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
• • 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
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
  • B41M7/00—After-treatment of prints, e.g. heating, irradiating, setting of the ink, protection of the printed stock
  • B41M7/0027—After-treatment of prints, e.g. heating, irradiating, setting of the ink, protection of the printed stock using protective coatings or layers by lamination or by fusion of the coatings or layers

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a porous ink jet recording element and a printing method using the element.
• ink droplets are ejected from a nozzle at high speed towards a recording element or medium to produce an image on the medium.
• the ink droplets, or recording liquid generally comprise a recording agent, such as a dye or pigment, and a large amount of solvent.
• the solvent, or carrier liquid typically is made up of water, an organic material such as a monohydric alcohol, a polyhydric alcohol or mixtures thereof.
• An ink jet recording element typically comprises a support having on at least one surface thereof at least one ink-receiving layer.
• the ink-receiving layer is typically either a porous layer that imbibes the ink via capillary action, or a polymer layer that swells to absorb the ink. Swellable hydrophilic polymer layers take an undesirably long time to dry.
• Porous ink-receiving layers are usually composed of inorganic or organic particles bonded together by a binder. The amount of particles in this type of coating is often far above the critical particle volume concentration, which results in high porosity in the coating.
• Ink jet prints prepared by printing onto ink jet recording elements, are subject to environmental degradation. They are especially vulnerable to damage resulting from contact with water and atmospheric gases such as ozone. The damage resulting from the post imaging contact with water can take the form of water spots resulting from deglossing of the top coat, dye smearing due to unwanted dye diffusion, and even gross dissolution of the image recording layer. Ozone bleaches ink jet dyes resulting in loss of density. To overcome these deficiencies, ink jet prints are often laminated. However, lamination is expensive as it requires a separate roll of material.
• U.S. Patents 4,785,313 and 4,832,984 relate to an ink jet recording element comprising a support having thereon a fusible, ink-transporting layer and an ink-retaining layer, wherein the ink-retaining layer is non-porous.
• the ink-retaining layer is non-porous.
• EP 858, 905A1 relates to an ink jet recording element having a porous, outermost layer formed by heat sintering thermoplastic particles such as polyurethane which may contain a slight amount of a hydrophilic binder such as poly(vinyl alcohol).
• a hydrophilic binder such as poly(vinyl alcohol).
• this element has poor resistance to mechanical abrasion when it does not contain a hydrophilic binder, and poor water-resistance when it does contain a hydrophilic binder.
• Another object of the invention is to provide a printing method using the above-described element.
• an ink jet recording element comprising a support having thereon in order:
• a porous ink jet recording element that has good abrasion resistance, and which when printed with an ink jet ink, and subsequently fused, has good water-resistance and high print density.
• Another embodiment of the invention relates to an ink jet printing method comprising the steps of:
• the fusible, polymeric particles employed in the invention may have any particle size provided they will form a porous layer.
• the particle size of the fusible, polymeric particles may range from 0.5 to 10 ⁇ m.
• the particle may be formed from any polymer which is fusible, i.e., capable of being converted from discrete particles into a continuous layer through the application of heat and/or pressure.
• the fusible, polymeric particle comprises a condensation polymer, a styrenic polymer, a vinyl polymer, an ethylene-vinyl chloride copolymer, a polyacrylate, poly(vinyl acetate), poly(vinylidene chloride), a vinyl acetate-vinyl chloride copolymer.
• the condensation polymer may be a polyester or polyurethane.
• the film-forming, hydrophobic binder useful in the invention can be any film-forming hydrophobic polymer capable of being dispersed in water.
• the hydrophobic binder is an aqueous dispersion of an acrylic polymer or a polyurethane.
• the particle-to-binder ratio of the particles and binder employed in the ink-transporting layer can range between 98:2 and 60:40, preferably between 95:5 and 80:20.
• a layer having particle-to-binder ratios above the range stated will usually not have sufficient cohesive strength; and a layer having particle-to-binder ratios below the range stated will usually not be sufficiently porous to provide good image quality.
