JP2012187801A - Thermal transfer image receiving sheet and method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thermal transfer image receiving sheet which can improve moisture resistance and heat resistance of printed matters, and a method for manufacturing the same.SOLUTION: The thermal transfer image receiving sheet 10 is a thermal transfer image receiving sheet which includes a base material 11, and a heat insulating layer (lower layer) 12/a heat insulating layer (upper layer) 13/a primer layer 14/a receptive layer 15 on the base material in this order. Further the above receptive layer includes a solvent vinyl chloride resin, and a nonionic emulsifying agent containing a polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene condensed product in which weight-average molecular weight of oxypropylene group is 1000 or more and also molar ratio of oxyethylene group to oxypropylene group is 60:40-99:1. Such a thermal transfer image receiving sheet can improve moisture resistance and heat resistance of its own printed matters. In addition to this thermal transfer image receiving sheet, and a method for its manufacturing the same is provided.

Description

  The present invention relates to a base material, a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet having a heat insulating layer and a receiving layer on the base material in this order, and a method for producing the same. The present invention also relates to an aqueous dispersion coating solution used for producing a thermal transfer image receiving sheet.

  Conventionally, various printing methods are known. Among them, the thermal diffusion type transfer method (sublimation type thermal transfer method) uses a sublimation dye as a color material, so that density gradation can be freely adjusted, and intermediate colors and gradations can be adjusted. It has excellent tone reproducibility and can form high-quality images comparable to silver halide photographs.

  This thermal diffusion transfer system is a method in which a thermal transfer ink sheet containing a dye (sublimation dye) and a thermal transfer image receiving sheet are superposed, and then the ink sheet is heated by a thermal head whose heat generation is controlled by an electrical signal. The dye in the ink sheet is transferred to the image receiving sheet to record image information. As such thermal diffusion transfer systems become widespread, the printing speed has been increased, and sufficient color density can be obtained even if the conventional thermal energy is printed using the conventional thermal transfer ink sheet and thermal transfer image receiving sheet. There are problems such as inability to obtain.

  Furthermore, there are various other problems in the thermal diffusion transfer system. For example, due to insufficient releasability of the image receiving sheet, the ink sheet sticks to the receiving layer surface of the image receiving sheet at the time of printing, and when the ink sheet is peeled off from the image receiving layer after printing, generation of peeling sound, Problems such as poor running and occurrence of peeling lines on the image have occurred.

  In order to solve the various problems as described above, various studies have been made on the coating liquid for forming the receiving layer of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet according to the performance of the receiving layer and the manufacturing method. In particular, since it is preferable to use an aqueous coating solution from the viewpoints of the environment and the like, various methods have been proposed. For example, it has been proposed to form a receiving layer using a coating solution containing vinyl chloride, gelatin, and a silicone compound having an amino group or an epoxy group (see, for example, Patent Document 1). It has also been proposed to form a receiving layer using a water-soluble gelatin dispersion containing polyester (see, for example, Patent Document 2). As for the method for producing an aqueous dispersion, it has been proposed to disperse an acid-modified polyolefin or a polyarate resin in an aqueous medium (see, for example, Patent Documents 3 and 4).

  However, development of an aqueous coating solution with improved stability for producing a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet and a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet excellent in the smoothness of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet and the moisture resistance and heat resistance of printed matter are still desired. Yes.

JP2008-6781 JP-A-8-90938 JP2009-79078 JP2010-18770

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned background art, and its purpose is to provide an aqueous coating solution with improved stability for producing a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet, the smoothness of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet, and the moisture resistance of the printed matter. -To provide a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet excellent in heat resistance. Furthermore, the objective of this invention is also providing those manufacturing methods.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors have intensively studied. As a result, in a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet having at least a heat insulating layer and a receiving layer in this order on a substrate, an aqueous dispersion coating containing a specific nonionic emulsifier It has been found that the above-mentioned problems can be solved by forming a receiving layer using a liquid, and the present invention has been completed.

That is, according to one aspect of the present invention,
A thermal transfer image receiving sheet comprising a base material, and a heat insulating layer and a receiving layer in this order on the base material,
The receptive layer is a polyoxyethylene-polysiloxane having a solvent-based vinyl chloride resin and a weight-average molecular weight of oxypropylene groups of 1000 or more and a molar ratio of oxyethylene groups to oxypropylene groups of 60:40 to 99: 1. There is provided a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet comprising a nonionic emulsifier containing an oxypropylene condensate.

According to another aspect of the present invention,
A method for producing a thermal transfer image receiving sheet, comprising a base material, and a heat insulating layer and a receiving layer on the base material in this order,
A solvent-based solution comprising a solvent-based vinyl chloride resin is a polyoxyethylene having a weight average molecular weight of oxypropylene groups of 1000 or more and a molar ratio of oxyethylene groups to oxypropylene groups of 60:40 to 99: 1. There is provided a method for producing a thermal transfer image receiving sheet, comprising a step of forming a receiving layer using an aqueous dispersion coating solution emulsified in an aqueous solution with a nonionic emulsifier containing a polyoxypropylene condensate. .

According to another aspect of the present invention,
A water-based dispersion coating liquid for use in the production of a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet comprising a base material, and a heat insulating layer and a receiving layer in this order on the base material,
A solvent-based solution comprising a solvent-based vinyl chloride resin is a polyoxyethylene having a weight average molecular weight of oxypropylene groups of 1000 or more and a molar ratio of oxyethylene groups to oxypropylene groups of 60:40 to 99: 1. An aqueous dispersion coating liquid characterized by being emulsified in an aqueous solution by a nonionic emulsifier containing a polyoxypropylene condensate is provided.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an aqueous coating solution with improved stability for producing a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet, and a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet excellent in the smoothness of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet and the moisture resistance and heat resistance of printed matter. it can. Moreover, those manufacturing methods can be provided.

It is a schematic cross section which shows an example of the thermal transfer image receiving sheet by this invention.

Thermal transfer image receiving sheet The thermal transfer image receiving sheet of the present invention comprises a base material, and a heat insulating layer and a receiving layer on the base material in this order. In a preferred embodiment, the thermal transfer image receiving sheet may further have a primer layer or an intermediate layer between the heat insulating layer and the receiving layer.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a thermal transfer image receiving sheet comprising a heat insulating layer, a primer layer, and a receiving layer in this order on a substrate. Specifically, FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of an example of the thermal transfer image receiving sheet according to the present invention. A thermal transfer image receiving sheet 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a base material 11, a heat insulating layer (lower layer) 12, a heat insulating layer (upper layer) 13, a primer layer 14, and a receiving layer 15 on the base material 11. It has in order.

