Ink jet inks for use on textile materials, and their use

• US 20050065234A1
• Filed: 09/28/2002
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sun Chemical Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sun Chemical Corporation
• Inventors: Caiger, Nigel Anthony, Grant, Alexander, Wilson, Derek Edward
• Application Number:
  US10/491,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20050065234A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 523/160
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 1/44 using insoluble pigments or auxiliary substances, e.g. binders
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 1/5221 Polymers of unsaturated hydrocarbons, e.g. polystyrene polyalkylene
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 1/5242 Polymers of unsaturated N-containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 1/5257 (Meth)acrylic acid
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 1/5285 Polyurethanes; Polyurea; Polyguanides
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 1/54 Substances with reactive groups together with crosslinking agents
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 1/58 together with other synthetic macromolecular substances
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 5/30 Ink jet printing

Abstract

An ink jet ink comprises (a) an emulsion polymer selected from acrylic-acrylonitrile polymers, butadiene-acrylonitrile polymers, styrene-acrylic polymers, acrylic-butadiene polymers and polyurethanes; (b) a cross-linking agent; (c) a pigment; and (d) a liquid medium. The ink is suitable for use in printing on textile substrates.

Claims

1. An ink jet ink for use in a process of ink jet printing upon a textile substrate comprising:

(a) an emulsion polymer selected from the group consisting of acrylic-acrylonitrile polymers, butadiene-acrylonitrile polymers, styrene-acrylic polymers, acrylic-butadiene polymers, and polyurethanes and having a glass transition temperature of not more than 50°

C.;

(b) a cross-linking agent which is suitable for cross-linking the emulsion polymer;

(c) a pigment; and

(d) a liquid medium.

2. An ink jet ink according to claim 1, in which the cross-linking agent is present in an amount of from 1.5 to 20% by weight based on the weight of emulsion polymer.

3. An ink jet ink according to claim 1 or claim 2, which comprises up to 18% by weight emulsion polymer, based on the total weight of the ink.

4. An ink jet ink according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the liquid medium is an aqueous medium.

5. An ink jet ink according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which comprises from 5 to 18% by weight emulsion polymer, and up to 1 by weight cross-linker, up to 10% by weight pigment and up to 94% by weight water, based on the total weight of the ink.

6. An ink jet ink according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the emulsion polymer is an acrylic-butadiene polymer.

7. An ink jet ink according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which comprises at least 0.1% by weight cross-linker, based on the total weight of the ink.

8. An ink jet ink according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which comprises at least 0.1% by weight pigment, based on the total weight of the ink.

9. An ink jet ink according to any one of claims 1 to 8, in which the cross-linking agent is a melamine-formaldehyde cross-linking agent.

10. An ink jet ink according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which further comprises one or more additional ingredients selected from surfactants, humectants, defoamers, dispersants, conductivity agents, and thickeners.

11. An ink jet ink according to any one of claims 1 to 10, which has a viscosity at 25°

C. of not more than 30 mPa.s.

13. An ink jet ink according to any one of the preceding claims, which is suitable for use in a drop on demand (DOD) ink jet printer.

14. An ink jet ink according to any one of the preceding claims, which is suitable for use in a continuous ink jet (CIJ) printer.

17. A method according to claim 16, in which the formulation is further in accordance with any one of claims 2 to 15.

12. An ink jet ink for us in a process of ink jet printing upon a textile material substrate, comprising an acrylic-butadiene emulsion polymer, a cross-linking agent for cross-linking the acrylic-butadiene emulsion polymer, a pigment, and an aqueous medium, the ink having a viscosity of not more than 30 mPa.s at 25°

C.

15. An ink jet ink substantially as described in Example 1 or Example 3 herein.

16. A method of printing on a textile substrate, comprising applying to the textile substrate by ink jet printing a formulation comprising:

(a) an emulsion polymer selected from the group consisting of acrylic-acrylonitrile polymers, butadiene-acrylonitrile polymers, styrene-acrylic polymers, acrylic-butadiene polymers, and polyurethanes and having a glass transition temperature of not more than 50°

C.;

(b) a cross-linking agent which is suitable for cross-linking the emulsion polymer;

(c) a pigment; and

(d) an aqueous medium.