Aqueous ink jet inks for use with commercial offset media and offset ink

• US 6,461,418 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2000
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Tsao, Yi-Hua, Sarkisian, George M., Yue, Shunqiong, Doumaux, Howard A, Choy, Mark L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Klemanski, Helene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Faison, Veronica F.
• Application Number:
  US09/675,043
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 106/31.58, 106/31.86, 106/31.37, 106/31.69, 106/31.43, 106/31.75
• US Class Current: 106/31.58
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/30 Inkjet printing inks
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/38 characterised by non-macromolecular additives other than solvents, pigments or dyes

Abstract

The present invention is directed to aqueous based ink compositions for ink jet printing on offset media and offset ink comprising various combinations of nonionic surfactants. Such formulations include effective amounts of an ink colorant and a nonionic surfactant having an HLB value from about 4 to 14. Optionally, additional nonionic surfactants, solvents, and binders can be added. In another formulation, an effective amount of an ink colorant, at least two nonionic surfactants, each being present at from about 0.01% to 10% by weight (preferably 0.01% to 2% by weight) and an effective amount of at least one binder (such as an acrylate binder) is disclosed.

Claims

1. An aqueous ink composition for ink jet printing on offset, media, said ink composition comprising:

a) from 0.1% to 10% by weight of an ink colorant consisting essentially of a dye; and

b) from 0.01% to 10% by weight of a nonionic surfactant having an HLB value from about 4 to 14, with the proviso that said ink has a dry time on offset media that is less than the dry time of the substantially same ink devoid of the nonionic surfactant.

2. The aqueous ink composition of claim 1 further comprising a second nonionic surfactant having an HLB value from about 4 to 14.

3. The aqueous ink composition of claim 2 wherein the second nonionic surfactant is present at from about 0.01% to 10% by weight.

4. The aqueous ink composition of claim 3 wherein the nonionic surfactant and the second nonionic surfactant are each present at from about 0.01% to 2% by weight.

5. The aqueous ink composition of claim 2 further comprising a water soluble or water dispersible polymeric binder being present at from about 0.01% to 10% by weight.

6. The aqueous ink composition of claim 5 wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of acrylates, polyamides, vinyl alcohols, vinyl acetates, polyvinylpyrrolidones, cellulosics, urethanes, and combinations thereof.

7. The aqueous ink composition of claim 6 wherein the binder is an acrylate binder.

8. The aqueous ink composition of claim 1 wherein the nonionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of alkoxylated octylphenols, alkyl phenoxypoly(alkyleneoxy)ethanols, silicone glycol copolymers, polyalkylene oxide-modified polydimethylsiloxanes, alkoxlyated tetramethyl decyndiols, secondary alcohol alkoxylates, alkoxylated trimethylnonanols, polyoxyethylene ethers, ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymers, fluorosurfactants;

and combinations thereof.

17. The aqueous ink composition of claim 1 wherein said ink has a dry time on offset media that is at least two times faster than the substantially same ink devoid of the nonionic surfactant.

9. An aqueous ink composition for ink jet printing on offset media, said ink composition comprising:

a) from 0.1% to 10% by weight of a pigment;

b) at least two nonionic surfactants, each being present at from about 0.01% to 10% by weight; and

c) from 0.1% to 10% by weight of at least one binder, with the proviso that said ink has a dry time on offset media that is less than the dry time of the substantially same ink devoid of the nonionic surfactant.

10. The aqueous ink composition of claim 9 wherein at least one of the at least two nonionic surfactants has an HLB value from about 4 to 14.

11. The aqueous ink composition of claim 10 wherein the at least two nonionic surfactants have an HLB value from about 4 to 14.

12. The aqueous ink composition of claim 9 wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of acrylates, polyamides, vinyl alcohols, vinyl acetates, polyvinylpyrrolidones, cellulosics, urethanes, and combinations thereof.

13. The aqueous ink composition of claim 9 wherein the at least two nonionic surfactants are each present at from about 0.01% to 2% by weight.

14. The aqueous ink composition of claim 9 further comprising a solvent selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol ethers, pentanediols, pyrrolidones, ethylene glycols, polyethylene glycols, glycerols, and combinations thereof, wherein said solvent is present at from about 0.5 to 50% by weight.

15. The aqueous ink composition of claim 9 wherein each of the at least two nonionic surfactants are independently selected from the group consisting of alkoxylated octylphenols, alkyl phenoxypoly(alkyleneoxy)ethanols, silicone glycol copolymers, polyalkylene oxide-modified polydimethylsiloxanes, alkoxlyated tetramethyl decyndiols, secondary alcohol alkoxylates, alkoxylated trimethylnonanols, polyoxyethylene ethers, ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymers, fluorosurfactants, and combinations thereof.

16. The aqueous ink jet composition of claim 9 wherein the binder has a weight average molecular weight from about 1,000 to 15,000.

18. The aqueous ink composition of claim 9 wherein said ink has a dry time on offset media that is at least three times faster than the substantially same ink devoid of the non-ionic surfactant.

19. A method of ink jet printing on offset media, comprising:

a) providing offset media having a substantially hydrophobic coating; and

b) printing an aqueous ink jet ink onto said offset media, said ink jet ink comprising from 0.1% to 10% by weight of an ink colorant, and from 0.01% to 10% by weight of a nonionic surfactant.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said ink has a dry time on offset media that is less than the dry time of the substantially same ink devoid of the nonionic surfactant.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising from 0.01% to 10% by weight a second nonionic surfactant.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the nonionic surfactant and the second nonionic surfactant are each present at from about 0.01% to 2% by weight, and have an HLB value from 4 to 14.

23. The method of claim 19 further comprising from 0.1% to 10% by weight of at least one water soluble or water dispersible polymeric binder.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of acrylates, polyamides, vinyl alcohols, vinyl acetates, polyvinylpyrrolidones, cellulosics, urethanes, and combinations thereof.

25. A system for of ink jet printing images, comprising:

a) offset media having a substantially hydrophobic coating; and

b) an aqueous ink jet ink configured for printing on said offset media, said ink jet ink comprising from 0.1% to 10% by weight of an ink colorant, and from 0.1 to 10% by weight of a nonionic surfactant.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the ink colorant is a dye, and said ink has a dry time on offset media that is at least two times faster than the dry time of the substantially same ink devoid of the nonionic surfactant.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein the ink colorant is a pigment, and said ink has a dry time on offset media that is at least three times faster than the dry time of the substantially same ink devoid the nonionic surfactant.

28. The system of claim 25 further comprising from 0.01% to 10% by weight a second nonionic surfactant.

29. The system of claim 25 wherein the nonionic surfactant and the second nonionic surfactant are each present at from about 0.01% to 2% by weight, and have an HLB value from 4 to 14.

30. The system of claim 25 further comprising from 0.1% to 10% by weight of at least one water soluble or water dispersible polymeric binder.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of acrylates, polyamides, vinyl alcohols, vinyl acetates, polyvinylpyrrolidones, cellulosics, urethanes, and combinations thereof.