JP2003145926A - Ink jet recording element and printing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a porous ink jet recording element, which gives an excellent density and a favorable image quality and an excellent drying time at printing with a dye-based ink, and, in addition, a printing method employing the element. SOLUTION: The ink jet recording element includes a support bearing an porous image receiving layer having (a) particles having an average particle diameter of greater than 0.04 to 5 μm and (b) water-insoluble cationic polymer particles having at least 20 mol% of a cationic mordant portion.

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a porous ink jet recording element and a printing method using the recording element. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In a typical ink jet recording or printing system, ink droplets are ejected from nozzles at high speed toward a recording element or medium to produce an image on the medium. An ink droplet (or recording liquid) generally comprises a recording agent (eg, a dye or pigment) and a large amount of solvent. Solvents (or carrier liquids) are generally made from water and organic materials (eg, monohydric alcohols, polyhydric alcohols, or mixtures thereof). [0003] Ink jet recording elements generally comprise, on at least one surface, a support bearing an ink-receiving or image-receiving layer, such elements comprising an opaque support, an opaque support. Included are those intended for expression observation and those intended for observation by transmitted light having a transparent support. [0004] An important characteristic of an ink jet recording element is:
That is, they need to dry quickly after printing. To this end, porous recording elements have been developed that provide near-instantaneous drying, as long as they have sufficient thickness and porosity to effectively contain the liquid ink.
For example, a porous recording element can be manufactured by cast coating, in which a particulate-containing coating is applied to a support and dried in contact with a polished smooth surface. When printing a porous recording element with a dye-based ink, the dye molecules penetrate the coating layer. However, there is a problem with such porous recording elements in that the optical density of the image printed thereon is lower than is preferred. It is believed that this low optical density is due to optical scattering that occurs when the dye molecules penetrate too deeply into the porous layer. [0006] EP 1,002,660 relates to a porous ink jet recording element comprising fine particles, a hydrophilic binder, and a water-soluble cationic polymer. However, there is a problem with this element in that the density of the image printed on such an element using a water-soluble cationic polymer is lower than is preferred. US Pat. No. 6,089,704 relates to a non-porous ink jet recording element comprising a cationic polymeric vinyl latex and a hydrophilic polymer. However, there is a problem with this non-porous recording element in that the image printed thereon is too slow to dry. [0008] US Pat. No. 6,096,469 discloses a mesoporous (mesoporous) dispersed in an organic binder.
to an ink jet recording element comprising oporous particles. In column 8 of the patent specification, the organic binder comprises 10 mol% of a copolymerizable monomer having a tetraamino functional group or a quaternary ammonium functional group.
It is disclosed that the cationic latex polymer may have "less than". However, there is a problem with this element in that the density of the image printed on such an element using a binder having less than 10 mol% of a cationic mordant portion is lower than is preferred. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide excellent optical density when printed with a dye-based ink.
It is to provide a porous ink jet recording element that provides good image quality and has excellent drying time. [0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide a printing method using the above-described elements. These and other objects are attained by (a) particles having an average particle size of greater than 0.04 μm to 5 μm, and (b) at least 20 mol% of a cationic mordant moiety. This is achieved by the invention comprising an inkjet recording element comprising a support carrying a porous image-receiving layer comprising water-insoluble cationic polymer particles having the formula: The use of the present invention provides a porous ink jet recording element that provides excellent optical density, good image quality, and excellent drying time when printed with dye-based inks. [0013] Another aspect of the present invention is a process comprising: I) providing an ink jet printer responsive to a digital data signal; II) loading the above ink jet recording element into the printer; III) loading the printer with an inkjet ink composition; andIV) printing on the image receiving layer using the inkjet ink composition in response to the digital data signal. About. In a preferred embodiment, the particles (a) useful in the present invention include alumina, boehmite, aluminum oxide trihydrate, clay, calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, calcined clay, aluminosilicate, silica,
Barium sulfate, or organic particles (eg, polymeric beads) are included. Examples of organic particles useful in the present invention include U.S. Patent Application Nos. 09 / 458,401 (filed December 10, 1999), 09 / 608,969 (filed June 30, 2000), and 09 / 458,401.
