Saccharide-alkyleneoxy derivative and ink

• US 7,888,406 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2007
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yatake, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Cain; Edward J
• Application Number:
  US11/903,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20080163791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 523/160, 523/161
• US Class Current: 523/160
• CPC Class Codes: C07H 15/08 Polyoxyalkylene derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/30 Inkjet printing inks

Abstract

A saccharide-alkyleneoxy derivative comprising a compound represented by the following formula (1):
A-(EP)n-OH  (1)
wherein A represents a skeleton of a saccharide selected from the group consisting of C₃ to C₁₂ aldoses, ketoses and sugar alcohols; EP represents an ethyleneoxy group and/or a propyleneoxy group; and n represents an average number of the repeating units. Also disclosed are a method for producing the saccharide alkyleneoxy derivative, and an ink containing the saccharide-alkyleneoxy derivative.

Claims

1. Ink containing at least a coloring material, water, and a saccharide-alkyleneoxy derivative comprising a compound represented by the following formula (1):

A-(EP)n-OH 

 

(1)

wherein A represents a skeleton of a saccharide selected from the group consisting of C₃ to C₁₂ aldoses, ketoses and sugar alcohols;

EP represents an ethyleneoxy group and/or a propyleneoxy group; and

n represents an average number of the repeating units, said ink further containing one or more C₃ to C₁₂ saccharides selected from the group consisting of;

aldoses having 6 or fewer carbon atoms, aldoses having from 7 to 12 carbon atoms;

ketoses having 6 or fewer carbon atoms, ketoses having from 7 to 12 carbon atoms;

sugar alcohols having from 6 or fewer carbon atoms, and sugar alcohols having from 7 to 12 carbon atoms, wherein the compound represented by formula (1) is a sorbitol-ethyleneoxy compound and is present in the ink in an amount of from 4 to 10% by weight, wherein the ink contains at least one glycol ether selected from the group consisting of 5% to 20% by weight of diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, 5% to 20% by weight of triethylene glycol monobutyl ether, 3% to 10% by weight of dipropylene glycol monobutyl ether and 3.5% to 10% by weight of propylene glycol monobutyl ether, each based on the weight of said ink, wherein the ink also contains 3% to 10% by weight of 1,2-pentanediol or 0.5% to 5% by weight of 1,2-hexanediol, and wherein the coloring material is a water-soluble pigment that is made water-dispersible.

2. The ink according to claim 1, wherein the average number (n) of repeating units in said formula (1) is from 0.5 to 10.

3. The ink according to claim 1, wherein said saccharide-alkyleneoxy derivative has a molecular weight distribution of 2 or more.

4. The ink according to claim 1, wherein said saccharide-alkyleneoxy derivative has a number average molecular weight of 1000 or less.

5. The ink according to claim 1, wherein A in said formula (1) is a skeleton of a saccharide selected from the group consisting of:

aldoses having 6 or fewer carbon atoms, aldoses having from 7 to 12 carbon atoms, keloses having 6 or fewer carbon atoms, sugar alcohols having 6 or fewer carbon atoms, and sugar alcohols having from 7 to 12 carbon atoms.

6. The ink according to claim 1, wherein said saccharide-alkyleneoxy derivative represented by formula (1) and said C₃ to C₁₂ saccharides are present, in total, in an amount of from 0.5% to 30% by weight based on the weight of said ink.

7. The ink according to claim 1, wherein said ink has a surface tension at 25°

C. of 40 mN/m or less.

8. The ink according to claim 1, containing an acetylene glycol surfactant in an amount of 0% to 5% by weight based on the weight of said ink.

9. The ink according to claim 1, containing at least one substance represented by formula (2) below in an amount of 0% to 10% by weight based on the weight of said ink:

R-(EP)m-OH 

 

(2)

wherein R represents an alkyl group having from 4 to 10 carbon atoms, which may be branched, a cycloalkyl group or a phenyl group;

EP represents an ethyleneoxy group and/or a propyleneoxy group; and

m represents an average number of the repeating units.

10. The ink according to claim 9, wherein the average number (m) of the repeating units in the substance represented by said formula (2) is from 1 to 10 and, when propyleneoxy groups represented by EP exist, the average number of repeating units of propyleneoxy groups is from 0.5 to 5.

11. The ink according to claim 1, wherein said pigment is made water dispersible by at least one of surface oxidation and coating with a polymer.

12. A method for jet recording comprising providing the ink according to claim 1, and ejecting the ink onto a recording medium.

13. A method for ink jet recording comprising providing the ink according to claim 1 and ejecting said ink from an ink jet recording apparatus having a head which discharges the ink in response to a signal using an electrostrictive device.

14. The ink according to claim 1, wherein the one or more C₃ to C₁₂ saccharides comprise glycerol.

15. The ink according to claim 1, wherein the one or more C₃ to C₁₂ saccharides are present in the ink in an amount of from 3-15 wt %.

16. Ink containing at least a coloring material, water, and a saccharide-alkyleneoxy derivative comprising a compound represented by the following formula (1):

A-(EP)n-OH 

 

(1)

wherein A represents a skeleton of a saccharide selected from the group consisting of C₃ to C₁₂ aldoses, ketoses and sugar alcohols;

EP represents an ethyleneoxy group and/or a propyleneoxy group; and

n represents an average number of the repeating units, said ink further containing one or more C₃ to C₁₂ saccharides selected from the group consisting of;

aldoses having 6 or fewer carbon atoms, aldoses having from 7 to 12 carbon atoms;

ketoses having 6 or fewer carbon atoms, ketoses having from 7 to 12 carbon atoms;

sugar alcohols having from 6 or fewer carbon atoms, and sugar alcohols having from 7 to 12 carbon atoms, wherein the compound represented by formula (1) is present in the ink in an amount of from 4 to 10% by weight, wherein the ink contains at least one glycol ether selected from the group consisting of 5% to 20% by weight of diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, 5% to 20% by weight of triethylene glycol monobutyl ether, 3% to 10% by weight of dipropylene glycol monobutyl ether and 3.5% to 10% by weight of propylene glycol monobutyl ether, each based on the weight of said ink, wherein the ink also contains 3% to 10% by weight of 1,2-pentanediol or 0.5% to 5% by weight of 1,2-hexanediol, wherein the coloring material is a water-soluble pigment that is made water-dispersible, and wherein the pigment is dispersed in the ink without a dispersing agent.

17. The ink according to claim 16, wherein the pigment is a surface-treated pigment or a pigment coated with a polymer and the compound of formula (I) is a sorbitol-ethyeneoxy compound.

18. The ink according to claim 16, containing an acetylene glycol surfactant in an amount effective to reduce blur of an image formed with the ink on a recording medium comprising paper, said amount being up to 5% by weight based on the weight of the ink.