Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
  • B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
  • B41M5/50—Recording sheets characterised by the coating used to improve ink, dye or pigment receptivity, e.g. for ink-jet or thermal dye transfer recording
  • B41M5/52—Macromolecular coatings
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06P—DYEING OR PRINTING TEXTILES; DYEING LEATHER, FURS OR SOLID MACROMOLECULAR SUBSTANCES IN ANY FORM
  • D06P5/00—Other features in dyeing or printing textiles, or dyeing leather, furs, or solid macromolecular substances in any form
  • D06P5/30—Ink jet printing
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
  • B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
  • B41M5/50—Recording sheets characterised by the coating used to improve ink, dye or pigment receptivity, e.g. for ink-jet or thermal dye transfer recording
  • B41M5/502—Recording sheets characterised by the coating used to improve ink, dye or pigment receptivity, e.g. for ink-jet or thermal dye transfer recording characterised by structural details, e.g. multilayer materials
  • B41M5/506—Intermediate layers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
  • B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
  • B41M5/50—Recording sheets characterised by the coating used to improve ink, dye or pigment receptivity, e.g. for ink-jet or thermal dye transfer recording
  • B41M5/502—Recording sheets characterised by the coating used to improve ink, dye or pigment receptivity, e.g. for ink-jet or thermal dye transfer recording characterised by structural details, e.g. multilayer materials
  • B41M5/508—Supports
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
  • B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
  • B41M5/50—Recording sheets characterised by the coating used to improve ink, dye or pigment receptivity, e.g. for ink-jet or thermal dye transfer recording
  • B41M5/52—Macromolecular coatings
  • B41M5/5218—Macromolecular coatings characterised by inorganic additives, e.g. pigments, clays
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
  • B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
  • B41M5/50—Recording sheets characterised by the coating used to improve ink, dye or pigment receptivity, e.g. for ink-jet or thermal dye transfer recording
  • B41M5/52—Macromolecular coatings
  • B41M5/5236—Macromolecular coatings characterised by the use of natural gums, of proteins, e.g. gelatins, or of macromolecular carbohydrates, e.g. cellulose
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
  • B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
  • B41M5/50—Recording sheets characterised by the coating used to improve ink, dye or pigment receptivity, e.g. for ink-jet or thermal dye transfer recording
  • B41M5/52—Macromolecular coatings
  • B41M5/5254—Macromolecular coatings characterised by the use of polymers obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds, e.g. vinyl polymers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
  • B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
  • B41M5/50—Recording sheets characterised by the coating used to improve ink, dye or pigment receptivity, e.g. for ink-jet or thermal dye transfer recording
  • B41M5/52—Macromolecular coatings
  • B41M5/5263—Macromolecular coatings characterised by the use of polymers obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
  • B41M5/5281—Polyurethanes or polyureas
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
  • B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
  • B41M5/50—Recording sheets characterised by the coating used to improve ink, dye or pigment receptivity, e.g. for ink-jet or thermal dye transfer recording
  • B41M5/52—Macromolecular coatings
  • B41M5/529—Macromolecular coatings characterised by the use of fluorine- or silicon-containing organic compounds