• the ratio of the mean volume weighted size of the dispersed film forming hydrophobic polymeric binder particles to the fusible, polymeric particles is preferably 0.15 to 1, and more preferably greater than 0.41 to 1, as determined by a Horiba LA-920 Laser Scattering Particle Size Distribution Analyzer (Horiba Instruments, Inc.). While not being bound by any theory, it is believed that if the ratio is below the lower limit stated, the binder particles pass through the interparticle voids between the larger fusible particles, and deposit at the interface with the ink-retaining layer. The resultant structure blocks ink flow into the ink-retaining layer, resulting in undesirable bleed.
• the ink-retaining layer can be any porous structure, but it is preferred that the mean pore radius is smaller than the uppermost ink-transporting layer.
• the ink-retaining layer is composed of particles and binder, the particles will be significantly smaller than the fusible, polymeric particles in the upper ink-transporting layer, thereby assuring a correct pore-size hierarchy.
• the ink-retaining layer or layers will have a thickness of 1 ⁇ m to 50 ⁇ m, and the top ink-transporting layer will usually have a thickness of 2 ⁇ m to 50 ⁇ m.
• the ink-retaining layer is present in an amount from 1 g/m 2 to 50 g/m 2 , preferably from 5.0 g/m 2 to 30 g/m 2 .
• the ink-retaining layer is a continuous, co-extensive porous layer which contains organic or inorganic particles.
• organic particles which may be used include core/shell particles such as those disclosed in U.S.S.N. 09/609,969 of Kapusniak et al., filed June 30, 2000, and homogeneous particles such as those disclosed in U.S.S.N. 09/608,466 of Kapusniak et al., filed June 30, 2000.
• organic particles which may be used include acrylic resins, styrenic resins, cellulose derivatives, polyvinyl resins, ethylene-allyl copolymers and polycondensation polymers such as polyesters.
• inorganic particles which may be used in the ink-retaining layer of the invention include silica, alumina, titanium dioxide, clay, calcium carbonate, barium sulfate, or zinc oxide.
• the porous ink-retaining layer comprises from 20 % to 100 % of particles and from 0 % to 80 % of a polymeric binder, preferably from 80% to 95 % of particles and from 20 % to 5 % of a polymeric binder.
• the polymeric binder may be a hydrophilic polymer such as poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), gelatin, cellulose ethers, poly(oxazolines), poly(vinylacetamides), partially hydrolyzed poly(vinyl acetate/vinyl alcohol), poly(acrylic acid), poly(acrylamide), poly(alkylene oxide), sulfonated or phosphated polyesters and polystyrenes, casein, zein, albumin, chitin, chitosan, dextran, pectin, collagen derivatives, collodian, agar-agar, arrowroot, guar, carrageenan, tragacanth, xanthan, rhamsan and the like.
• hydrophilic polymer such as poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), gelatin, cellulose ethers, poly(oxazolines), poly(vinylacetamides), partially hydrolyzed
• the hydrophilic polymer is poly(vinyl alcohol), hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, a poly(alkylene oxide), poly(vinyl pyrrolidinone), poly(vinyl acetate) or copolymers thereof or gelatin.
• Suitable porous materials for an ink-retaining layer include, for example, silica or alumina in a polymeric binder.
• the ink-retaining layer is porous fumed alumina in a crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) binder.
• crosslinkers which act upon the binder discussed above may be added in small quantities. Such an additive improves the cohesive strength of the layer.
• Crosslinkers such as carbodiimides, polyfunctional aziridines, aldehydes, isocyanates, epoxides, polyvalent metal cations, vinyl sulfones, pyridinium, pyridylium dication ether, methoxyalkyl melamines, triazines, dioxane derivatives, chrom alum, zirconium sulfate and the like may be used.
• the crosslinker is an aldehyde, an acetal or a ketal, such as 2,3-dihydroxy-1,4-dioxane.
• the porous ink-retaining layer can also comprise an open-pore polyolefin, an open-pore polyester or an open pore membrane.
• An open pore membrane can be formed in accordance with the known technique of phase inversion. Examples of a porous ink-receiving layer comprising an open-pore membrane are disclosed in U.S.S.N. 09/626,752 and U.S.S.N. 09/626,883, both of Landry-Coltrain et al., filed July 27, 2000.
• two porous, ink-retaining layers are present.
• the uppermost layer is substantially the same as the lower layer, but at a thickness of only 1 % to 20 % of the thickness of the lower layer, and also contains from 1-20 % by weight of a mordant, such as a cationic latex mordant.
