Ink composition and a method of making the ink composition

• US 6,231,654 B1
• Filed: 04/30/1999
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Macdermid Acumen Incorporated (Element Solutions Inc)
• Inventors: Elwakil, Hamdy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): KLEMANSKI, HELENE G
• Application Number:
  US09/303,280
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 106/31.47, 106/31.49, 106/31.58, 106/31.77, 106/31.78, 106/31.86
• US Class Current: 106/31.47
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/32 characterised by colouring agents
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/36 based on non-aqueous solvents

Abstract

A method of forming a printing ink, the method including combining a nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound, a glycol ether or a glycol ether acetate, and a colorant; and homogeneously blending the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound, the glycol ether or the glycol ether acetate, and the colorant to form the ink jet printing ink.

Claims

1. A method of forming a printing ink, the method comprising:

combining water, a nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound, and a colorant; and

homogeneously blending the water, the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound, and the colorant to form the printing ink, the concentration of water in the printing ink ranging up to about 10 weight percent, based on the total weight of the printing ink.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound is selected from the group consisting of an imidazolidinone, a pyrrolidone, a caprolactam, and any of these in any combination.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound is selected from the group consisting of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, 2-pyrrolidone, N-cyclohexylpyrrolidone, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone, N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-octyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-dodecyl-2-pyrrolidone, and any of these in any combination.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the concentration of the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound in the ink is from about 10 weight percent to about 99.5 weight percent, based on the total weight of the ink.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

combining glycol ether or glycol ether acetate with the water, the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound, and the colorant; and

homogeneously blending the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound, the glycol ether or the glycol ether acetate, the water, and the colorant to form the printing ink.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein:

the concentration of the glycol ether in the ink is from 0 weight percent to about 80 weight percent, based on the total weight of the ink; and

the concentration of the glycol ether acetate in the ink is from 0 weight percent to about 80 weight percent, based on the total weight of the ink.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound is a caprolactam.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound is selected from the group consisting of N-cyclohexylpyrrolidone, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone, N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-octyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-dodecyl-2-pyrrolidone, or any of these in any combination.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the printing ink consists essentially of the water, the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound, and the colorant.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the concentration of water in the printing ink ranges up to about 7.5 weight percent, based on the total weight of the printing ink.

11. The method of claim 5 wherein the printing ink consists essentially of:

the water, the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound, and the colorant; and

the glycol ether, the glycol ether acetate, or a combination of the glycol ether and the glycol ether acetate.

12. The method of claim 5 wherein the printing ink comprises:

about 7.5 weight percent water;

about 44 weight percent N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone; and

about 45 weight percent dipropylene glycol methyl ether acetate.

13. The method of claim 5 wherein the printing ink comprises:

about 7.5 weight percent water;

about 42.5 weight percent N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone; and

about 20 weight percent dipropylene glycol methyl ether acetate.

14. A method of printing the ink produced in accordance with the method of claim 1, the method comprising:

placing the ink in a printer cartridge of an ink jet printer;

jetting droplets of the ink from the ink jet printer onto a recording medium.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the recording medium comprises hydrophobic material, the ink droplets jetted onto the hydrophobic material, at least a portion of each ink droplet chemically bonding to the hydrophobic material, and each ink droplet being dry within about one second or less after being jetted onto the hydrophobic material.

16. A method of printing the ink produced in accordance with the method of claim 5, the method comprising:

placing the ink in a printer cartridge of an ink jet printer; and

jetting droplets of the ink from the ink jet printer onto a recording medium.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the recording medium comprises hydrophobic material, the ink droplets jetted onto the hydrophobic material, at least a portion of each ink droplet chemically bonding to the hydrophobic material, and each ink droplet being dry within about one second or less after being jetted onto the hydrophobic material.