The base material in the present invention has a role of holding the receiving layer and heat is applied at the time of thermal transfer. Therefore, the base material may be a material having a mechanical strength that does not hinder handling even in a heated state. preferable.

  Examples of such a base material include condenser paper, glassine paper, sulfuric acid paper, high-size paper, synthetic paper (polyolefin-based, polystyrene-based), high-quality paper, art paper, coated paper, and cast-coated paper. , Wallpaper, backing paper, synthetic resin or emulsion impregnated paper, synthetic rubber latex impregnated paper, synthetic resin internal paper, paperboard, cellulose fiber paper, or polyester, polyacrylate, polycarbonate, polyurethane, polyimide, polyetherimide, cellulose derivatives , Polyethylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, polypropylene, polystyrene, acrylic, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl butyral, nylon, polyether ether ketone, polysulfone, polyether mon And films such as chlorofluorocarbon, tetrafluoroethylene, perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether, polyvinyl fluoride, tetrafluoroethylene / ethylene, tetrafluoroethylene / hexafluoropropylene, polychlorotrifluoroethylene, and polyvinylidene fluoride. A white opaque film formed by adding a white pigment or a filler to the synthetic resin can be used, and is not particularly limited. Moreover, the laminated body by the arbitrary combinations of the said base material can also be used. Examples of typical laminates include cellulose fiber paper and synthetic paper, or synthetic paper of cellulose synthetic paper and a plastic film. In the present invention, a commercially available base material can be used, and for example, RC paper (manufactured by Mitsubishi Paper Industries Co., Ltd.) is preferred. The thickness of the substrate can be appropriately changed according to the strength and heat resistance required for the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet and the material of the material employed as the substrate. Specifically, the thickness of the substrate is It is preferably in the range of 50 μm to 1000 μm, and more preferably in the range of 100 μm to 300 μm.

Receiving layer The receiving layer in the present invention receives the sublimation dye transferred from the thermal transfer ink sheet during image formation by thermal transfer, and holds the received sublimation dye in the receiving layer, whereby an image is formed on the surface of the receiving layer. Can be formed and maintained. In the present invention, the receptor layer contains the following solvent-based vinyl chloride resin as a resin and the following nonionic emulsifier as a dispersant, and preferably contains substantially no gelatin. The receiving layer may further contain other additives. By adding the following solvent-based vinyl chloride resin and the following nonionic emulsifier together to the receiving layer, the dispersibility and stability of the aqueous coating liquid used for forming the receiving layer are improved, and the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet is smoothened. And the moisture resistance and heat resistance of the printed product can be improved.

  In the present invention, the amount of gelatin contained in the receiving layer is preferably as small as possible and is preferably substantially free of gelatin. “Substantially free” means that no gelatin is intentionally added to modify the properties of the receiving layer. For example, the gelatin content is 1% by mass or less, preferably 0.1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.05% by mass or less, and still more preferably with respect to the solid content mass of the binder resin. Is 0.01 mass% or less. By reducing the amount of gelatin contained in the receiving layer to the above level, the image density and releasability of the printed matter can be improved. Moreover, it is preferable that the film thickness at the time of drying of a receiving layer is 0.5-5.0 micrometers. If the film thickness at the time of drying is in this range, the coating suitability can be further improved.

Binder Resin In the present invention, a solvent-based vinyl chloride resin is used as the binder resin used for forming the receiving layer. The solvent-based vinyl resin refers to a vinyl resin that is soluble in a solution using an organic solvent as a medium. Examples of such a vinyl chloride resin include one or more selected from the group consisting of a vinyl chloride resin, a vinyl chloride acrylic resin, and a vinyl chloride resin, and particularly preferably a vinyl chloride resin. is there. In the present invention, commercially available binder resins can be used, for example, sorbine C (vinyl acetate resin), sorbine CN (vinyl chloride resin, above, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) and the like. Can be mentioned. In particular, it is preferable to use a vinyl chloride-based resin from the viewpoint of image preservability (wet heat resistance) and releasability.

Nonionic emulsifier In the present invention, the nonionic emulsifier contains a polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene condensate. The polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene condensate is a copolymer of ethylene oxide (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “EO”) and propylene oxide (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “PO”). The receiving layer contains a nonionic emulsifier containing a polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene condensate, thereby further improving the dispersibility and stability of the aqueous coating liquid used for forming the receiving layer, and the smoothness of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet. In addition, the moisture resistance and heat resistance of the printed material can be further improved.

  In the present invention, the weight average molecular weight of PO in the polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene condensate is preferably 1000 or more, more preferably 1250 or more and 4000 or less, and further preferably 1500 or more and 3500 or less. Furthermore, the molar ratio (EO: PO ratio) of oxyethylene groups to oxypropylene groups in the condensate is preferably 60:40 to 99: 1, more preferably 70:30 to 95: 5, Preferably it is 75: 25-90: 10. As described above, by adjusting the weight average molecular weight of PO in the condensate and the EO: PO ratio in the total molecule within the above range, the dispersibility and stability of the aqueous coating solution used for forming the receiving layer are further improved. Thus, the smoothness of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet and the moisture resistance and heat resistance of the printed material can be further improved.

  In this invention, said polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene condensate may be used independently, and 2 or more types may be mixed and used for it. When two or more kinds are mixed, the average value of the weight average molecular weight of PO in the condensate and the EO ratio in the total molecule may be within the above range.

Anionic emulsifier According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the receptor layer may further comprise an anionic emulsifier. The anionic emulsifier preferably does not contain an alkylene oxide. In the present invention, dispersibility can be further improved by using an emulsifier having a structure different from the alkylene oxide structure contained in the nonionic emulsifier as the anionic emulsifier. Such an anionic emulsifier is more preferably an anionic emulsifier composed of a salt of an organic strong acid and an inorganic strong base. For example, sodium alkylnaphthalene sulfonate, sodium dioctyl sulfonate succinate, sodium alkylbenzene sulfonate, alkylbenzene sulfonic acid, sodium butyl oleate sulfate, sodium oleate sulfate, natural alcohol ether sulfate sodium salt, sodium lauryl sulfate, Examples include higher fatty acid potassium salts and phenolsulfonic acid. By using an anionic emulsifier containing no alkylene oxide in combination with the above nonionic emulsifier for emulsification, the dispersibility and stability of the aqueous coating liquid used for forming the receiving layer can be further improved, and the smoothness of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet and The moisture resistance and heat resistance of the printed product can be further improved.