No./607,417 (filed on June 30, 2000), No. 09 / 608,466 (filed on June 30, 2000), No. 09 / 607,419 (filed on June 2000)
No. 09 / 822,731 (filed on Mar. 30, 2001). These particles (a) may be porous or non-porous. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, these particles are inorganic oxide. In another preferred embodiment, these particles (a) have an average particle size of 0.05 μm to 1 μm. Many types of inorganic and organic particles are produced by various methods and are commercially available for image receiving layers, and the porosity of the image receiving layer is required to obtain very fast drying of the ink. It is said. The pores formed between these particles are such that the printing ink passes quickly through this layer, passing away from the outer surface, giving the impression of a quick drying,
Must be large enough and continuous. The water-insoluble cationic polymer particles (b) comprising at least 20 mol% of a cationic mordant moiety useful in the present invention may be a latex, a water-dispersible polymer, beads, or core / shell particles (core / shell). Is an organic or inorganic substance, and the shell is in each case a cationic polymer).
Such particles may be the product of addition or condensation polymerization, or a combination of both. They are,
It may be linear, branched, hyperbranched, grafted, random, block, or have other polymer microstructures well known to those skilled in the art. They may also be partially crosslinked. Examples of core / shell particles useful in the present invention are described in US Pat.
No. 09 / 772,097 to Wrence et al., "Ink Jet
Examples of water-dispersible particles useful in the present invention are disclosed and claimed in the specification of "Printing Method".
US Patent Application No. 09 / 770,128 to Lawrence et al., "Ink Jet Printing Method", filed January 26, 2001;
No. 09 / 770,127 to Lawrence et al., Filed Jan. 26, 2001, entitled "Ink Jet Printing Meth.
In the preferred embodiment, the water-insoluble cationic polymer particles (b) comprise at least 50 mol% of a cationic mordant moiety. The water-insoluble cationic polymer particles (b) useful in the invention can be derived from nonionic, anionic, or cationic monomers, hi a preferred embodiment, the nonionic and cationic monomers. In general, the amount of cationic monomer used in this combination is at least 20 mol% Nonionic monomers which can be used,
Anionic or cationic monomers include:
Acrylates, methacrylates, vinylimidazoles, vinylpyridines derived from styrene, α-alkylstyrene, alcohols or phenols,
Vinylpyrrolidinone, acrylamide, methacrylamide, linear and branched acids derived vinyl esters (eg, vinyl acetate), vinyl ethers (eg, vinyl methyl ether), vinyl nitriles, vinyl ketones, halogen-containing monomers (eg, vinyl chloride) ), And neutral, anionic, or cationic derivatives of addition-polymerizable monomers such as olefins (eg, butadiene). Also, nonionic, anionic or cationic monomers that can be used include condensation polymerization such as those used to prepare polyesters, polyethers, polycarbonates, polyureas, and polyurethanes. Neutral, anionic or cationic derivatives of the possible monomers are also included. The water-insoluble cationic polymer particles (b) used in the present invention can be prepared by using conventional polymerization techniques, such as bulk polymerization, solution polymerization, and the like. , Emulsion polymerization, or suspension polymerization, but is not limited thereto. The amount of the water-insoluble cationic polymer particles (b) used should be large enough so that the image printed on the recording element has a sufficiently high density. Should be small enough so that the continuous pore structure formed by the In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mass ratio of the water-insoluble cationic polymer particles (b) to the particles (a) is 1: 2 to 1:
10, preferably 1: 5. Examples of the water-insoluble cationic polymer particles (b) that may be used in the present invention include US Pat.
