Aqueous ink compositions and method of preparing same

• US 9,133,355 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2011
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.), Hewlett-Packard Industrial Printing Ltd (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Brandstein, Or, Cohen, Eytan, Vilk, Ran
• Primary Examiner(s): Faison, Veronica F
• Application Number:
  US14/008,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20140015912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: 106/31.27, 106/31.6, 106/31.58, 106/31.86, 106/31.29, 106/31.61
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/30 Inkjet printing inks
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/322 Pigment inks

Abstract

An aqueous ink composition includes at least 60% water by weight, an acrylic latex polymer suspension, a polyurethane suspension, a polyethylene wax suspension, and an organic solvent that comprises about 10% to about 30% of the ink composition. In methods for preparing an aqueous ink composition, a combination of the aforementioned components is provided. The combination is subjected to conditions under which the ink composition becomes substantially uniform and then the combination is subjected to filtration.

Claims

1. An aqueous inkjet ink composition, comprising:

(a) at least 60% water by weight,

(b) an acrylic latex polymer suspension having a glass transition temperature of about 50°

C. to about 90°

C.,

(c) a polyurethane suspension,

(d) a polyethylene wax suspension, and

(e) an organic solvent that comprises about 10% to about 30% of the ink composition.

2. The ink composition according to claim 1, wherein the acrylic latex polymer suspension is selected from the group consisting of acrylic homopolymers and copolymers of acrylic monomers and vinyl aromatic monomers.

3. The ink composition according to claim 1, wherein the polyurethane suspension has a film formation temperature of about 20°

C. to about 50°

C., is substantially free from organic solvents, and is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic polyurethane dispersions, aromatic polyurethane dispersions, anionic polyurethane dispersions, non-ionic polyurethane dispersions, aliphatic polyester polyurethane dispersions, aliphatic polycarbonate polyurethane dispersions, aliphatic acrylic modified polyurethane dispersions, aromatic polyester polyurethane dispersions, aromatic polycarbonate polyurethane dispersions, aromatic acrylic modified polyurethane dispersions, aromatic polyester polyurethane dispersions, aromatic polycarbonate polyurethane dispersions, and aromatic acrylic modified polyurethane dispersions.

4. The ink composition according to claim 1, wherein the polyethylene wax suspension is selected from the group consisting of low density polyethylene wax emulsions, high density polyethylene wax emulsions, oxidized polyethylene wax emulsions, ethylene copolymer wax emulsions, and polyethylene copolymer wax emulsions.

5. The ink composition according to claim 1, wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of glycols, glycol ethers, alcohols, and heterocyclic ketones.

6. The ink composition according to claim 1, wherein acrylic latex polymer solids are present in the ink composition at about 1% to about 4% by weight of the ink composition.

7. The ink composition according to claim 1, wherein polyurethane solids are present in the ink composition at about 2% to about 10% by weight of the ink composition.

8. The ink composition according to claim 1, wherein polyethylene wax solids are present in the ink composition at about 0.1% to about 2% by weight of the ink composition.

9. The ink composition according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of solids in the acrylic latex polymer suspension:

polyurethane suspension;

polyethylene wax suspension is about 2 to about 3;

about 1;

about 0.3 to about 0.5.

10. The ink composition according to claim 1, wherein a viscosity of the ink composition is 5 cp to 15 cp at a dispensation temperature of about 5°

C. to about 40°

C.

11. The ink composition according to claim 1, further comprising one or more colorants.

12. A method of forming a printed substrate, the method comprising ink jetting the aqueous inkjet ink composition according to claim 1 onto a surface of a substrate.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the substrate is a plastic substrate.

16. The ink composition of claim 10, wherein the viscosity of the ink composition is 5 cp to 15 cp at a dispensation temperature of about 5°

C. to about 15°

C.

17. A method improving decap performance of an inkjet printhead, comprising jetting the aqueous ink composition of claim 1 from an inkjet printhead at a temperature below room temperature.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the temperature is from about 5°

C. to about 15°

C.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the decap performance as measured by time is increased compared to the decap time at room temperature.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the decap performance measured by time is increased by at least 30 fold.

14. A method of preparing an aqueous inkjet ink composition, the method comprising:

(a) providing in combination water, an acrylic latex polymer suspension, a polyurethane suspension, a polyethylene wax suspension, and an organic solvent that comprises about 10% to about 30% of the ink composition, wherein the water is greater than about 60% by weight of the combination;

(b) subjecting the combination to conditions under which the ink composition becomes substantially uniform; and

(c) subjecting the combination to filtration.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein acrylic latex polymer solids are present in the ink composition at about 1% to about 4% by weight of the ink composition, polyurethane solids are present in the ink composition at about 2% to about 10% by weight of the ink composition, and polyethylene wax solids are present in the ink composition at about 0.1% to about 2% by weight of the ink composition.