Release Agent According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the receiving layer may further contain a release agent. In the preparation of the coating solution for the receiving layer, it may be contained in a solvent-based solution. Examples of the release agent include solvent-based silicones and fluorine-based surfactants, and solvent-based silicones are particularly preferable. As the solvent-based silicone, various modified silicones such as dimethyl silicone can be used. Specifically, amino-modified silicone, epoxy-modified silicone, alcohol-modified silicone, vinyl-modified silicone, urethane-modified silicone, polyester-modified silicone, polyether-modified silicone, polyester-modified silicone oil, acrylic-modified silicone, amide-modified silicone, etc. These may be used as a mixture, or may be polymerized using various reactions. Two or more release agents may be mixed and used. By forming a receiving layer using such an aqueous dispersion coating solution containing a release agent, problems such as fusion between the thermal transfer ink sheet and the receiving layer of the thermal transfer image receiving sheet and a decrease in printing sensitivity during printing are improved. Can do. In the present invention, a commercially available solvent-based mold release agent can also be used, for example, X-22-163, X-22-173D, X-22-343, X-22-2000 manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. X-22-3000T, KF-101, KF-102, KF-1001, KF-1002, KP-1800U, X-22-4015, X-22-1660B, X-22-160ASD, KF-410, etc. preferable.

Aqueous dispersion coating liquid In the present invention, the receptor layer is preferably formed using an aqueous dispersion coating liquid. The aqueous dispersion coating liquid of the present invention comprises the above-mentioned solvent-based vinyl chloride resin and the above-mentioned nonionic emulsifier, preferably may further contain the above-mentioned anionic emulsifier, and more preferably the above-mentioned release agent. A mold may be included. The aqueous dispersion coating solution is preferably substantially free of gelatin. Such an aqueous dispersion coating liquid is obtained by emulsifying a solvent-based solution containing the solvent-based vinyl chloride resin in an aqueous solution with the nonionic emulsifier. For example, it can be prepared by the following method. First, an aqueous solution and a solvent solution are prepared separately. The aqueous solution is obtained by mixing the above emulsifier and water. On the other hand, the solvent-based solution is obtained by mixing the solvent-based vinyl chloride resin and the organic solvent. If the dispersant is difficult to dissolve in water, it may be mixed in a solvent-based solution. This solvent-based solution is added to an aqueous solution and emulsified to prepare a dispersion. Then, the solvent is removed under reduced pressure while heating the dispersion at 30 to 60 ° C., the volume change of the solvent is corrected by adding pure water, and the solid content is prepared. can get.

  In the present invention, the “aqueous solution” is a solution using water as a medium, and the “solvent solution” is a solution using an organic solvent as a medium. The organic solvent used for the preparation of the solvent-based solution may be any solvent that dissolves the solvent-based vinyl chloride resin, such as ethyl acetate, aromatic hydrocarbon solvents such as toluene and benzene, ketone solvents such as acetone and methyl ethyl ketone, And those selected from the group consisting of mixtures thereof. By using such an organic solvent, it is possible to increase dispersibility and maintain an appropriate dispersion state with water. Thereby, an aqueous dispersion coating solution for the receiving layer can be obtained. In this invention, you may put the process of removing an organic solvent by means, such as a heating and / or pressure reduction, after dispersion | distribution or simultaneously with dispersion | distribution.

Thermal insulation layer The thermal insulation layer in the present invention has thermal insulation and cushioning properties that can prevent heat applied during image formation by thermal transfer from being lost due to heat transfer to a substrate or the like. The heat insulation layer in the present invention contains hollow particles, and may further contain the following hydrophilic binder and other additives. A heat insulation layer can be provided with cushioning properties by including hollow particles. Moreover, according to a preferable aspect, a heat insulation layer may consist of two or more layers. By providing two or more heat insulating layers in this way, the heat insulating properties and cushioning properties that affect the print quality and the adhesion to the substrate can be improved. Here, the degree of cushioning property of the heat insulating layer can be appropriately adjusted according to the application of the thermal transfer image receiving sheet. In addition, the degree of cushioning property of the heat insulating layer can be adjusted to an arbitrary range by changing the thickness of the heat insulating layer, for example. The thickness of the heat insulating layer is not particularly limited as long as the heat insulating property, cushioning property and the like can be adjusted to a desired level, but preferably within a range of 10 μm to 100 μm, and within a range of 10 μm to 50 μm. More preferably, it is within. The density of the thermal insulating layer, for example in the range of ^{0.1g / cm 3 ~0.8g / cm 3} , preferably in the range of inter alia ^{0.2g / cm 3 ~0.7g / cm 3} .

Hollow particles The volume average particle size of the hollow particles used in the present invention is preferably 0.1 to 10 µm, more preferably 0.3 to 5 µm. If the volume average particle diameter of the hollow particles is in the above range, heat insulating properties and cushioning properties can be imparted to the heat insulating layer. The average hollowness of the hollow particles is preferably 20% or more, more preferably 30 to 80%. If the average hollowness of the hollow particles is in the above range, heat insulating properties and cushioning properties can be imparted to the heat insulating layer. Furthermore, the organic hollow particle comprised from resin etc. may be sufficient, and the inorganic hollow particle comprised from glass etc. may be sufficient. The hollow particles may be cross-linked hollow particles. In the present invention, commercially available hollow particles can also be used. For example, HP-1055, HP-91, Ropeke SE (manufactured by Rohm and Haas Co., Ltd.), MH-5055 (Nippon Zeon) and the like are preferable.

Hydrophilic binder According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hydrophilic binder contained in the heat-insulating layer and the primer layer and intermediate layer described below includes gelatin and derivatives thereof, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene oxide, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, pullulan, Mention may be made of carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, dextran, dextrin, polyacrylic acid and its salts, agar, κ-carrageenan, λ-carrageenan, ι-carrageenan, casein, xanthene gum, locust bean gum, alginic acid, and gum arabic. Particularly preferred is gelatin. By using such a hydrophilic binder, interlayer adhesion of each layer such as a heat insulating layer and an intermediate layer can be improved. In particular, when each layer is formed by an aqueous coating method and a simultaneous multilayer coating method, the suitability of coating can be improved by using gelatin. Moreover, the viscosity of each coating liquid can be adjusted to a desired range, and a desired film thickness can be obtained. In the present invention, commercially available gelatin can also be used, and for example, RR, R, CLV (manufactured by Nitta Gelatin Co., Ltd.) and the like are preferable.

Primer layer The primer layer in the present invention is provided between the heat insulating layer and the receiving layer, and has a role of satisfactorily bonding the heat insulating layer and the receiving layer, and heat insulation of the dye in a high temperature and high humidity environment. It has a function of improving the image storage stability by preventing migration to the layer side. In a preferred embodiment, the primer layer contains the hollow particles, the hydrophilic binder, and the binder resin, and the binder resin preferably contains an acrylic resin. Although it does not specifically limit as thickness of a primer layer, For example, it is preferable that they are 1 micrometer-40 micrometers, 1 micrometer-20 micrometers are more preferable, and 1 micrometer-10 micrometers are more preferable.

  In the present invention, the acrylic resin refers to a polymer of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid monomer or derivative thereof, a polymer of acrylic acid ester or methacrylic acid ester monomer or derivative thereof, acrylic acid or methacrylic acid monomer and other derivatives. It includes a copolymer with a monomer or a derivative thereof, and a copolymer of a monomer of an acrylate ester or a methacrylate ester with another monomer or a derivative thereof.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the acrylic resin is preferably a copolymer of an acrylic ester or methacrylic ester monomer and another monomer or a derivative thereof. Examples of the acrylic acid ester or methacrylic acid ester monomer include alkyl acrylate and alkyl methacrylate, preferably methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl acrylate, ethyl methacrylate, butyl acrylate, butyl methacrylate, lauryl acrylate, and lauryl methacrylate. Can be mentioned. Examples of other monomers include aromatic hydrocarbons, aryl group-containing compounds, amide group-containing compounds, and vinyl chloride, preferably styrene, benzylstyrene, phenoxyethyl methacrylate, acrylamide, and methacrylamide. it can. In the present invention, a copolymer of an alkyl acrylate or an alkyl methacrylate and at least one other monomer selected from the group consisting of an aromatic hydrocarbon, an aryl group-containing compound, and an amide group-containing compound, or a derivative thereof. It is particularly preferable to use it. By copolymerizing the monomers as described above, the concentration and releasability can be improved. Two or more acrylic resins may be mixed and used.

Intermediate layer The intermediate layer in the present invention is provided between the primer layer and the receiving layer, and has a role of satisfactorily bonding the primer layer and the receiving layer, and is a lower layer of the dye in a high temperature and high humidity environment. It has a function of preventing image transfer to the side (heat insulating layer side) and improving image storage stability. The intermediate layer can be formed using the same binder resin as that for the receiving layer in order to improve the adhesion with the receiving layer. The intermediate layer may contain a hydrophilic binder.

Other Layers In the present invention, other layers may be provided in addition to the above heat insulating layer, primer layer, intermediate layer, and receptor layer. By providing other layers, functions such as solvent resistance, dye diffusion barrier during image storage under high temperature / high humidity, interlayer adhesion, whitening, glare / unevenness of the substrate, and antistatic functions Can be added. Known means can be used as the means for forming the other layers. For example, fluorescent brighteners, inorganic fine particles, hollow fine particles, and organic conductive materials such as conductive fillers and polyaniline sulfonic acid, etc. The method of adding is mentioned.

Manufacturing method of thermal transfer image-receiving sheet The manufacturing method of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet of the present invention is a manufacturing method of a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet comprising a base material, a heat insulating layer, and a receiving layer in this order on the base material. A solvent-based solution comprising a solvent-based vinyl chloride resin is a polyoxy group having a weight average molecular weight of oxypropylene groups of 1000 or more and a molar ratio of oxyethylene groups to oxypropylene groups of 60:40 to 99: 1. The method comprises a step of forming a receiving layer using an aqueous dispersion coating solution emulsified in an aqueous solution with a nonionic emulsifier containing an ethylene-polyoxypropylene condensate. The aqueous dispersion coating liquid is as described above. In this way, by forming the receptor layer on the heat insulating layer using the aqueous dispersion coating liquid, the transition of the solvent-based vinyl chloride resin to the heat insulating layer is suppressed, and the solvent of the hollow particles contained in the heat insulating layer It is possible to prevent dissolution of the hollow particles and to prevent the hollow particles from being degraded. Furthermore, in the present invention, since the receiving layer can be formed using an aqueous dispersion coating solution in which a solvent-based vinyl chloride resin is sufficiently dispersed without using gelatin, the image density of a printed matter can be improved. it can.

  According to a preferred embodiment, the production method of the present invention further comprises a step of forming a heat insulating layer containing hollow particles. You may perform simultaneously the process of forming a heat insulation layer, and the process of forming a receiving layer. Furthermore, it is particularly preferable that all layers constituting the receiving layer from the heat insulating layer are formed by an aqueous coating method and a simultaneous multilayer coating method. By such a manufacturing method, effects such as improvement in interlayer adhesion of each layer of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet and cost improvement can be obtained. When simultaneous multi-layer coating is performed in this way, a surface tension can be adjusted by adding a surfactant to the coating solution for forming each layer. Examples of the surfactant include Surfynol 440 (manufactured by Nissin Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.).

  According to another aspect, it is preferable that the method further includes a step of forming a primer layer between the step of forming the heat insulating layer and the step of forming the receiving layer. The primer layer can be formed using an aqueous coating solution comprising the hollow particles, the hydrophilic binder, and a binder resin, preferably the acrylic resin.

  For the application of each layer of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet, a known method such as roll coating, bar coating, gravure coating, gravure reverse coating, die coating, slide coating, curtain coating, etc. can be used. A method in which these layers can be applied simultaneously is preferred.

  According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the method for producing a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet of the present invention may further include a setting step and a drying step after forming a receiving layer and other layers on a substrate by coating. Good. The setting step referred to in the present invention means, for example, increasing the viscosity of the coating composition by means of, for example, blowing cold air or the like onto the coating surface on the support to lower the temperature, and the substance fluidity between each layer and each layer. It is a process of promoting gelation that slows down. The temperature condition when using cold air is preferably 25 ° C. or less, and more preferably 10 ° C. or less. Further, the time for which the coating film is exposed to cold air is preferably 10 seconds or more and 120 seconds or less, although it depends on the coating conveyance speed.

Thermal transfer ink sheet The thermal transfer ink sheet used together with the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet of the present invention is provided with a heat transferable color material layer on one side of the base sheet and a heat resistant slipping layer on the other side of the base sheet. It is preferable to have a layer structure. Hereinafter, each layer constituting the thermal transfer ink sheet will be described.

As the material of the base sheet constituting the thermal transfer ink sheet used in the present invention, a conventionally known material can be used, and even if it is other than that, it has a certain degree of heat resistance and strength. Can be used. For example, polyethylene terephthalate, polyester, polypropylene, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyimide, nylon, cellulose acetate, ionomer and other resin films, condenser paper, paraffin paper, and other non-woven fabrics Etc. These may be used alone, or a laminate in which these are arbitrarily combined may be used. Among these, polyethylene terephthalate which is a versatile plastic that can be thinned and is inexpensive is preferable.

  The thickness of the base sheet can be appropriately selected according to the material so that the strength, heat resistance and the like are appropriate, but is usually preferably about 0.5 to 50 μm, more preferably 1 to 20 μm, and further Preferably it is 1-10 micrometers.

  The base sheet may be subjected to a surface treatment in order to improve adhesion with an adjacent layer. As the surface treatment, known resin surface modification techniques such as corona discharge treatment, flame treatment, ozone treatment, ultraviolet treatment, radiation treatment, surface roughening treatment, chemical treatment, plasma treatment, and grafting treatment are applied. can do. Only one type of the surface treatment may be applied, or two or more types may be applied.

  Furthermore, it is also possible to apply and form an adhesive layer on the base sheet as an adhesive treatment of the base sheet. An adhesion layer can be formed from the following organic materials and inorganic materials, for example. Examples of the organic material include polyester resins, polyacrylate resins, polyvinyl acetate resins, polyurethane resins, styrene acrylate resins, polyacrylamide resins, polyamide resins, polyether resins, polystyrene resins, Examples thereof include polyethylene resins, polypropylene resins, polyvinyl chloride resins, polyvinyl alcohol resins, polyvinyl pyrrolidone and vinyl resins such as modified products thereof, and polyvinyl acetal resins such as polyvinyl acetoacetal and polyvinyl butyral. Examples of the inorganic material include silica (colloidal silica), alumina or alumina hydrate (alumina sol, colloidal alumina, cationic aluminum oxide or hydrate, suspicion bakumaite, etc.), aluminum silicate, magnesium silicate, magnesium carbonate, oxidation Examples thereof include ultrafine particles of colloidal inorganic pigments such as magnesium and titanium oxide.

  Moreover, when manufacturing a plastic film by extending | stretching as said surface treatment, a primer liquid can be apply | coated to an unstretched film and it can also carry out by extending | stretching after that (primer process).

Thermal transferable color material layer The thermal transfer ink sheet used in the present invention is provided with a thermal transferable color material layer on one surface of a substrate sheet. When the thermal transfer ink sheet is a sublimation type thermal transfer ink sheet, a layer containing a sublimation dye is formed as the thermal transferable color material layer, and when the thermal transfer type thermal transfer ink sheet is a hot melt composition containing a colorant A layer containing a heat-meltable ink is formed. A layer region containing a sublimable dye and a layer region containing a heat-meltable ink composed of a heat-melting composition containing a colorant are provided in a surface sequence on a continuous base sheet. Also good.

  As the material of the heat transferable color material layer, conventionally known dyes can be used, but those having good characteristics as a printing material, for example, having a sufficient coloring density and changing color due to light, heat, temperature, etc. Those that do not are preferred. For example, as a red dye, MS Red G (manufactured by Mitsui Toatsu Chemical Co., Ltd.), Macrolex Red Violet R (manufactured by Bayer), CeresRed 7B (manufactured by Bayer), Samalon Red F3BS (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical), etc. are yellow. Examples of the dye include Holon Brilliant Yellow 6GL (manufactured by Clariant), PTY-52 (manufactured by Mitsubishi Kasei Co., Ltd.), Macrolex Yellow 6G (manufactured by Bayer), etc., and examples of the blue dye include Kayaset Blue 714 (Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.). Manufactured), Waxoline Blue AP-FW (manufactured by ICI), Holon Brilliant Blue SR (manufactured by Sand), MS Blue 100 (manufactured by Mitsui Toatsu Chemicals) and the like.

  Examples of the binder resin for supporting the dye include cellulose resins such as ethyl cellulose resin, hydroxyethyl cellulose resin, ethyl hydroxy cellulose resin, methyl cellulose resin, and cellulose acetate resin, polyvinyl alcohol resin, polyvinyl acetate resin, and polyvinyl butyral resin. And vinyl resins such as polyvinyl acetal resin and polyvinyl pyrrolidone, acrylic resins such as poly (meth) acrylate and poly (meth) acrylamide, polyurethane resins, polyamide resins, and polyester resins. Among these, cellulose-based, vinyl-based, acrylic-based, polyurethane-based, and polyester-based resins are preferable from the viewpoints of heat resistance, dye transferability, and the like.

  Examples of the method for forming the heat transferable color material layer include the following methods. For the heat-transferable colorant layer obtained by adding additives such as a release agent to the above dyes and binder resin, if necessary, dissolved in an appropriate organic solvent such as toluene or methyl ethyl ketone, or dispersed in water. A coating solution (solution or dispersion) is applied to one surface of a base sheet by, for example, a gravure printing method, a reverse roll coating method using a gravure plate, a roll coater, a bar coater, etc. It can be formed by drying. The heat transferable color material layer has a thickness of about 0.2 to 5.0 μm, and the content of the sublimable dye in the heat transferable color material layer is 5 to 90% by weight, preferably 5 to 70% by weight. It is preferable that

Protective layer The thermal transfer ink sheet used in the present invention may be provided with a protective layer in the surface order on the same side as the thermal transferable color material layer. After the color material is transferred to the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet, the protective layer is transferred to cover the image, whereby the image can be protected from light, gas, liquid, abrasion and the like. Other layers such as an adhesive layer, a release layer, a release layer, or an undercoat layer may be provided as a protective layer.

Heat-resistant slip layer The heat-resistant slip layer is mainly composed of a heat-resistant resin. The heat resistant resin is not particularly limited. For example, polyvinyl butyral resin, polyvinyl acetoacetal resin, polyester resin, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer resin, polyether resin, polybutadiene resin, styrene-butadiene copolymer resin, Acrylic polyol, polyurethane acrylate, polyester acrylate, polyether acrylate, epoxy acrylate, urethane or epoxy prepolymer, nitrocellulose resin, cellulose nitrate resin, cellulose acetate propionate resin, cellulose acetate butyrate resin, cellulose acetate-hydrodiene Phthalate resin, cellulose acetate resin, aromatic polyamide resin, polyimide resin, polyamideimide resin, polycarbonate resin, Fine chlorinated polyolefin resins.

  The heat resistant slipping layer may be formed by blending additives such as a slipperiness imparting agent, a crosslinking agent, a release agent, an organic powder, and an inorganic powder in addition to the above heat resistant resin.

In general, the heat-resistant slipping layer is formed by adding the above-mentioned heat-resistant resin, and the above-described slipperiness-imparting agent and additives that are optionally added to the solvent, and dissolving or dispersing each component to thereby apply the heat-resistant slipping layer coating solution. Then, the heat resistant slipping layer coating solution can be coated on a substrate and dried.
As the solvent in the heat resistant slipping layer coating solution, the same solvent as that in the dye ink can be used.

Examples of the coating method of the heat resistant slipping layer coating liquid include wire bar coating, gravure printing, screen printing, reverse roll coating using a gravure plate, and gravure coating is particularly preferable. Heat-resistant slip layer coating solution, dry coating amount is preferably 0.1 to 3 g / ^{m 2,} more preferably may be applied so as to be 1.5 g / ^{m 2} or less.

Image Forming Method In the image forming method using the thermal transfer image receiving sheet of the present invention, the thermal transfer image receiving sheet and the thermal transfer ink sheet containing a heat diffusible dye are overlaid and heated in accordance with a recording signal, thereby transferring the thermal transfer image. An image can be formed by transferring the thermal diffusible dye contained in the ink sheet to the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet.

  As a thermal transfer recording apparatus that can be used in such an image forming method, a known apparatus can be used and is not particularly limited. In the present invention, a commercially available thermal transfer recording apparatus can be used, and examples include a sublimation thermal transfer printer (manufactured by ALTECH ADS, model: MEGAPIXEL III).

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples and comparative examples, but the present invention is not construed as being limited to the contents of the following examples. In addition, the weight part of description was described by solid content, it diluted using the pure water, and it adjusted so that the total solid content of each coating liquid might be 15-30%.

Example 1
Preparation of thermal transfer image-receiving sheet 1 RC paper (manufactured by Mitsubishi Paper Industries Co., Ltd.) was used as a base sheet, and coating solution 1-2 for heat insulation layer (for lower layer) and coating solution 1-1 for heat insulation layer (upper layer) having the following composition: ), Primer layer coating solution 1 and receptor layer coating solution 1 (aqueous dispersion coating solution) are heated to 40 ° C., respectively, and are dried to a thickness of 2 μm, 12 μm, and 3.5 μm using slide coating, respectively. After coating at 3 μm, cooling at 5 ° C. for 30 seconds, and drying at 50 ° C. for 2 minutes, thermal transfer image-receiving sheet 1 (layer constitution: base material / heat insulating layer (lower layer) / heat insulating layer (upper layer) / Primer layer / receptive layer). This thermal transfer image-receiving sheet had a layer structure as shown in FIG.
Composition of coating liquid 1-2 for heat insulation layer (for lower layer) and hollow particles (manufactured by Nippon Zeon Co., Ltd., trade name: MH5055, volume average particle size 0.5 μm)
60 parts by weight gelatin (made by Nitta Gelatin Co., Ltd., trade name: RR) 20 parts by weight binder resin (MBR resin, made by DIC Corporation, trade name: DM820) 20 parts by weight
Composition of coating solution 1-1 for heat insulation layer (for upper layer) , hollow particles (manufactured by Nippon Zeon Co., Ltd., trade name: MH5055, volume average particle size 0.5 μm)
70 parts by weight gelatin (Nitta Gelatin Co., Ltd., trade name: RR) 25 parts by weight binder resin (aqueous polyurethane resin, DIC Co., Ltd., trade name: AP40)
5 parts by weight
Composition of primer layer coating solution 1 Hollow particles (cross-linked hollow particles, manufactured by JSR Corporation, trade name: SX866, volume average particle size 0.1 μm, porosity 30%) 70 parts by weight gelatin (Nitta Gelatin ( Product name: RR) 15 parts by weight Binder resin (methacrylic acid ester / acrylic copolymer, Shin-Nakamura Chemical Co., Ltd., product name: NKJ300) 15 parts by weight
Composition of Receptor Layer Coating Solution 1 Binder resin (vinyl acetate resin, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Co., Ltd., trade name: Solvine CN)
45 parts by weight, anionic emulsifier (sodium alkylnaphthalenesulfonate, manufactured by Kao Corporation, trade name: Perex NBL) 2.5 parts by weight, nonionic emulsifier (polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene condensate, ADEKA Corporation) Product name: Adeka Pluronic F108) 2.5 parts by weight, 270 parts by weight of pure water

The receiving layer coating solution 1 (aqueous dispersion coating solution) was prepared as follows. First, an aqueous solution 1 and a solvent-based solution 1 were prepared so as to have the following composition. The aqueous solution 1 and the solvent solution 1 are mixed and stirred, and then dispersed using a homogenizer to emulsify the solvent-based vinyl chloride resin in the aqueous solution. Then, the organic solvent is removed, and the aqueous dispersion coating is performed. A liquid was prepared. The amount of solid content of the prepared aqueous dispersion coating liquid was 15%. This aqueous dispersion coating solution was used as a receiving layer coating solution. Hereinafter, also in each of the examples and comparative examples, a coating solution for a receiving layer was prepared by the same method.
Composition of aqueous solution 1・ Anionic emulsifier (sodium alkylnaphthalenesulfonate, manufactured by Kao Corporation, trade name: Perex NBL) 2.5 parts by weight Nonionic emulsifier (polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene condensate, ADEKA ( Product name: Adeka Pluronic F108) 2.5 parts by weight, 270 parts by weight of pure water
Composition of solvent-based solution 1 Binder resin (vinyl acetate resin, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Co., Ltd., trade name: Solvine CN)
45 parts by weight / ethyl acetate (solvent) 450 parts by weight

Example 2
Preparation of thermal transfer image-receiving sheet 2 A thermal transfer image-receiving sheet 2 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the composition of the coating solution for the receiving layer was as follows.
Composition of Receptor Layer Coating Solution 2 Binder resin (vinyl acetate resin, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Co., Ltd., trade name: Solvine CN)
45 parts by weight, anionic emulsifier (sodium alkylnaphthalenesulfonate, manufactured by Kao Corporation, trade name: Perex NBL) 2.5 parts by weight, nonionic emulsifier (polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene condensate, ADEKA Corporation) Product name: Adeka Pluronic F88) 2.5 parts by weight, 270 parts by weight of pure water

