INK JET RECORDING PROCESS

• US 20110234727A1
• Filed: 03/28/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Mukai, Hiroshi, Aoki, Katsuko
• Granted Patent: US 8,474,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/102
• 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 5/0023 Digital printing methods characterised by the inks used inks per se C09D11/00
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 7/00 After-treatment of prints, e.g. heating, irradiating, setting of the ink, protection of the printed stock pre-treatment or treatment during printing B41M5/0011; printers for treating or overcoating copy materials before, during or after printing B41J11/0015
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 7/009 using thermal means, e.g. infrared radiation, heat
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/322 Pigment inks

Abstract

Recording onto a non-ink-absorbing or low-ink-absorbing recording medium is performed using an aqueous ink composition containing a first solvent composed of a glycol diether having a boiling point of 150 to 220° C., a second solvent composed of at least one selected from 1,2-hexanediol and 1,2-pentanediol, and a third solvent composed of a glycol having a boiling point of 170 to 220° C. and conducting two drying steps at different heating conditions.

Claims

1. An ink jet recording process comprising:

heating a non-ink-absorbing or low-ink-absorbing recording medium to a temperature range of 40 to 60°

C. and discharging droplets of an aqueous ink composition with an ink jet recording apparatus; and

heating the recording medium to a temperature range of 50 to 90°

C. to dry the aqueous ink composition discharged on the recording medium,

wherein the aqueous ink composition contains;

water;

at least one kind of water-insoluble coloring agent;

water-insoluble thermoplastic resin particles;

a surfactant;

a first solvent composed of at least one selected from glycol diethers having a boiling point of 150 to 220°

C.;

a second solvent composed of at least one selected from 1,2-hexanediol and 1,2-pentanediol; and

a third solvent composed of at least one selected from glycols having a boiling point of 170 to 220°

C., and

the content (W1) of the first solvent in the aqueous ink composition is 5 to 20 mass %;

the content (W2) of the second solvent in the aqueous ink composition is 3 to 10 mass %;

the content (W3) of the third solvent in the aqueous ink composition is 5 to 15 mass %; and

the total content (W2+W3) of the second solvent and the third solvent is 22 mass % or less.

2. The ink jet recording process according to claim 1, wherein

the glycol diethers of the first solvent are at least one selected from the group consisting of diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, diethylene glycol diethyl ether, diethylene glycol ethyl methyl ether, diethylene glycol butyl methyl ether, and triethylene glycol dimethyl ether.

3. The ink jet recording process according to claim 1, wherein

the glycols of the third solvent are at least one selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol and 1,3-propanediol.

4. The ink jet recording process according to claim 1, wherein

the water-insoluble coloring agent is a pigment and is dispersed in the aqueous ink composition with a water-soluble resin.

5. The ink jet recording process according to claim 1, wherein

the water-insoluble thermoplastic resin particles are made of an acrylic resin or a styrene-acrylic acid copolymer resin.

6. The ink jet recording process according to claim 1, wherein

the surfactant is a silicon-based surfactant.

7. The ink jet recording process according to claim 1, wherein

the heating of the recording medium is performed with a heater or warm air.