Treatment Liquid for Plastic Film, Primer Liquid for Printing, Ink Composition, and Method for Ink Jet Recording Using Them

• US 20080152825A1
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Mukai, Hiroshi, Takemoto, Kiyohiko
• Application Number:
  US11/883,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20080152825A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/466
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2114 Ejecting transparent or white coloured liquids, e.g. processing liquids B41J2/211 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 1/30 on organic plastics, horn or similar materials recording sheets having a coating to improve ink, dye or pigment receptivity B41M5/50; marking or recording on plastic by irradiation with electromagnetic beams, e.g. laser, B41M5/267
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0011 Pre-treatment or treatment during printing of the recording material, e.g. heating, irradiating after-treatment of prints B41M7/00; printers for treating or overcoating copy materials before, during or after printing B41J11/0015
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0047 by ink-jet printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0064 on plastics, horn, rubber, or other organic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 7/009 using thermal means, e.g. infrared radiation, heat
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/38 characterised by non-macromolecular additives other than solvents, pigments or dyes
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 5/002 Priming paints C09D5/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]

Abstract

This invention provides a treatment liquid for an ink jet recording medium having a recording face of a plastic film, wherein the treatment liquid including at least a specific cyclic ester compound or a specific cyclic amide compound, a primer liquid for printing, and an ink composition. According to the present invention, a plastic recorded matter possessing excellent adhesion and waterfastness can be formed on a recording medium having a recording face of a plastic film.

Claims

1. A treatment liquid for an ink jet recording medium having a recording face formed of a plastic film, wherein said treatment liquid comprising at least

a heterocyclic ketone compound selected from the group consisting of cyclic ester compounds of formula (1), cyclic amide compound of formula (2), and a combination thereof, and

a main solvent:

2. The treatment liquid according to claim 1, wherein said main solvent is water.

3. The treatment liquid according to claim 1, which further comprises a surfactant and/or an organic solvent having low surface tension.

4. The treatment liquid according to claim 1, which further comprises a surfactant, or a surfactant and an organic solvent having low surface tension.

5. The treatment liquid according to claim 1, wherein, in formula (1),

R¹ represents a straight chain or branched chain C2 to C5 saturated hydrocarbon group.

6. The treatment liquid according to claim 1, wherein said cyclic ester compound is selected from the group consisting of γ

-butyrolactone, ε

-caprolactone, propylene carbonate, and ethylene carbonate.

7. The treatment liquid according to claim 1, which comprises at least two cyclic amide compounds of formula (2).

8. The treatment liquid according to claim 1, wherein, in formula (2), R² represents a straight chain or branched chain C2 to C5 saturated hydrocarbon group and X² represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group.

9. The treatment liquid according to claim 1, wherein the cyclic amide compound is selected from the group consisting of 2-pyrrolidone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, and δ

-caprolactam.

10. The treatment liquid according to claim 3, wherein said surfactant is an acetylene glycol surfactant.

11. The treatment liquid according to claim 3, wherein said organic solvent having low surface tension is diethylene glycol monobutyl ether or triethylene glycol monobutyl ether.

12. The treatment liquid according to claim 3, wherein the content of the heterocyclic ketone compound is 0.1 to 50.0% by weight and the content of the surfactant is 0.01 to 5.0% by weight.

13. The treatment liquid according to claim 1, which is coated onto a recording medium by a method for ink jet recording.

14. The treatment liquid according to claim 1, which is coated onto a recording medium before printing a water-based pigment ink composition comprising at least a pigment, a thermoplastic resin, and water.

15. A method for ink jet recording, comprising coating a treatment liquid onto a recording medium having a recording face formed of a plastic film, then ejecting droplets of an ink composition and depositing the droplets onto the recording face to perform printing, wherein

said treatment liquid is a treatment liquid for a plastic film according to claim 1, and said ink composition is a water-based pigment ink composition comprising at least a pigment, a thermoplastic resin, and water.