Example 3
Preparation of thermal transfer image-receiving sheet 3 A thermal transfer image-receiving sheet 3 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the composition of the coating solution for the receiving layer was as follows.
Composition of the coating solution 3 for the receiving layer / binder resin (vinyl acetate resin, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Co., Ltd., trade name: Solvine CN)
45 parts by weight, anionic emulsifier (sodium alkylnaphthalenesulfonate, manufactured by Kao Corporation, trade name: Perex NBL) 2.5 parts by weight, nonionic emulsifier (polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene condensate, ADEKA Corporation) Product name: Adeka Pluronic F68) 2.5 parts by weight, 270 parts by weight of pure water

Example 4
Preparation of thermal transfer image-receiving sheet 4 A thermal transfer image-receiving sheet 4 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the composition of the coating solution for the receiving layer was as follows.
Composition of coating liquid 4 for receiving layer / binder resin (vinyl acetate resin, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Co., Ltd., trade name: Solvine CN)
45 parts by weight anionic emulsifier (sodium dioctyl succinate, manufactured by Kao Corporation, trade name: Perex OT-P) 2.5 parts by weight nonionic emulsifier (polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene condensate, ADEKA Product name: Adeka Pluronic F108) 2.5 parts by weight, 270 parts by weight of pure water

Example 5
Preparation of thermal transfer image-receiving sheet 5 A thermal transfer image-receiving sheet 5 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the composition of the coating solution for the receiving layer was as follows.
Composition of coating solution 5 for receiving layer / binder resin (vinyl acetate resin, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Co., Ltd., trade name: Solvine CN)
45 parts by weight nonionic emulsifier (polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene condensate, manufactured by Adeka Corp., trade name: Adeka Pluronic F108) 2.5 parts by weight pure water 270 parts by weight

Example 6
Preparation of Thermal Transfer Image Receiving Sheet 6 A thermal transfer image receiving sheet 6 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the composition of the coating solution for the receiving layer was as follows.
Composition of coating solution 6 for receiving layer (binder resin) (vinyl chloride resin, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Co., Ltd., trade name: Solvine CN)
45 parts by weight nonionic emulsifier (polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene condensate, manufactured by Adeka Corp., trade name: Adeka Pluronic F88) 2.5 parts by weight pure water 270 parts by weight

Example 7
Preparation of thermal transfer image-receiving sheet 7 A thermal transfer image-receiving sheet 7 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the composition of the coating solution for the receiving layer was as follows.
Composition of coating solution 7 for receiving layer / binder resin (vinyl acetate resin, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Co., Ltd., trade name: Solvine CN)
45 parts by weight nonionic emulsifier (polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene condensate, manufactured by Adeka Corp., trade name: Adeka Pluronic F68) 2.5 parts by weight pure water 270 parts by weight

Example 8
Preparation of thermal transfer image receiving sheet 8 A thermal transfer image receiving sheet 8 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the composition of the coating solution for the receiving layer was as follows.
Composition of coating solution 8 for receiving layer (binder resin) (vinyl chloride resin, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Co., Ltd., trade name: Solvine CN)
45 parts by weight nonionic emulsifier (polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene condensate, manufactured by Daiichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd., trade name: Epan 785) 2.5 parts by weight pure water 270 parts by weight

Comparative Example 1
Preparation of thermal transfer image receiving sheet 9 A thermal transfer image receiving sheet 9 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the composition of the coating solution for the receiving layer was as follows.
Composition of Receptor Layer Coating Solution 9 Binder resin (vinyl acetate resin, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Co., Ltd., trade name: Solvine CN)
45 parts by weight nonionic emulsifier (polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene condensate, manufactured by Adeka Corporation, trade name: Adeka Pluronic F38) 2.5 parts by weight pure water 270 parts by weight

Comparative Example 2
Preparation of thermal transfer image-receiving sheet 10 A thermal transfer image-receiving sheet 10 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the composition of the coating solution for the receiving layer was as follows.
Composition of the coating solution 10 for the receiving layer (binder resin) (vinyl acetate resin, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Co., Ltd., trade name: Solvine CN)
45 parts by weight nonionic emulsifier (polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene condensate, manufactured by Adeka Corporation, trade name: Adeka Pluronic P85) 2.5 parts by weight pure water 270 parts by weight

Comparative Example 3
Preparation of thermal transfer image receiving sheet 11 A thermal transfer image receiving sheet 11 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the composition of the coating solution for the receiving layer was as follows.
Composition of coating solution 11 for receiving layer (binder resin) (vinyl chloride resin, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Co., Ltd., trade name: Solvine CN)
45 parts by weight nonionic emulsifier (polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene condensate, manufactured by Adeka Corporation, trade name: Adeka Pluronic L101) 2.5 parts by weight pure water 270 parts by weight

Comparative Example 4
Preparation of Thermal Transfer Image Receiving Sheet 12 A thermal transfer image receiving sheet 12 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the composition of the coating solution for the receiving layer was as follows.
Composition of coating liquid 12 for receiving layer / binder resin (vinyl acetate resin, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Co., Ltd., trade name: Solvine CN)
45 parts by weight nonionic emulsifier (polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene condensate, manufactured by Adeka Corp., trade name: Adeka Pluronic L64) 2.5 parts by weight pure water 270 parts by weight

Comparative Example 5
Preparation of thermal transfer image-receiving sheet 13 A thermal transfer image-receiving sheet 13 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the composition of the coating solution for the receiving layer was as follows.
Composition of the coating solution 13 for the receiving layer / binder resin (vinyl acetate resin, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Co., Ltd., trade name: Solvine CN)
45 parts by weight nonionic emulsifier (polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene condensate, manufactured by ADEKA CORPORATION, trade name: Adeka Pluronic L31) 2.5 parts by weight pure water 270 parts by weight

Comparative Example 6
Preparation of Thermal Transfer Image Receiving Sheet 14 A thermal transfer image receiving sheet 14 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the composition of the coating solution for the receiving layer was as follows.
Composition of coating solution 14 for receiving layer (binder resin (vinyl acetate resin, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Co., Ltd., trade name: Solvine CN))
45 parts by weight, anionic emulsifier (sodium alkylnaphthalenesulfonate, manufactured by Kao Corporation, trade name: Perex NBL) 2.5 parts by weight, 270 parts by weight of pure water

Comparative Example 7
Preparation of thermal transfer image-receiving sheet 15 A thermal transfer image-receiving sheet 15 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the composition of the coating solution for the receiving layer was as follows.
Composition of coating solution 15 for receiving layer / binder resin (vinyl acetate resin, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Co., Ltd., trade name: Solvine CN)
45 parts by weight anionic emulsifier (polyoxyethylene lauryl ether ammonium sulfate, manufactured by Daiichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd., trade name: LA-16) 2.5 parts by weight pure water 270 parts by weight

Comparative Example 8
Preparation of thermal transfer image receiving sheet 16 A thermal transfer image receiving sheet 16 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the composition of the coating solution for the receiving layer was as follows.
Composition of coating solution 16 for receiving layer / binder resin (vinyl acetate resin, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Co., Ltd., trade name: Solvine CN)
45 parts by weight anionic emulsifier (polyoxyethylene lauryl ether ammonium phosphate, manufactured by Daiichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd., trade name: DB-01) 2.5 parts by weight pure water 270 parts by weight

Comparative Example 9
Preparation of thermal transfer image-receiving sheet 17 A thermal transfer image-receiving sheet 17 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the composition of the coating solution for the receiving layer was as follows.
Composition of coating solution 17 for receiving layer: Solvain CN (vinyl chloride resin, manufactured by Nissin Chemical) 45 parts by weight Anionic emulsifier (dioctyl sulfonate succinate, manufactured by Kao Corporation, trade name: PELEX OT -P) 2.5 parts by weight / 270 parts by weight of pure water

Details of the emulsifiers used in the above Examples and Comparative Examples are shown in Table 1.

Evaluation of Receptor Layer Coating Liquid and Thermal Transfer Image Receiving Sheet Regarding the receptor layer coating liquids 1 to 17 and thermal transfer image receptor sheets 1 to 17 prepared above, (1) dispersion stability evaluation, (2) smoothness evaluation, and (3) The moisture resistance and heat resistance were evaluated.

(1) Evaluation of dispersion stability After receiving the coating solution for receiving layer used in the above Examples and Comparative Examples at room temperature in a dark place for 1 day, the coating solution was evaluated according to the following criteria.
Evaluation criteria A : There was no change in the viscosity and appearance of the coating solution.
○: The coating solution thickened somewhat, but there was no practical problem.
(Triangle | delta): The coating liquid had thickened clearly and had trouble in application | coating.
X: Aggregates were generated in the coating solution and could not be applied.

(2) Evaluation of smoothness The surface glossiness of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet prepared as described above was measured at an incident angle of 45 °, and used as a measure of the surface smoothness of the image-receiving sheet.
-Evaluation criteria A : Glossiness of 60% or more.
○: Glossiness 40-60%.
X: Level at which the surface becomes a mat visually.

(3) Moisture resistance and heat resistance evaluation Using the sublimation type thermal transfer printer (manufactured by ALTECH ADS, model: MEGAPICELIII), a 0.5 mm wide linear image (black) is printed on the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet produced above. Although the product was stored in an environment of 60 ° C. Free and 40 ° C. and 90% for one week, image blur was visually evaluated according to the following criteria.
-Evaluation criteria A : Not smeared.
○: The line was slightly blurred.
Δ: Blurred lines were blurred.
X: The line was completely blurred and could not be confirmed as the original line.

Table 2 shows the results of the above evaluations. The thermal transfer image-receiving sheets of Examples 1 to 8 satisfying the composition of the present invention have the performance of dispersion and stability of the dispersion and the moisture resistance and heat resistance of the printed material as compared with the thermal transfer image-receiving sheets of Comparative Examples 1 to 9. It turns out that it was able to improve.

10 Thermal transfer image receiving sheet 11 Base material 12 Heat insulation layer (lower layer)
13 Heat insulation layer (upper layer)
14 Primer layer 15 Receptor layer

Claims (13)

A thermal transfer image receiving sheet comprising a base material, and a heat insulating layer and a receiving layer in this order on the base material,
The acceptor layer is a polyoxyethylene-polyoxyethylene resin having a solvent-based vinyl chloride resin and a weight-average molecular weight of oxypropylene groups of 1000 or more and a molar ratio of oxyethylene groups to oxypropylene groups of 60:40 to 99: 1. A thermal transfer image-receiving sheet comprising a nonionic emulsifier containing an oxypropylene condensate.   The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet according to claim 1, wherein the receiving layer further comprises an anionic emulsifier containing no alkylene oxide.   The thermal transfer image receiving sheet according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vinyl chloride resin is a vinyl acetate resin.   The thermal transfer image receiving sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the receiving layer is substantially free of gelatin.   The thermal transfer image receiving sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein all layers constituting the receiving layer from the heat insulating layer are formed by an aqueous coating method and a simultaneous multilayer coating method. A method for producing a thermal transfer image receiving sheet, comprising a base material, and a heat insulating layer and a receiving layer in this order on the base material,
A solvent-based solution comprising a solvent-based vinyl chloride resin is a polyoxyethylene having a weight average molecular weight of oxypropylene groups of 1000 or more and a molar ratio of oxyethylene groups to oxypropylene groups of 60:40 to 99: 1. A method for producing a thermal transfer image receiving sheet, comprising a step of forming the receiving layer using an aqueous dispersion coating solution emulsified in an aqueous solution with a nonionic emulsifier containing a polyoxypropylene condensate.   The method for producing a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet according to claim 6, wherein an anionic emulsifier containing no alkylene oxide is used for emulsification in combination with a nonionic emulsifier.   The method for producing a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the vinyl chloride resin is a vinyl acetate resin.   The method for producing a thermal transfer image receiving sheet according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the aqueous dispersion coating liquid contains substantially no gelatin.   The method for producing a thermal transfer image receiving sheet according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein all the layers constituting the receiving layer from the heat insulating layer are formed by an aqueous coating method and a simultaneous multilayer coating method. A water-based dispersion coating liquid for use in the production of a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet comprising a base material, and a heat insulating layer and a receiving layer in this order on the base material,
A solvent-based solution comprising a solvent-based vinyl chloride resin is a polyoxyethylene having a weight average molecular weight of oxypropylene groups of 1000 or more and a molar ratio of oxyethylene groups to oxypropylene groups of 60:40 to 99: 1. -An aqueous dispersion coating liquid, which is emulsified in an aqueous solution with a nonionic emulsifier containing a polyoxypropylene condensate.   The aqueous dispersion coating liquid according to claim 11, further comprising an anionic emulsifier not containing an alkylene oxide.   The aqueous dispersion coating solution according to claim 11 or 12, which is substantially free of gelatin.

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