Slow-penetrating inkjet fixer composition and methods and systems for making and using same

• US 20070229636A1
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Anderson, Richard, Sarkisian, George, Mubarekyan, Ervin, Prasad, Keshava
• Granted Patent: US 7,722,179 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/100
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/30 Inkjet printing inks
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/54 Inks based on two liquids, one liquid being the ink, the other liquid being a reaction solution, a fixer or a treatment solution for the ink

Abstract

The invention relates to an inkjet fixer composition and a printing method and system used with the composition, the composition comprising: a) from 1 to 8 weight percent cationic polymer; and b) from 0 to 2 weight percent of at least one surfactant selected from the group consisting of nonionic surfactant, cationic surfactant and combinations thereof; c) an aqueous liquid vehicle wherein the fixer composition is non-wetting in relation to the substrate; wherein, upon overprinting the fixer composition with an ink-jet ink on a substrate, the fixer composition vehicle and the ink-jet ink vehicle form a vehicle mixture on the substrate after which the vehicle mixture penetrates into the substrate, and an ink image is formed on the substrate.

Claims

1. An inkjet fixer composition comprising:

a) from 1 to 8 weight percent of at least one cationic polymer; and

b) from 0 to 2 weight percent of at least one surfactant selected from the group consisting of nonionic surfactant, cationic surfactant and combinations thereof;

c) an aqueous liquid vehicle;

wherein the fixer composition is non-wetting in relation to the substrate; and

wherein, the fixer composition underprints an ink-jet ink on a substrate, the ink-jet ink comprising;

a) an aqueous liquid vehicle; and

b) a colorant.

wherein the fixer composition vehicle and the ink-jet ink vehicle form a vehicle mixture on the substrate after which the vehicle mixture penetrates into the substrate, and an ink image is formed on the substrate.

2. The inkjet fixer composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one surfactant is selected from the group consisting of high HLB (hydrophilic-lipophilic balance) nonionic surfactants, high HLB cationic surfactants;

and combinations thereof, wherein high HLB is defined as being greater than or equal to 12.

3. The inkjet fixer composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one cationic polymer comprises a cationic polyelectrolyte selected from the group consisting of R₁R₂R₃R₄N⁺;

R₁R₂R₃R₄P⁺ and R₁R₂R₃R₄As⁺, where R can be H, alkyl or other organic substituent, and where the cationic polyelectrolyte is from 2000 to 40,000 weight average molecular weight.

4. The inkjet fixer composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one nonionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of nonionic fluorosurfactant, nonionic acetylenic diol surfactant and combinations thereof.

5. The inkjet fixer composition of claim 1, wherein the inkjet fixer composition further comprises

(a) from 0 to 30 weight % cosolvents having a vapor pressure of at most 1×

10<sup>−

3</sup> mmHg at 1 atm and 25°

C.;

(b) from 0 to 20 weight % of a buffer at a pH lower than 7; and

(c) water.

6. The inkjet fixer composition of claim 5, wherein the inkjet fixer composition comprises:

a) at least two co-solvents including from 5 to 20 weight % 4-methylmorpholine-N-oxide titrated to pH 4-6 with methanesulfonic acid and from 6 to 12 weight percent trimethylolpropane;

b) from 1 to 2 weight % of at least one polyamine polycation;

c) from 0 to 0.1 weight % carboxybenzotriazole; and

d) from 0 to 0.4 weight % non-ionic fluorosurfactant and from 0 to 0.5% non-ionic acetylenic diol-based surfactant

7. The inkjet fixer composition of claim 1, wherein the ink-jet ink vehicle is fast-penetrating into the substrate.

8. The inkjet fixer composition of claim 7, wherein the ink-jet ink comprises:

a) from 0 to 3 weight % of a binder system with binders having acid numbers below 20;

b) from 0.01 to 2 weight % of at least one low HLB surfactant, wherein low HLB is defined as an HLB less than 12;

c) from 1 to 6 weight % colorant, the colorant being selected from dye, pigment and a combination thereof;

d) from 1 to 20 weight % solvents selected from the group consisting of gycols, pyrrolidones, glycol ethers and combinations thereof; and

e) water.