Definitions

• This invention relates to ink jet recording media, and more particularly to ink sorptive coatings that can be used in combination with a suitable substrate to provide an ink jet recording media.
• Patent 4,889,765 discloses an ink-receptive coating composition comprising a polymer of 2-oxazoline, preferably polyethyl oxazoline, and an olefin copolymer containing pendant acid groups which are substantially neutralized by a base.
• U.S. Patent 5,389,723 discloses coatings formed from semi-interpenetrating polymeric networks comprising a blend of a polymeric matrix component, a liquid absorbent component, and a polyfunctional aziridine crosslinking agent for forming water durable networks.
• a polyethyl oxazoline is mentioned as a possible liquid absorbent material.
• ink sorptive coating that can be used for ink jet recording media (e.g., ink jet recording paper, ink jet recording film and other substrate based ink jet recording products).
• the ink sorptive coating can be used to provide ink jet recording media having improved performance for ink jet recording applications.
• an object of the present invention is to provide an ink sorptive coating that can be used for ink jet recording media.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording media, wherein an ink sorptive coating is applied to the surface of a suitable substrate, and wherein the coating provides improved image quality, curl performance and dry time to the prepared media.
• the ink sorptive coatings and recording media of the present invention comprise:
• a surface coating layer containing a cellulose ether may be employed over the ink sorptive coatings of the inventive media in order to achieve desired performance properties.
• the ink jet recording medium of the present invention contains a substrate having on a surface thereof at least one ink sorptive coating layer that comprises:
• Typical examples of polyalkyl oxazoline and polyphenyl oxazoline monomer units that are useful in preparing the ink sorptive coatings and ink jet recording media of the present invention are polymethyl oxazoline, polyethyl oxazoline, polypropyl oxazoline, polyphenyl oxazoline, and the like. Both, polymers and copolymers containing such monomer units are useful in preparing the ink sorptive coatings and ink jet recording media of the present invention.
• the weight average molecular weight of such polymers and copolymers should be greater than about 40,000 and more preferably greater than about 200,000.
• hydroxyl group (-OH) containing polymers and copolymers that are useful in preparing the ink sorptive coatings and ink jet recording media of the present invention are those that contain a cellulose acetate butyrate monomer unit, a cellulose acetate propionate monomer unit, a poly(vinyl butyral) monomer unit, a ethylcellulose monomer unit, a partially hydrolyzed poly(vinyl acetate) monomer unit, a nitrocellulose monomer unit, a hydroxyethyl methacrylate monomer unit, and the like.
• the weight average molecular weight of such polymers and copolymers should be greater than about 25,000 and more preferably greater than about 100,000.
• the ink sorptive coating(s) of the present invention preferably contain about 50% to about 98% of the polyalkyl oxazoline and/or polyphenyl oxazoline containing polymer(s) or copolymer(s) therein, on a weight/weight basis; more preferably about 80% to about 95%, on a weight/weight basis.
• a surface coating over said ink sorptive coating layer(s) is required.
• the ink sorptive coating(s) are coated directly on the base substrate and then dried.
• the surface coating layer is then applied on top of the ink sorptive coating layer(s), with the surface coating layer containing at least one cellulose ether.
• Typical examples of cellulose ethers that may be used in the surface coatings of the present invention are methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl ethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose.
• the ink sorptive coatings of the present invention should have a glass transition temperature, Tg, that is greater than about 40°C, and preferably that is greater than about 60°C. (When the Tg is not attainable, the softening temperature is used.) When the Tg is below about 40°C, the coatings are too tacky for commercial applications.
• Glass transition temperature is measured on a Differential Scanning Calorimeter (TA Instruments, Model DC 2910), calibrated with appropriate standards. The reading and baseline errors from running replicate DSC experiments leads to a typical accuracy in measuring the Tg of about 3°C. Measurements of heat flow versus temperature are made upon heating in the range of about 5° to 200°C at a heating rate of 20°C/minute. The sample chamber is purged with nitrogen. Film-like samples are encapsulated in an aluminum pan. The midpoint method is used to obtain the glass transition temperature of the polymer blend from the measured DSC curve of heat flow versus temperature.
• the thickness of the inventive ink sorptive coatings of the present invention is not particularly restricted, but is generally governed by application of each ink sorptive coating layer to the substrate in an amount of from about 2 grams per square meter to about 30 grams per square meter.
• suitable substrates for such purposes include transparent plastics, translucent plastics, matte plastics, opaque plastics, papers and the like.
• suitable polymeric materials for use as the base substrate include polyester, cellulose esters, polystyrene, polypropylene, poly(vinyl acetate), polycarbonate, and the like.
• Poly(ethylene terephthalate) film is a particularly preferred base substrate.
• clay coated papers and polyolefin coated papers are particularly preferred as base substrate papers.
• the thickness of the base substrate is not particularly restricted but should generally be in the range of from about 1 to about 10 mils, preferably from about 3.0 to about 5.0 mils.
• the base substrate may be pretreated to enhance adhesion of the ink sorptive coating thereto, if so desired.
• the ink sorptive coatings of the present invention may further comprise about 0.1 to about 15% by weight of a particulate(s) based on the weight of the dry coating.
• Suitable particulates that can be used in the ink sorptive coating(s) to modify their surface properties include inorganic particulates such as silica, alumina, kaolin, glass beads, calcium carbonate and titanium oxide, and organic particulate such as polyolefins, polystyrene, polyurethane, starch, poly(methyl methacrylate) and polytetrafluoroethylene.
• Such particulates may also be used in the optional surface coating layers that may be used in the inventive media, if so desired. In such an instance, the particulate(s) may be present in the optional surface coating layers in an amount of about 0.1 to about 15% by weight, based on the weight of the dry coatings.
• additives may also be employed in the ink sorptive coatings of the present invention, as well as in the optional surface coatings of the present invention.
• These additives can include surface active agents which control the wetting or spreading action of coating solutions, antistatic agents, suspending agents, and acidic compounds to control pH of the coatings.
• Other additives may also be used, if so desired.