• the two porous, ink-retaining layers can be coated simultaneously or sequentially by any of the known coating techniques as noted below.
• the dye image is then concentrated at the thin uppermost ink-retaining layer containing a mordant, and thereby enhances print density.
• the support used in the ink jet recording element of the invention may be opaque, translucent, or transparent.
• the support is a resin-coated paper.
• the thickness of the support employed in the invention can be from 12 to 500 ⁇ m, preferably from 75 to 300 ⁇ m.
• the surface of the support may be corona-discharge-treated prior to applying the base layer or solvent-absorbing layer to the support.
• image recording element may come in contact with other image recording articles or the drive or transport mechanisms of image recording devices, additives such as surfactants, lubricants, UV-absorbing agents, matte particles and the like may be added to the element to the extent that they do not degrade the properties of interest.
• additives such as surfactants, lubricants, UV-absorbing agents, matte particles and the like may be added to the element to the extent that they do not degrade the properties of interest.
• the layers described above, including the base layer and the top layer, may be coated by conventional coating means onto a support material commonly used in this art.
• Coating methods may include, but are not limited to, wound wire rod coating, slot coating, slide hopper coating, gravure, curtain coating and the like. Some of these methods allow for simultaneous coatings of both layers, which is preferred from a manufacturing economic perspective.
• the fusible, porous ink-transporting layer is heat and/or pressure fused to form an overcoat layer on the surface.
• Fusing is preferably accomplished by contacting the surface of the element with a heat fusing member, such as a fusing roller or fusing belt.
• a heat fusing member such as a fusing roller or fusing belt.
• fusing can be accomplished by passing the element through a pair of heated rollers, heated to a temperature of 60 °C to 160 °C, using a pressure of 5 to 15 MPa at a transport rate of 0.005 m/sec to 0.5 m/sec.
• the ink jet inks used to image the recording elements of the present invention are well-known in the art.
• the ink compositions used in ink jet printing typically are liquid compositions comprising a solvent or carrier liquid, dyes or pigments, humectants, organic solvents, detergents, thickeners, preservatives, and the like.
• the solvent or carrier liquid can be solely water or can be water mixed with other water-miscible solvents such as polyhydric alcohols.
• Inks in which organic materials such as polyhydric alcohols are the predominant carrier or solvent liquid may also be used. Particularly useful are mixed solvents of water and polyhydric alcohols.
• the dyes used in such compositions are typically water-soluble direct or acid type dyes.
• Such liquid compositions have been described extensively in the prior art including, for example, U.S. Patents 4,381,946; 4,239,543 and 4,781,758.
• the temperature was lowered to 70°C and while stirring, 111.20 g (0.50 mole) of isophrone diisocyanate and 10 g ethyl acetate were added.
• the temperature was raised to 80°C and reaction stirred at temperature until completion which gave, upon cooling, a 60.6 weight percent solids solution.
• the solution was used to prepare the polyurethane particles P1 described below.
• styrene was added 10 g 2,2'- azobis(2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile), Vazo 52® (DuPont Corp.), and stirred until the Vazo 52 ® dissolved.
• an aqueous phase was prepared by adding to 1000 g of distilled water, 10.43 g potassium hydrogen phthalate, 4 g 0.1N HCl, 7.2 g poly(adipic acid-co-methylaminoethanol) and 91.5 g of Ludox TM® colloidal silica, and stirring for 15 minutes.
• the organic phase was then added to the stirred (marine prop agitator) aqueous phase and stirred for 15 minutes.
• the resultant dispersion was passed through a Gaulin homogenizer twice at 20.7 MPa and then heated at 54°C for sixteen hours. There was thereby obtained a narrowly distributed population of 2 ⁇ m polystyrene particles.
• the coating solution at 20 % solids comprised 90 parts by weight P1 particle solids and 10 parts by weight binder solids.
• Coating solution S2 was prepared by adding to the P2 particles the same hydrophobic binder.
• the solution at 20 % solids comprised 85 parts P2 particle solids and 15 parts binder solids.
• a polyethylene resin-coated paper support was corona discharge treated. The support was then hopper coated and force air dried at 60°C to provide the following ink-retaining layers:
• Hydrophilic Layer L3 an aqueous solution comprising 6.7 % gelatin, and 1.2 % poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), K90 (International Specialty Products Co.) was hopper coated to provide an ink-retaining layer of 8.6 g/m 2 .