No. 8,995 are included. Specific examples of these polymers include the following polymers. Polymer A Copolymer of (vinylbenzyl) trimethylammonium chloride and divinylbenzene (molar ratio = 87: 13) Polymer B Styrene, (vinylbenzyl) dimethylbenzylamine and divinylbenzene (molar ratio = 49.5: 49.5:
1.0) Terpolymer Polymer C Butyl acrylate, 2-aminoethyl methacrylate hydrochloride, and hydroxyethyl methacrylate (molar ratio = 5)
0:20:30) Terpolymer [Polymer D] Copolymer of styrene, dimethylacrylamide, vinylbenzylimidazole, and 1-vinylbenzyl-3-hydroxyethylimidazolium chloride (molar ratio = 40: 30: 10: 20) Polymer E Styrene, 4-vinylpyridine and N- (2-hydroxyethyl) -4-vinylpyridinium chloride (molar ratio = 30: 38:
32) Copolymer of Polymer F Copolymer of styrene, (vinylbenzyl) dimethyloctylammonium chloride, isobutoxymethylacrylamide, and divinylbenzene (molar ratio = 40: 20: 34: 6) Preferred embodiment of the present invention In the above, the image receiving layer also contains a polymer binder in an amount insufficient to change the porosity of the porous receiving layer. In another preferred embodiment, the polymeric binder is a hydrophilic polymer (eg, polyvinyl alcohol,
Polyvinylpyrrolidone, gelatin, cellulose ether, polyoxazoline, polyvinylacetamide, partially hydrolyzed poly (vinyl acetate / vinyl alcohol), polyacrylic acid, polyacrylamide, polyalkylene oxide, sulfonated or phosphorylated polyester and Polystyrene), casein, zein,
Albumin, chitin, chitosan, dextran, pectin, collagen derivatives, colrodian, agar, arrowroot, gar, carrageenan, tragacanth, xanthan, rhamsan and the like. In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, said hydrophilic polymer is polyvinyl alcohol, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, gelatin or polyalkylene oxide. In still another preferred embodiment, the hydrophilic binder is polyvinyl alcohol. The polymeric binder should be selected to be compatible with each of the aforementioned particles. The amount of binder used should be sufficient to provide cohesive strength to the ink jet recording element, but such that the continuous pore structure formed by the agglomerates is not blocked by the binder. And should be minimized. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
The mass ratio of the binder to the total amount of the particles is 1:
20 to 1: 5. [0031] In addition to the image receiving layer, the recording element may also contain a base layer next to the support.
The function of this base layer is to absorb the solvent from the ink. Materials useful for this layer include particles (a), particles (b), a polymeric binder, and / or a crosslinker. Since the image receiving layer is a porous layer containing particles, its porosity must be sufficient to absorb all of the printing ink. For example,
32 cm ³ / m ² when the porous layer has 60% by volume open pores
To immediately absorb (32 cc / m ² ) ink, the porous layer must have a physical thickness of at least 54 μm. The support for the ink jet recording element used in the present invention may be a resin-coated paper, paper, polyester, or microporous material (eg, Pittsburgh, Penn.
a polyethylene polymer-containing material sold under the trade name Teslin ™ by PPG Industries, Inc. of Sylvania), Tyvek ™ synthetic paper (DuPont Corp.),
And OPPalyte ™ films (Mobil Chemical C
o.), and any of the other composite films listed in U.S. Patent No. 5,244,861 such as those commonly used in ink jet receivers. Opaque supports include plain paper, coated paper, synthetic paper,
Photographic paper supports, melt extrusion coated papers, and laminated papers (eg, biaxially oriented support laminates) are included. Biaxially oriented support laminates are disclosed in U.S. Pat.Nos. 5,853,965 and 5,863.
6,282, 5,874,205, 5,888,643, 5,888,
Nos. 681, 5,888,683, and 5,888,714. These biaxially oriented supports include:
It includes a paper base and a biaxially oriented polyolefin sheet (generally polypropylene) laminated on one or both sides of the paper base. For the transparent support, glass, cellulose derivatives (for example, cellulose ester, cellulose triacetate, cellulose diacetate, cellulose acetate propionate,
Cellulose acetate butyrate), polyester (eg, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, poly-1,4-cyclohexane dimethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, and copolymers thereof), polyimide, polyamide, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyolefin (eg, polyethylene) Or polypropylene), polysulfone, polyacrylate, polyetherimide, and mixtures thereof. The papers listed above include a wide range of papers, from high quality paper (eg, photographic paper) to low quality paper (eg, newsprint). In a preferred embodiment, polyethylene coated paper is used. The support used in the present invention is preferably 50 to
It may have a thickness of 500 μm, preferably 75-300 μm. If desired, antioxidants, antistatics,
Plasticizers and other known additives may be introduced into the support. To improve the adhesion of the ink-receiving layer to the support, the surface of the support may be subjected to a corona discharge treatment before the application of the image-receiving layer. The coating composition used in the present invention may be, for example, dip coating, wire wound rod coating, doctor blade coating, rod coating, air knife coating, gravure and reversing roll coating, slide coating, bead coating, extrusion coating, curtain coating. Etc. may be applied by some of the well-known techniques. Known coating and drying methods are described in Research Disclos, published December 1989.