9. A method for printing durable ink-jet ink images, comprising:

a) jetting a fixer composition onto the substrate, said fixer composition comprising

i. from 1 to 8 weight percent of at least one cationic polymer;

ii. from 0 to 2 weight percent of at least one surfactant selected from the group consisting of nonionic surfactant, cationic surfactant and combinations thereof;

iii. an aqueous liquid vehicle;

b) jetting an ink-jet ink onto the substrate of step (a), said ink-jet ink composition comprising

i. an aqueous liquid vehicle;

ii. a colorant;

wherein the fixer composition is non-wetting in relation to the substrate; and

wherein, after the fixer composition is overprinted with the ink-jet ink composition, the fixer composition vehicle and the ink-jet ink vehicle form a vehicle mixture on the substrate after which the vehicle mixture penetrates into the substrate and an ink image is formed on the substrate.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one surfactant is selected from the group consisting of high HLB (hydrophilic-lipophilic balance) nonionic surfactants, high HLB cationic surfactants, and combinations thereof, wherein high HLB is defined as greater than or equal to 12.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one cationic polymer comprises a cationic polyelectrolyte selected from the group consisting of R₁R₂R₃R₄N⁺, R₁R₂R₃R₄P⁺, and R₁R₂R₃R₄As⁺;

where R can be H, alkyl or other organic substituent, and where the cationic polyelectrolyte is from 2000 to 40,000 weight average molecular weight.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one nonionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of nonionic fluorosurfactant, nonionic acetylenic diol surfactant and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the inkjet fixer composition further comprises:

(a) from 0 to 30 weight % cosolvents having a vapor pressure of at most 1×

10<sup>−

3</sup> mmHg at 1 atm and 25°

C.;

(b) from 0 to 20 weight % of a buffer at a pH lower than 7; and

(c) water.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the inkjet fixer composition comprises:

a) at least two co-solvents including from 5 to 20 weight % 4-methylmorpholine-N-oxide titrated to pH 4-6 with methanesulfonic acid and from 6 to 12 weight percent trimethylolpropane;

b) from 1 to 2 weight % of at least one polyamine polycation;

c) from 0 to 0.1 weight % carboxybenzotriazole; and

d) from 0 to 0.4 weight % non-ionic fluorosurfactant and from 0 to 0.5% non-ionic acetylenic diol-based surfactant.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the ink-jet ink vehicle is fast-penetrating into the substrate.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the inkjet ink comprises:

a) from 0 to 3 weight % of a binder system with binders having acid numbers below 20;

b) from 0.01 to 2 weight % of at least one low HLB surfactant, the low HLB surfactant having an HLB below 12 surfactant, wherein low HLB is defined as less than 12;

c) from 1 to 6 weight % colorant, the colorant being selected from dye, pigment and a combination thereof;

d) from 1 to 20 weight % solvents selected from the group consisting of glycols, pyrrolidones, glycol ethers and combinations thereof; and

e) water.

17. A system for printing durable ink-jet ink images, comprising:

a) a first ink-jet pen containing a fixer composition, said fixer composition comprising

i. from 1 to 8 weight percent of at least one cationic polymer;

ii. from 0 to 2 weight percent of at least one surfactant selected from the group consisting of nonionic surfactant, cationic surfactant and combinations thereof;

iii. an aqueous liquid vehicle;

wherein the fixer composition is non-wetting in relation to the substrate

b) a second ink-jet pen containing an ink-jet ink composition, said ink-jet ink composition comprising

i. an aqueous liquid vehicle;

ii. a colorant; and

wherein, upon overprinting the fixer composition with the ink-jet ink on a substrate, the fixer composition and the ink-jet ink form a mixture on the substrate; and

wherein, upon overprinting the fixer composition with the ink-jet ink composition on a substrate, the fixer composition vehicle and the ink-jet ink vehicle form a vehicle mixture on the substrate, after which the vehicle mixture penetrates into the substrate and an ink image is formed on the substrate.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one surfactant is selected from the group consisting of high HLB (hydrophilic-lipophilic balance) nonionic surfactants, high HLB cationic surfactants;

and combinations thereof, wherein high HLB is defined as being greater than or equal to 12.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one cationic polymer comprises a cationic polyelectrolyte selected from the group consisting of R₁R₂R₃R₄N⁺;

R₁R₂R₃R₄P⁺ and R₁R₂R₃R₄As⁺, where R can be H, alkyl or other organic substituent, and where the cationic polyelectrolyte is from 2000 to 40,000 weight average molecular weight.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one nonionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of nonionic fluorosurfactant, nonionic acetylenic diol surfactant and combinations thereof.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the ink-jet ink vehicle is fast-penetrating into the substrate.