-propanediol (DBPD) and another additive simultaneously as Comparative Examples 1-4.

(7) Evaluation of plain paper OD and glossy paper glossiness Xerox 4024 paper manufactured by Xerox Corporation of the United States was used as plain paper, and PM photo paper manufactured by Seiko Epson Corporation was used as glossy paper. The printer used was an ink jet printer EM930C manufactured by Seiko Epson Corporation, and evaluation was performed using a sample printed in a printing mode of 720 dpi for plain paper and 1440 dpi for glossy paper. The OD was measured using GRETAG MACBETH SPECTROSCAN SPM-50 manufactured by GRETAG, USA. The glossiness was measured by measuring the specular glossiness of the recording surface at an incident angle of 60 degrees with a gloss checker IG-320 manufactured by Horiba, Ltd., and taking the average of 5 times for each recording paper. The media was printed with Seiko Epson Corporation PM photographic paper, and the printer was printed with Seiko Epson Corporation EM930C with 720 dpi. The results are shown in Table 1. Moreover, it shows about the example compared about the presence or absence of addition of DBPD and another additive simultaneously as Comparative Examples 1-4.

(8) Measurement of ejection stability Using PX-V600 manufactured by Seiko Epson Corporation as an ink jet printer, MSP Gothic is a standard for character size 11 in Microsoft Word on XeroxP paper A4 size manufactured by Fuji Xerox at 35 ° C and 35% atmosphere. Evaluation was performed by printing 100 pages at a rate of 4000 characters / page. AA when there is no printing disorder at all, A with printing disorder at one place, B with printing disorder at 2-3 places, C at 4-5 printing disorders, and 6 or more printing disorders The results are shown in Table 1 with D as the result. Moreover, it shows about the example compared about the presence or absence of addition of DBPD and another additive simultaneously as Comparative Examples 1-4 (Table 3-Table 6).

[Example 2]
(1) Production of Pigment Dispersion 5 The pigment dispersion 5 used was MA100 manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Industries, Ltd., which is carbon black (PBk7). The reaction vessel equipped with a stirrer, thermometer, reflux tube and dropping funnel was replaced with nitrogen, and then 45 parts of styrene, 30 parts of polyethylene glycol 400 acrylate, 10 parts of benzyl acrylate, 2 parts of acrylic acid, 0.3 part of t-dodecyl mercaptan And heated to 70 ° C., and separately prepared 150 parts of styrene, 100 parts of polyethylene glycol 400 acrylate, 15 parts of acrylic acid, 5 parts of butyl acrylate, 1 part of t-dodecyl mercaptan and 5 parts of sodium persulfate are placed in a dropping funnel. Then, the dispersion polymer was polymerized while being dropped into the reaction vessel over 4 hours. Next, water was added to the reaction vessel to prepare a dispersed polymer solution having a concentration of 40%. A part of this polymer was taken and dried, and then the glass transition temperature was measured by a differential operation calorimeter (EXSTAR6000DSC manufactured by Seiko Denshi), and it was 45 ° C.

  Further, 40 parts of the above dispersion polymer solution and 30 parts of MA100 which is carbon black and 100 parts of 0.1 mol / L sodium hydroxide aqueous solution are mixed and dispersed using an Eiger mill using zirconia beads for 2 hours. Then, it transfers to another container, 300 parts of ion-exchange water is added, and also it stirs for 1 hour. And it neutralizes with 0.1 mol / L sodium hydroxide and adjusts to pH9. Then, it filtered with a 0.3 micrometer membrane filter, and was set as the dispersion 5 whose solid content (dispersion polymer and carbon black) is 20%.

(2) Production of Pigment Dispersion 6 First, Dispersion 6 was prepared in the same manner as Dispersion 5 using Pigment Blue 15: 4 (copper phthalocyanine pigment: manufactured by Clariant).

(3) Production of Pigment Dispersion 7 First, Dispersion 7 was prepared in the same manner as Dispersion 5 using Pigment Red 122 (Dimethylquinacridone Pigment: Clariant).

(4) Production of Pigment Dispersion 8 First, Dispersion 8 was prepared in the same manner as Dispersion 5 using Pigment Yellow 180 (Diketopyrrolopyrrole Pigment: Clariant).

(5) Preparation of inkjet ink Table 8 shows examples of compositions suitable for inkjet recording ink. The ink for inkjet recording was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1.

(6) Evaluation of dispersion stability Dispersion stability was evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1. The results are shown in Table 7. Moreover, it shows about the example compared about the presence or absence of addition of DBPD and another additive simultaneously as Comparative Examples 5-8.

(7) Evaluation of plain paper OD and glossy paper glossiness Evaluation of plain paper OD and glossy paper glossiness was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1. The results are shown in Table 7. Moreover, it shows about the example compared about the presence or absence of addition of DBPD and another additive simultaneously as Comparative Examples 5-8.

(8) Measurement of ejection stability The ejection stability was measured in the same manner as in Example 1. The results are shown in Table 7. Moreover, it shows about the example compared about the presence or absence of addition of DBPD and another additive simultaneously as Comparative Examples 5-8 (Table 9-Table 12).

[Example 3] to [Example 6]
(1) Preparation of Inkjet Ink with Different Addition of DBPD Hereinafter, Examples 3 to 6 and Comparative Example 9 and Examples with a composition suitable for an inkjet recording ink and cases where the addition amount of DBPD was changed as a comparative example. 10 is shown in Tables 14-19. The ink for inkjet recording was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1.

(2) Evaluation of dispersion stability Dispersion stability was evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1. The results are shown in Table 13.

(3) Evaluation of plain paper OD and glossy paper glossiness Evaluation of plain paper OD and glossy paper glossiness was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1. The results are shown in Table 13.

(4) Measurement of ejection stability The ejection stability was measured in the same manner as in Example 1. The results are shown in Table 13.

Claims (6)

  An ink for ink-jet recording comprising 2,2-dibutyl-1,3-propanediol.   2. The ink according to claim 1, wherein the amount of 2,2-dibutyl-1,3-propanediol added is 0.1 wt% or more and 1.5 wt% or less.   The ink according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising 1,2-alkylene glycol.   The ink according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an acetylene glycol surfactant or an acetylene alcohol surfactant.   The ink according to claim 1, comprising at least water, a coloring material, and a humectant. The ink according to claim 5, wherein when a pigment is used as the colorant, the glass transition temperature of the polymer used for dispersing the pigment is 50 ° C. or less.