16. The method for ink jet recording according to claim 15, wherein the coating of said treatment liquid is carried out by an ink jet recording method in which the coating of the treatment liquid is carried out by ejecting the droplets of the treatment liquid and depositing the droplets onto the recording face of the recording medium.

17. The method according to claim 15, which further comprises,

before the deposition of the ink composition,

a drying step of evaporating water in the coated treatment liquid and to evaporate a part of the heterocyclic ketone compound.

18. The method according to claim 15, which further comprises the heating step of heating the ink composition deposited onto the recording face to form a resin film.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the drying treatment in the drying step and/or the heating treatment in the heating step are carried out by heating with a heater or by drying with hot air.

20. A recorded matter printed by the method according to claim 15.

21. A primer liquid for printing on an ink jet recording medium having a recording face formed of a plastic film, wherein said primer liquid comprising at least

a heterocyclic ketone compound selected from the group consisting of cyclic ester compounds of formula (1), cyclic amide compound of formula (2), and a combination thereof,

a thermoplastic resin, and

a main solvent,

said thermoplastic resin being dispersed in said primer liquid:

22. The primer liquid according to claim 21, wherein said main solvent is water.

23. The primer liquid according to claim 21, which further comprises a surfactant and/or an organic solvent having low surface tension.

24. The primer liquid according to claim 21, which further comprises a surfactant, or a surfactant and an organic solvent having low surface tension.

25. The primer liquid according to claim 21, wherein, in formula (1), R¹ represents a straight chain or branched chain C2 to C5 saturated hydrocarbon group.

26. The primer liquid according to claim 21, wherein said cyclic ester compound is selected from the group consisting of γ

-butyrolactone, ε

-caprolactone, propylene carbonate, and ethylene carbonate.

27. The primer liquid according to claim 21, which comprises at least two cyclic amide compounds of formula (2).

28. The primer liquid according to claim 21, wherein, in formula (2), R² represents a straight chain or branched chain C2 to C5 saturated hydrocarbon group and X² represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group.

29. The primer liquid according to claim 21, wherein the cyclic amide compound is selected from the group consisting of 2-pyrrolidone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, and ε

-caprolactam.

30. The primer liquid according to claim 21, which further comprises a wetting agent.

31. The primer liquid according to claim 23, wherein said surfactant is an acetylene glycol surfactant.

32. The primer liquid according to claim 23, wherein said organic solvent having low surface tension is diethylene glycol monobutyl ether or triethylene glycol monobutyl ether.

33. The primer liquid according to claim 23, wherein the content of the heterocyclic ketone compound is 0.1 to 40.0% by weight,

the content of the thermoplastic resin is 0.1 to 15.0% by weight on a solid basis, and

the content of the surfactant is 0.01 to 5.0% by weight.

34. The primer liquid according to claim 21, which is coated onto a recording medium by a method for ink jet recording.

35. The primer liquid according to claim 21, which, before printing of an ink composition, is coated onto a recording medium to form a primer film.

36. The primer liquid according to claim 35, wherein

said ink composition is a water-based pigment ink composition comprising at least a pigment, a thermoplastic resin, and water, and

the thermoplastic resin contained in said primer liquid has a composition identical to the thermoplastic resin contained in the water-based pigment ink composition.

37. A set for ink jet recording, comprising

a primer liquid for printing according to claim 21, and

a water-based pigment ink composition comprising a pigment, a thermoplastic resin, and water.

38. The set according to claim 37, wherein the thermoplastic resin contained in said primer liquid has a composition identical to the thermoplastic resin contained in the ink composition.

39. A method for ink jet recording, comprising coating a primer liquid onto a recording medium having a recording face of a plastic film to form a primer film and then ejecting and depositing droplets of an ink composition onto the primer film to perform printing, wherein

said primer liquid is a primer liquid for printing according to claim 21, and said ink composition is a water-based pigment ink composition comprising at least a pigment, a thermoplastic resin, and water.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the thermoplastic resin contained in said primer liquid has a composition identical to the thermoplastic resin contained in the ink composition.