ure), No. 308119, pp. 1007-1008. Slide coating is preferred, in which case the base layer and overcoat can be applied simultaneously. After application, these layers are typically dried by simple evaporation, but drying may be facilitated by known techniques such as convection heating. In order to impart mechanical durability to the ink jet recording element, a small amount of a crosslinking agent acting on the binder discussed above may be added. Such additives improve the cohesive strength of the layer. For example, any crosslinking agent can be used, such as carbodiimides, polyfunctional aziridines, aldehydes, isocyanates, epoxides, polyvalent metal cations, and the like. To improve colorant fade, UV absorbers, radical quenchers, or antioxidants well known in the art may be further added to the image receiving layer. Other additives include pH modifiers, adhesion promoters, rheology modifiers, surfactants, biocides, lubricants, dyes, optical brighteners, matting agents, antistatic agents, and the like. To obtain reasonable coatability, for example, surfactants,
Additives known to those skilled in the art, such as defoamers, alcohols, etc. may be used. Typical amounts of coating aid are 0.01 to 0.30% of active coating aid, based on the total solution weight. These coating aids may be non-ionic, anionic, cationic or amphoteric. See MCCUTCHEON Volume 1, Emulsifiers and
Detergents, 1995, North American Edition. Although the coating composition can be applied from either water or an organic solvent, water is preferred. The total solids should be chosen to produce a useful coating thickness in the most economical way, with 10-40% solids being typical in particulate coating formulations. [0040] Ink jet inks used to image the recording elements of the present invention are well known in the art. Generally, the ink composition used in inkjet printing is a liquid composition comprising a solvent or carrier liquid, a dye or pigment, a wetting agent, an organic solvent, a detergent, a thickener, a preservative, and the like. The solvent or carrier liquid can be pure water or water mixed with other water-miscible solvents such as polyhydric alcohols. Further, an ink in which an organic material such as a polyhydric alcohol is a main carrier or a solvent liquid may be used. Particularly useful is a mixed solvent of water and a polyhydric alcohol. The dyes used in such compositions are generally water-soluble direct dyes or acid dyes. Such liquid compositions are described, for example, in U.S. Pat.
It is widely described in the prior art, such as in the specifications of 81,946, 4,239,543, and 4,781,758. The following examples are provided to illustrate the invention. EXAMPLES The following water-soluble cationic polymers were used for comparison. C-1 Chemistat from Sanyo Chemical Industries
Poly (vinylbenzyl) trimethylammonium C-2 available as H. 6300H Polypropylene oxide-based triamine available from Huntsman as Jeffamine ™ T-5000 Element 1 of the Invention Precipitated calcium carbonate Albagloss-s ™ (Specialty Minerals Inc.) (70% solution) and 8.5 g dry mass silica gel Gasil ™ 23F (Crosfiel
d Ltd.) with 0.5 g of dry weight polyvinyl alcohol Goh.
senol ™ GH-17 (Nippon Gohsei Co., Ltd.) (10
% Solution) and a dry weight of 5 g of styrene-butadiene latex CP692NA ™ (Dow Chemicals) (50% solution) to prepare a coating solution for the base layer. The solids content of the coating solution was adjusted to 35% by adding water. The base layer coating solution was applied to the base paper (basis weight 185) at 25 ° C. by bead coating.