• the surface of the base substrate which does not bear the ink sorptive coating may have a backing material placed thereon in order to reduce electrostatic charge and to reduce sheet-to-sheet friction and sticking, if so desired.
• the backing material may either be a polymeric coating, a polymer film or a paper backing material.
• any of a number of coating methods may be employed to coat the ink sorptive coating(s) onto a suitable substrate.
• roller coating, blade coating, wire-bar coating, dip coating, extrusion coating, air knife coating, curtain coating, slide coating, doctor coating or gravure coating may be used and are well known in the art.
• Such coating methods may also be used to coat the optional surface coating layers on the inventive ink jet recording media, if so desired.
• a coating composition is prepared according to the following formulation: Ink Sorptive Coating: Poly (2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) 85 parts Poly vinylbutyral 15 parts Methyl Ethyl Ketone 280 parts Propylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether 120 parts Poly(methyl methacrylate) beads 1 part
• the coating is applied to a polyester film (ICI Films) using a No. 42 Meyer rod.
• the ink sorptive coating is dried at about 130°C for about 4 minutes.
• a coating composition is prepared according to the following formulation: Ink Sorptive Coating: Poly (2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) 85 parts Copolymer A 15 parts Methyl Ethyl Ketone 280 parts Propylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether 120 parts Poly(methyl methacrylate) beads 1 part
• the coating is applied to a polyester film (ICI Films) using a No. 42 Meyer rod.
• the ink sorptive coating is dried at about 130°C for about 4 minutes.
• a coating composition is prepared according to the following formulation: Ink Sorptive Coating: Poly (2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)-co-(2-phenyl-2-oxazoline) 85 parts Copolymer A 15 parts Methyl Ethyl Ketone 280 parts Propylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether 120 parts Poly(methyl methacrylate) beads 1 part
• the coating is applied to a polyester film (ICI Films) using a No. 42 Meyer rod.
• the ink sorptive coating is dried at about 130°C for about 4 minutes.
• a surface coating layer is then coated over the ink sorptive coating according to the following formulation: Surface Coating Layer Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose 1 part Water 99 parts
• the surface coating layer is applied with a No. 8 Meyer rod and is dried at about 130°C for about 2 minutes.
• Example I The ink sorptive coating of Example I is applied to polyester film (ICI Films) using a No. 42 rod and dried for about 4 minutes at about 130°C.
• the surface coating layer of Example III is then coated over the ink sorptive coating.
• the surface coating layer is applied with a No. 8 Meyer rod and is dried at about 130°C for about 2 minutes.
• a coating composition is prepared according to the following formulation: Ink Sorptive Coating: Poly (2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) 85 parts Polyurethane 15 parts Methyl Ethyl Ketone 280 parts Propylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether 120 parts Poly(methyl methacrylate) beads 1 part
• the coating is applied to a polyester film (ICI Films) using a No. 42 Meyer rod.
• the ink sorptive coating is dried at 130°C for about 4 minutes.
• a coating composition is prepared according to the following formulation: Ink Sorptive Coating: PVP K-90 85 parts Copolymer A 15 parts Methyl Ethyl Ketone 280 parts Propylene Monomethyl Ether 120 parts Poly(methyl methacrylate) beads 1 part
• the coating is applied to a polyester film (ICI Films) using a No. 42 Meyer rod.
• the ink sorptive coating is dried at 130°C for about 4 minutes.
• the prepared ink jet recording media are evaluated for performance on a HEWLETT PACKARD DESKJET 850C printer with the ink jet pens supplied by HEWLETT PACKARD for the DESKJET 850C printer.
• the dry time of each example is measured by initially printing a test plot onto each ink jet recording medium example.
• the printed sheet is then placed on top of a 20 lb. ream of XEROX 4200 paper. This is taken as time zero (t 0 ).
• a sheet of white bond paper is placed onto the surface of the print.
• Another 20 lb. ream of XEROX 4200 paper is placed on top of the white bond paper.
• the top ream of paper and white bond paper is removed from on top of the print.
• the print is dry when no transfer of ink between the example and the white bond paper has occurred, which is termed the dry time (t dry ).
• the projector curl performance is conducted on a POLAROID overhead projector.
• the projector platen surface is allowed to warm up to 40°C.
• the ink jet recording medium is placed onto the platen surface for one minute. After one minute the distance that each of the corners of the ink jet recording medium has raised from the platen surface is measured. The highest measured distance is the projector curl of the ink jet recording medium. It is the inventors' experience that the ink jet recording media will give defocused images or low image resolution when their projector curl is greater than about 10 mm.
• the black image optical density or KOD is measured on a MACBETH TD904 (Macbeth Process Measurements). A reading is taken at four different locations along a solid black image strip. The average of the four readings is the black image optical density.
• the glass transition temperature, dry time, projector curl and black image optical density of each example and comparative example are provided in Table I, below.
• each of the inventive Examples I-IV exhibited an improved combination of properties when compared with the Comparative Examples C-I and C-II. This is evident from their performances in curl, dry time and optical density.
• the inventive media of Examples I-IV possess good black image optical densities. This is important, since good performance in this test is an indicator of a low amount of pigment ink cracking. Specifically, the lower the optical density, the higher the degree of cracking.
• the ink jet recording media of the present invention possess an improved optical density without experiencing a deterioration in other properties such as curl.
• Table I clearly shows that the ink jet recording media of the present invention possesses good projector curl performance properties (i.e, much less than 10 mm of curl).
• the ink jet recording media of the present invention possesses the advantage of an improved dry time, which can allow for a higher throughput in ink jet printing devices.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Ink Jet Recording Methods And Recording Media Thereof (AREA)
• Application Of Or Painting With Fluid Materials (AREA)
• Ink Jet (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=27170441

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (4)

Families Citing this family (2)

Citations (7)

• 1997
  • 1997-07-02 EP EP97202022A patent/EP0888902A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1997-07-03 JP JP9178349A patent/JPH1128417A/ja active Pending
  • 1997-08-22 CA CA002213637A patent/CA2213637A1/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (7)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events