66. The method of claim 1 wherein the colorant comprises a pigment.

18. A method of forming a thermal ink jet printing ink, the method comprising:

combining a nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound and a colorant; and

homogeneously blending the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound and the colorant to form the thermal ink jet printing ink, the thermal ink jet printing ink free of water.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the printing ink consists essentially of the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound and the colorant, the ink capable of being jetted by a thermal ink jet printer.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the printing ink is capable of being jetted by a thermal ink jet printer.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the printing ink is capable of being jetted by a thermal ink jet printer as a continuous stream of ink drops onto a recording medium to form a printed image having a continuous printed area of about six square feet.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound is selected from the group consisting of an imidazolidinone, a pyrrolidone, a caprolactam, and any of these in any combination.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound is selected from the group consisting of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, 2-pyrrolidone, N-cyclohexylpyrrolidone, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone, N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-octyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-dodecyl-2-pyrrolidone, and any of these in any combination.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein the colorant is a dye, a pigment, or any combination of these.

25. The method of claim 18 wherein the colorant is a dye, the dye being soluble in the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound.

26. The method of claim 18 wherein the concentration of the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound in the ink is from about 10 weight percent to about 99.5 weight percent, based on the total weight of the ink.

27. The method of claim 18, the method further comprising:

combining glycol ether or glycol ether acetate with the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound and the colorant; and

homogeneously blending the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound, the glycol ether or the glycol ether acetate, and the colorant to form the printing ink.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein:

the concentration of the glycol ether in the ink is from 0 weight percent to about 80 weight percent, based on the total weight of the ink; and

the concentration of the glycol ether acetate in the ink is from 0 weight percent to about 80 weight percent, based on the total weight of the ink.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the printing ink is capable of being jetted by a thermal ink jet printer.

30. A method of printing the ink produced in accordance with the method of claim 18, the method comprising:

placing the ink in a printer cartridge of an ink jet printer;

jetting droplets of the ink from the ink jet printer onto a recording medium.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the recording medium comprises hydrophobic material, the ink droplets jetted onto the hydrophobic material, at least a portion of each ink droplet chemically bonding to the hydrophobic material, and each ink droplet being dry within about one second or less.

48. A method of printing the printing ink of claim 30, the method comprising:

placing the ink in a printer cartridge of an ink jet printer; and

jetting droplets of the ink from the ink jet printer onto a recording medium.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein the recording medium comprises hydrophobic material, the ink droplets jetted onto the hydrophobic material, at least a portion of each ink droplet chemically bonding to the hydrophobic material, and each ink droplet being dry within about one second or less after being jetted onto the hydrophobic material.

64. A method of printing the ink produced in accordance with the method of claim 27, the method comprising:

placing the ink in a printer cartridge of an ink jet printer; and

jetting droplets of the ink from the ink jet printer onto a recording medium.

65. The method of claim 64 wherein the recording medium comprises hydrophobic material, the ink droplets jetted onto the hydrophobic material, at least a portion of each ink droplet chemically bonding to the hydrophobic material, and each ink droplet being dry within about one second or less after being jetted onto the hydrophobic material.

32. A printing ink, the printing ink comprising:

water, the concentration of water in the printing ink ranging up to about 10 weight percent, based on the total weight of the printing ink;

a nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound; and

a colorant.

33. The printing ink of claim 32 wherein the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound is selected from the group consisting of an imidazolidinone, a pyrrolidone, a caprolactam, and any of these in any combination.

34. The printing ink of claim 32 wherein the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound is selected from the group consisting of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, 2-pyrrolidone, N-cyclohexylpyrrolidone, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone, N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-octyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-dodecyl-2-pyrrolidone, and any of these in any combination.

35. The printing ink of claim 32 wherein the concentration of the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound in the ink is from about 10 weight percent to about 99.5 weight percent, based on the total weight of the ink.

36. The printing ink of claim 32, the printing ink further comprising glycol ether or glycol ether acetate.

37. The printing ink of claim 36 wherein:

the concentration of the glycol ether in the ink is from 0 weight percent to about 80 weight percent, based on the total weight of the ink; and

the concentration of the glycol ether acetate in the ink is from 0 weight percent to about 80 weight percent, based on the total weight of the ink.

38. The printing ink of claim 32 wherein the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound is a caprolactam.

39. The printing ink of claim 32 wherein the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound is selected from the group consisting of N-cyclohexylpyrrolidone, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone, N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-octyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-dodecyl-2-pyrrolidone, or any of these in any combination.

40. The printing ink of claim 32 wherein the printing ink consists essentially of the water, the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound, and the colorant.

41. The printing ink of claim 32 wherein the concentration of water in the printing ink ranges up to about 7.5 weight percent, based on the total weight of the printing ink.

42. The printing ink of claim 36 wherein the printing ink consists essentially of:

the water, the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound, and the colorant; and

the glycol ether, the glycol ether acetate, or a combination of the glycol ether and the glycol ether acetate.

43. The printing ink of claim 36 wherein the printing ink comprises:

about 7.5 weight percent water;

about 44 weight percent N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone; and

about 44 weight percent dipropylene glycol methyl ether acetate.

44. The printing ink of claim 36 wherein the printing ink comprises:

about 7.5 weight percent water;

about 42.5 weight percent N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone; and

about 20 weight percent dipropylene glycol methyl ether acetate.

45. The method of claim 32 wherein the colorant comprises a pigment.

46. A method of printing the printing ink of claim 32, the method comprising:

placing the ink in a printer cartridge of an ink jet printer;

jetting droplets of the ink from the ink jet printer onto a recording medium.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein the recording medium comprises hydrophobic material, the ink droplets jetted onto the hydrophobic material, at least a portion of each ink droplet chemically bonding to the hydrophobic material, and each ink droplet being dry within about one second or less after being jetted onto the hydrophobic material.

50. A thermal ink jet printing ink, the thermal ink jet printing ink comprising:

a nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound; and

a colorant, the thermal ink jet printing ink free of water.

51. The printing ink of claim 50 wherein the printing ink consists essentially of the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound and the colorant, the ink capable of being jetted by a thermal ink jet printer.

52. The printing ink of claim 50 wherein the printing ink is capable of being jetted by a thermal ink jet printer.

53. The printing ink of claim 50 wherein the printing ink is capable of being jetted by a thermal ink jet printer as a continuous stream of ink drops onto a recording medium to form a printed image having a continuous printed area of about six square feet.

54. The printing ink of claim 50 wherein the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound is selected from the group consisting of an imidazolidinone, a pyrrolidone, a caprolactam, and any of these in any combination.

55. The printing ink of claim 50 wherein the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound is selected from the group consisting of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, 2-pyrrolidone, N-cyclohexylpyrrolidone, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone, N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-octyl-2- pyrrolidone, N-dodecyl-2-pyrrolidone, and any of these in any combination.

56. The printing ink of claim 50 wherein the colorant is a dye, a pigment, or any combination of these.

57. The printing ink of claim 50 wherein the colorant is a dye, the dye being soluble in the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound.

58. The printing ink of claim 50 wherein the concentration of the nitrogen-containing cyclic organic compound in the ink is from about 10 weight percent to about 99.5 weight percent, based on the total weight of the ink.

59. The printing ink of claim 50, the printing ink further comprising glycol ether or glycol ether acetate.

60. The printing ink of claim 59 wherein:

the concentration of the glycol ether in the ink is from 0 weight percent to about 80 weight percent, based on the total weight of the ink; and

the concentration of the glycol ether acetate in the ink is from 0 weight percent to about 80 weight percent, based on the total weight of the ink.

61. The printing ink of claim 59 wherein the printing ink is capable of being jetted by a thermal ink jet printer.

62. A method of printing the printing ink of claim 50, the method comprising:

placing the ink in a printer cartridge of an ink jet printer;

jetting droplets of the ink from the ink jet printer onto a recording medium.

63. The method of claim 62 wherein the recording medium comprises hydrophobic material, the ink droplets jetted onto the hydrophobic material, at least a portion of each ink droplet chemically bonding to the hydrophobic material, and each ink droplet being dry within about one second or less.