g / m ² ) and dried at 60 ° C. with forced air. The thickness of this base coating was 25 μm or 27 g / m ² . Alumina Dispal® 14N4-80 (Condea
Vista Co.), polyvinyl alcohol Gohsenol ™ GH
-17 (Nippon Gohsei Co.) and polymer A described above in a ratio of 86: 4: 10 to give an aqueous coating formulation having a solids content of 15% by weight, thereby providing an aqueous coating formulation for the image receiving layer. A coating solution was prepared. Surfactants Zonyl ™ FS-300 (DuPont Co.) and Silwet
(Trademark) L-7602 (Witco Corp.) was added in a small amount as a coating aid. The above image receiving layer coating solution was applied over the above described base layer. Next, this record element is
At 0 ° C., drying was carried out with forced air to obtain a two-layer recording element. The thickness of this image receiving layer is 8 μm or
It was 8.6 g / m ² . Element 2 of the Invention Element 2 was prepared similarly to Element 1 except that Polymer B was used instead of Polymer A. Element 3 of the Invention Element 3 was prepared similarly to Element 1 except that both Polymer A and Polymer B were used. Comparative element 1 (cation not water-insoluble)
Polymer particles) This element comprises a water-soluble polymer C instead of polymer A
Prepared as for Element 1 except -1 was used. Comparative element 2 (cation not water-insoluble)
Polymer particles) This element comprises a water-soluble polymer C instead of polymer A
Prepared similarly to Element 1 except that -2 was used. Comparative element 3 (without cationic polymer particles)
Tooth) This element, the image-receiving layer, 96: 4 ratio, except that it contained only alumina and polyvinyl alcohol, was prepared the same as Element 1. Density Testing Test images of cyan, magenta, yellow, red, green, and blue patches with 100% ink laydown were printed using a Hewlett-Packard DeskJet 970 printer and an ink cartridge with catalog number HP C6578D. . After drying for 24 hours at ambient temperature and humidity, the D-max concentration of Status A was measured using an X-Rite ™ 820 densitometer (for each of the red, green, and blue densities). Measured and averaged the color densities of the two components). The following results were obtained. [Table 1] The above results show that the D-max density of status A for the recording element of the present invention was
Higher in all colors. Other preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below in connection with the claims. [1] A porous image containing (a) particles having an average particle size of more than 0.04 μm to 5 μm, and (b) water-insoluble cationic polymer particles having at least 20 mol% of a cationic mordant portion. An ink jet recording element comprising a support carrying a receiving layer. [2] The recording element according to [1], wherein the mass ratio of the water-insoluble cationic polymer particles (b) to the particles (a) is 1: 2 to 1:10. [3] 20% by mass of the porous image receiving layer
The recording element according to [1], further comprising a binder in the following amount. [4] The recording element according to [3], wherein the binder is a hydrophilic polymer. [5] The recording element according to [4], wherein the hydrophilic polymer is polyvinyl alcohol, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, gelatin, or polyalkylene oxide. [6] The particles (a) are inorganic.
The recording element according to [1]. [7] The recording element according to [6], wherein the particles (a) are an inorganic oxide. [8] The recording element according to [6], wherein the particles (a) are silica, alumina, boehmite, or aluminum oxide trihydrate. [9] The recording element according to [1], wherein the particles (a) are organic particles. [10] I) a step of preparing an ink jet printer that responds to a digital data signal; II) a step of loading the porous ink jet recording element according to [1] into the printer; and III) an ink jet printer. Loading an ink composition; and IV) printing on the image receiving layer using the inkjet ink composition in response to the digital data signal.

Continuation of front page    (72) Inventor Elizabeth Angalo             United States of America, New York 14526,             Penfield, Blue Ridge Road               105 (72) Inventor John Marion Bayer             United States of America, New York 14450,             Fairport, Falling Brook             Road 11 F-term (reference) 2C056 EA04 FC06                 2H086 BA15 BA33 BA36 BA45

Claims (1)

Claims 1. (a) particles having an average particle size of greater than 0.04 µm to 5 µm; and (b) water-insoluble cationic polymer particles having at least 20 mol% of a cationic mordant portion. An ink jet recording element comprising a support carrying a porous image receiving layer comprising: