Ink compositions containing 1,3,5-trioxane or tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether

• US 6,264,731 B1
• Filed: 11/29/1999
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: HP Printing Korea Co., Ltd. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Gundlach, Kurt B., Colt, Richard L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Klemanski, Helene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Faison, Veronica F.
• Application Number:
  US09/450,019
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 106/31.43, 106/31.58, 106/31.86
• US Class Current: 106/31.58
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/30 Inkjet printing inks
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/40 Ink-sets specially adapted for multi-colour inkjet printing

Abstract

Disclosed is an ink composition comprising (a) water, (b) a colorant, and (c) 1,3,5-trioxane or tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether.

Claims

1. An ink composition comprising (a) water, (b) a colorant, and (c) 1,3,5-trioxane.

2. An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the water is present in an amount of no more than about 80 percent by weight of the ink.

3. An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the water is present in an amount of no more than about 60 percent by weight of the ink.

4. An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the water is present in an amount of no more than about 50 percent by weight of the ink.

5. An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the colorant is a dye.

6. An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the colorant is a pigment.

7. An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the colorant is a mixture of an anionic dye and a polyquaternary amine, and wherein the ink further contains a monomeric salt having at least one cation and at least one anion.

8. An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the 1,3,5-trioxane is present in the ink in an amount of at least about 5 percent by weight of the ink and is present in the ink in an amount of no more than about 40 percent by weight of the ink.

9. An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the 1,3,5-trioxane is present in the ink in an amount of at least about 10 percent by weight of the ink and is present in the ink in an amount of no more than about 30 percent by weight of the ink.

10. An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the 1,3,5-trioxane is present in the ink in an amount of at least about 15 percent by weight of the ink and is present in the ink in an amount of no more than about 25 percent by weight of the ink.

11. An ink composition according to claim 1 further containing tripropylene glycol monomethyl ether.

12. An ink composition according to claim 1 further containing sulfolane.

13. An ink composition according to claim 1 further containing formamide.

14. A printing process that comprises (1) incorporating into an ink jet printing apparatus an ink composition according to claim 1, and (2) causing droplets of the ink to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto a recording sheet.

15. A process according to claim 14 wherein the printing apparatus employs a thermal ink jet process wherein the ink in the nozzles is selectively heated in an imagewise pattern, thereby causing droplets of the ink to be ejected in imagewise pattern.

16. A process according to claim 14 wherein the printing apparatus employs an acoustic ink jet process, wherein droplets of the ink are caused to be ejected in imagewise pattern by acoustic beams.

17. A printing process that comprises (1) incorporating into an ink jet printing apparatus an ink composition comprising (a) water, (b) a colorant, and (c) 1,3,5-trioxane or tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether, and (2) causing droplets of the ink to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto a recording sheet, wherein the printing apparatus employs an acoustic ink jet process, wherein droplets of the ink are caused to be ejected in imagewise pattern by acoustic beams.

18. A process for reducing intercolor bleed in ink jet printing which comprises (1) incorporating into an ink jet printing apparatus a first ink composition of a first color comprising (a) water, (b) a colorant, and (c) 1,3,5-trioxane or tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether, (2) incorporating into the ink jet printing apparatus a second ink composition of a color different from the first color and comprising (a) water, and (b) a pigment colorant, said second ink composition being substantially free of malonaldehyde bis(dimethylacetal), and (3) causing droplets of the first ink and the second to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto a recording sheet, wherein at least some droplets of the first ink are ejected onto the recording sheet adjacent to at least some droplets of the second ink, and wherein intercolor bleed between the first ink and the second ink is reduced.

19. A process according to claim 18 wherein the colorant in the first ink is a dye.

20. A process according to claim 18 wherein the first ink contains 1,3,5-trioxane.

21. A process according to claim 18 wherein the first ink contains tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether.

22. A process according to claim 18 wherein the first ink contains water in an amount of no more than about 80 percent by weight of the ink.

23. A process according to claim 18 wherein the first ink contains water in an amount of no more than about 60 percent by weight of the ink.

24. A process according to claim 18 wherein the first ink contains water in an amount of no more than about 50 percent by weight of the ink.

25. A process according to claim 18 wherein the first ink contains a pigment colorant.

26. A process according to claim 18 wherein the first ink contains a colorant which is a mixture of an anionic dye and a polyquaternary amine, and wherein the first ink further contains a monomeric salt having at least one cation and at Least one anion.

27. A process according to claim 18 wherein the first ink contains 1,3,5-trioxane or tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether in an amount of at least about 5 percent by weight of the ink and wherein the first ink contains 1,3,5-trioxane or tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether in an amount of no more than about 40 percent by weight of the ink.

28. A process according to claim 18 wherein the first ink contains 1,3,5-trioxane or tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether in an amount of at least about 10 percent by weight of the ink and wherein the first ink contains 1,3,5-trioxane or tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether in an amount of no more than about 30 percent by weight of the ink.

29. A process according to claim 18 wherein the first ink contains 1,3,5-trioxane or tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether in an amount of at least about 15 percent by weight of the ink and wherein the first ink contains 1,3,5-trixoane or tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether in an amount of no more than about 25 percent by weight of the ink.

30. A process according to claim 18 wherein the first ink further contains tripropylene glycol monomethyl ether.

31. A process according to claim 18 wherein the first ink further contains sulfolane.

32. A process according to claim 18 wherein the first ink further contains formamide.