Use of co-surfactants to adjust properties of ink-jet inks
DCFirst Claim
1. An ink-jet ink composition comprising at least one substantially water-soluble dye and a vehicle, said vehicle including at least one first surfactant and at least one second surfactant, said at least one second surfactant having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance that is at least about 1.5 units higher than that of said at least one first surfactant.
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Abstract
An ink-jet ink composition is provided which includes at least one primary surfactant and at least one co-surfactant, with the co-surfactant having an HLB at least about 1.5 units higher than that of the primary surfactant. The co-surfactant imparts good wetting and cloud point characteristics to the ink-jet ink composition without sacrificing the bleed control achieved with the use of the low-HLB surfactant. The improvement in wetting and cloud point characteristics achieved in the practice of the invention enables ink-jet printers to effect high print quality in a cost-effective manner. A method for increasing the wettability and cloud point of an ink-jet ink by including at least one co-surfactant having an HLB is also provided.
101 Citations
21 Claims
- 1. An ink-jet ink composition comprising at least one substantially water-soluble dye and a vehicle, said vehicle including at least one first surfactant and at least one second surfactant, said at least one second surfactant having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance that is at least about 1.5 units higher than that of said at least one first surfactant.
- 11. A method of increasing the wettability and cloud point of an ink-jet ink for ink-jet printing, said ink-jet ink comprising at least one substantially water-soluble dye and a vehicle, said vehicle including at least one first surfactant, wherein said method comprises formulating said ink-jet ink to further include at least one second surfactant having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance that is at least about 1.5 units higher than that of said at least one first surfactant.
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21. A color ink-jet printer including a set of cyan, yellow, magenta, and black inks, each ink having a composition comprising at least one dye and a vehicle, said vehicle including at least one first surfactant and at least one second surfactant, said at least one second surfactant having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance that is at least about 1.5 units higher than that of said at least one first surfactant.
Specification