41. The method according to claim 39, wherein the coating of said primer liquid is carried out by a method for ink jet recording in which the coating of the primer liquid is carried out by ejecting and depositing the droplets of the primer liquid onto the recording face of the recording medium.

42. The method according to claim 39, which further comprises,

before the deposition of the ink composition,

a drying step of evaporating water in the primer liquid to form a primer film.

43. The method according to claim 39, which further comprises a heating step of heating the ink composition deposited onto the recording face to form a resin film.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein the drying treatment in the drying step and/or the heating treatment in the heating step are carried out by heating with a heater or by drying with hot air.

45. A recorded matter printed by a method according to claim 39.

46. An ink composition for an ink jet recording medium having a recording face formed of a plastic film, wherein said ink composition comprising at least a heterocyclic ketone compound selected from the group consisting of cyclic ester compounds of formula (1), cyclic amide compounds of formula (2), and a combination thereof,

a thermoplastic resin,

a colorant, and

a main solvent,

said thermoplastic resin being dispersed in said ink composition:

47. The ink composition according to claim 46, which further comprises a cyclic ether compound of formula (3):

48. The ink composition according to claim 46, wherein said colorant is a pigment and is dispersed in the ink composition.

49. The ink composition according to claim 46, wherein said main solvent is water.

50. The ink composition according to claim 46, wherein, in formula (1), R¹ represents a straight chain or branched chain C2 to C5 saturated hydrocarbon group.

51. The ink composition according to claim 46, wherein said cyclic ester compound is selected from the group consisting of γ

-butyrolactone, ε

-caprolactone, propylene carbonate, and ethylene carbonate.

52. The ink composition according to claim 46, which comprises at least two cyclic amide compounds of formula (2).

53. The ink composition according to claim 46, wherein, in formula (2), R² represents a straight chain or branched chain C2 to C5 saturated hydrocarbon group and X² represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group.

54. The ink composition according to claim 46, wherein the cyclic amide compound is selected from the group consisting of 2-pyrrolidone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, and ε

-caprolactam.

55. The ink composition according to claim 47, wherein, in formula (3), R′

represents a straight chain or branched chain C2 to C5 saturated hydrocarbon group or a straight chain or branched chain C2 to C5 saturated ether chain.

56. The ink composition according to claim 47, wherein said cyclic ether compound is selected from the group consisting of tetrahydrofuran, 1,4-dioxane, and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran.

57. The ink composition according to claim 46, which further comprises a surfactant and/or an organic solvent having low surface tension.

58. The ink composition according to claim 57, which further comprises a surfactant, or a surfactant and an organic solvent having low surface tension.

59. The ink composition according to claim 57, wherein said surfactant is an acetylene glycol surfactant.

60. The ink composition according to claim 57, wherein said organic solvent having low surface tension is diethylene glycol monobutyl ether or triethylene glycol monobutyl ether.

61. The ink composition according to claim 46, which further comprises a wetting agent.

62. The ink composition according to claim 47, wherein the content of the heterocyclic ketone compound is 0.1 to 10.0% by weight,

the content of the cyclic ether compound is 0.1 to 10.0% by weight, and

the content of the thermoplastic resin is 0.1 to 15.0% by weight on a solid basis.

63. The ink composition according to claim 46, which is coated onto a recording medium by a method for ink jet recording.

64. A method for ink jet recording, characterized by comprising ejecting and depositing droplets of an ink composition onto a recording medium having a recording face of a plastic film to perform printing, wherein

said ink composition is an ink composition according to claim 46.

65. The method according claim 64, which further comprises a heating step of heating the ink composition deposited onto the recording face to form a resin film.

66. The method according to claim 65, wherein the heating treatment in the heating step are carried out by heating with a heater or by drying with hot air.

67. A recorded matter printed by a method according to claim 64.

68. (canceled)