• control layers were rod coated:
• the porous ink-transporting layer was prepared by separately coating solutions as shown in Table 1 over the porous ink-retaining layers as shown in Table 1 using a wire wound rod, calibrated to give a wet laydown of 40 ⁇ m and air dried.
• a bleed test target was printed on the elements and controls with a Hewlett-Packard Photosmart ® printer.
• the target design had seven adjacent 9 mm by 48 mm rectangular bars, each bar was one of the primary or secondary subtractive color i.e. C,M,Y,R,G,B,K, and in each bar was embedded six 7 mm squares of the other colors. So, for example, the Cyan bar had embedded squares of M,Y,R,G,B,K.
• the porous ink-transporting layer was prepared by coating an 8.1% solids dispersion comprised of 85 parts particles P3 and 15 parts hydrophobic binder B1. The dispersion was coated with a 40 ⁇ m wire wound rod over the porous ink-retaining layer L2 described in Example 1 to form Element 4. Elements 5-7 were similarly prepared from 20 % solids dispersions comprised of 90 parts particles P1 and 10 parts hydrophobic binder in the combinations given in the table below.
• a test target comprised was printed with a Hewlett-Packard Photosmaat ® printer.
• the target consisted of seven sets of four 1 cm 2 color patches, a set in each of the primary and secondary colors and black. Each patch was printed at a single density, the set ranging from 25 % to 100 % density in equal steps.
• the printed elements and controls were fused in a heated nip at 150°C and 4.2 kg/cm 2 against a sol-gel coated polyimide belt at 63.5 cm/min. A water drop was placed on each color patch of the fused print for 30 minutes and then blotted. Waterfastness was judged by the transfer of dye to the blotter and density loss in the blotted color patch on the following scale:
• Aqueous 20 % solids dispersions were prepared from combinations of the above particles and binders at 90 parts polyurethane particles and 10 parts binder particles in combinations whose binder to particle size ratio was at least 0.15 and coated with a 40 ⁇ m wire wound rod over the porous ink-retaining layer L2 from Example 1 to form elements of the invention 8 -13, as shown in Table 3.
• Controls C12 - C18 were prepared similar to Elements 8-13 except combinations of particles and binder were chosen whose size ratio was less than 0.15. Control 1 had no binder and Control 18 was Canon "HyperPhoto” media, a commercially available product with a sintered ink-transporting layer, as shown in Table 3.
• Abrasion resistance of the unfused coatings was tested by contacting the coatings with a 2.5 by 8.0 cm strip of acid free 29.5 kg card stock black paper from Fiskars Inc., and applying a 4.4 N force to the latter third of the strip while uniformly transporting it across the coating.
• the test was evaluated by noting the density of white powder transferred to the black paper strip according to the following criteria:
• a rating less than 3 is unacceptable for abrasion resistance.
• a bleed test target was printed and the elements and controls were then fused as described in Example 2. The bleed target was evaluated as described in Example 1.
• Hydrophobic binders B1 - B3 from Example 2 were used.
• the ink-retaining layers L1 and L2 from Example 1 were used.
• the ink-transporting layer was prepared by coating dispersions formed from combining urethane particles P 1 at 90 parts by weight with each of the binders B1-B3 at 10 parts by weight to give 20 % solids dispersions.
• the dispersions formed with binders B1-B3 were coated with a 40 ⁇ m wire-wound rod on porous ink-retaining layer L-2.
• the controls were prepared similar to Elements 14-16 except that the dispersions formed by combining the particles with binders B1-B3 were coated on the porous ink-retaining layer L1.
• test target comprised was printed with a Hewlett-Packard Photosmart ® printer.
• the target consisted of 3 cm 2 color patches at 100 % density in each of the primary and secondary colors and black.

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• Ink Jet Recording Methods And Recording Media Thereof (AREA)
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• Duplication Or Marking (AREA)

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• 2002
  • 2002-09-06 EP EP20020078641 patent/EP1293356B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2002-09-06 DE DE2002608969 patent/DE60208969T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2002-09-17 JP JP2002269973A patent/JP2003159873A/ja not_active Withdrawn
• 2009
  • 2009-01-07 JP JP2009001739A patent/JP2009107351A/ja active Pending

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