Compositions: coating or plastic – Coating or plastic compositions – Marking
Patent
1997-10-29
1999-03-02
Klemanski, Helene
Compositions: coating or plastic
Coating or plastic compositions
Marking
106 3147, 106 3149, 106 3148, C09D 1102
Patent
active
058764917
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This application is the national phase of international application PCT/GB96/00995, filed Apr. 26, 1996.
This invention relates to compositions of matter and more particularly to ink compositions suitable for use in ink-jet printing processes and to the use of said inks in said processes.
Ink-jet printing processes are well known and have been described, for example, by Peter Gregory in Chapter 9 of "High-Technology Applications of Organic Colorants" (Plenum Press).
In general, ink-jet printing involves squirting droplets of ink on to a substrate (paper or plastic) to produce an image. The inks used may be aqueous or non-aqueous but one commonly used type of ink comprises an aqueous medium containing a water-soluble dye and a water-soluble organic solvent such as diethylene glycol or N-methylpyrrolidone. The organic solvents serve several functions. In particular, they act as humectants and, by minimising the evaporation of water, they prevent crystallisation or crusting of the dye which could block the ink-jet nozzles. The organic solvents also help to control the viscosity and surface tension of the inks and they can improve the solubility of the dye thus providing more stable inks.
The inks hitherto proposed have not been entirely satisfactory in all respects, however, and it has now been found that by incorporating certain mixtures of water-soluble organic dyes, inks having improved properties can be obtained. In particular, it has been found that prints having improved dry time and wet fastness and also increased optical density can be obtained by using the inks hereinafter defined. Furthermore, the prints obtained by using black dyes display little or no bronzing.
Thus, according to the present invention, there is provided an ink composition comprising an aqueous medium containing: ##STR2## wherein m is a whole number from 3 to 5 and X represents --O-- or --N(R)-- in which R represents hydrogen, alkyl or substituted alkyl; having at least four hydroxy groups, optionally substituted cycloalkanols, cyclohexane dimethanol, benzyl alcohol, benzene dimethanol, phenol and polyhydroxybenzenes, and alkanetriols, ether glycols and thioether glycols.
As examples of alkyl and substituted alkyl groups which may be presented by R in the cyclic amides of Formula (1), there may be mentioned C.sub.1-6 -alkyl groups and substituted C.sub.1-6 -alkyl groups, for example hydroxy-substituted C.sub.1-6 -alkyl groups.
As specific examples of cyclic esters or amides which may be present in the ink compositions of the invention, there may be mentioned .epsilon.-caprolactone, .gamma.-butyrolactone, .epsilon.-caprolactam, .delta.-valerolactam, N-methylcaprolactam, 2-pyrrolidone and N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone.
Polyhydroxy compounds having at least four hydroxy groups which may be present in the compositions include glucose and polyhydroxyalkanes such as pentaerythritol, sorbitol and meso-inositol.
Optionally substituted cycloalkanols which may be incorporated in the inks of the invention suitably contain from 4 to 8 ring carbon atoms which may optionally carry substituents of types which do not reduce water-solubility below an acceptable level. Preferred cycloalkanols include cyclopentanol and optionally substituted cyclohexanols of the Formula (2): ##STR3## wherein each of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2, independently, is selected from hydrogen, lower alkyl particularly C.sub.1-4 -alkyl; lower alkoxy particularly C.sub.1-4 -alkoxy, hydroxy, amino, nitro, carboxy and sulpho. The most preferred cycloalkanol is cyclohexanol.
Alkanediols which may be used include those already proposed for inclusion in aqueous inks, for example propylene glycol and diols of the Formula (3): ##STR4## wherein n is a whole number from 2 to 6, for example ethylene glycol and pentane-1,5-diol.
Alkanetriols which may be incorporated in the inks include glycerol and 1,2,6-hexanetriol.
Examples of ether glycols which may be incorporated include diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol and trpropylene glycol. Suitable thio
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Gunn Janet
Holbrook Mark
Lavery Aidan Joseph
Klemanski Helene
Zeneca Limited
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