JP3060321B2 - Ink, inkjet recording method and apparatus using the same - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink, an ink-jet recording method using the same, and an apparatus using the ink. The present invention relates to not only coated paper specially adjusted for ink-jet but also other copy paper. High-definition, high-quality recording is possible even for uncoated paper commonly used in offices and homes, such as report paper, bond paper, and continuous slip paper, so-called plain paper, and uses thermal energy. The present invention relates to an ink, an ink jet recording method, a recording unit, an ink jet recording apparatus, and an ink cartridge suitable for the present invention.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Inkjet inks of various compositions have been reported. In particular, in recent years, in order to perform good recording on plain paper commonly used in offices such as copy paper, report paper, notebooks, stationery, etc., detailed research and development has been carried out from various aspects such as composition and physical properties. Have been.

[0003] In the ink jet recording method, various methods have been proposed. A method in which charged droplets are continuously generated and a part of the droplets are used for recording. A method in which a signal is applied and recording is performed by generating droplets of the recording liquid in accordance with the signal, or thermal energy corresponding to the recording signal is applied to the recording liquid in the room of the recording head, and a droplet is generated by the energy. For example, there is a method of performing recording.

In particular, the type described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 54-59936, in which the ink is ejected by the bubbling phenomenon of the ink due to thermal energy, is easy to achieve high integration and high density of the nozzle, and has recently been particularly noted. It is a method that collects. However, stricter conditions are required for the ink used in order to utilize the phenomenon of foaming which is not available in other systems.

The preferred conditions of the ink used in this method are listed below. (1) The responsiveness of foaming to thermal energy is good, and droplets are always stably ejected from fine ejection openings. , No clogging. (2) Stable ejection can be obtained immediately after resuming printing even if the cap is left uncapped during printing pause. That is, the ink in the vicinity of the discharge port is not easily dried and does not cause clogging. (3) A high-quality image without irregular or irregular bleeding can be obtained, especially on plain paper. (4) Fast fixability (print drying property) on plain paper,
No stain when rubbing printed matter. (5) The storage stability is good, and the ink performance is maintained for a long time. (6) Excellent safety such as toxicity and flammability. And the like.

In response to these demands, the conventional ink formulation is not particularly limited to the thermal energy type in the ejection method. For example, in general, the ink contains glycol or the like for the purpose of preventing drying and clogging. When recording on plain paper with a high degree of size using such an ink, which contains a high-boiling organic solvent, the ink hardly penetrates into the paper and the recording part has poor drying properties. There were problems such as ink sticking to the hand when touched by hand, and rubbing and smearing of characters.

Therefore, in order to enhance the permeability of the ink into the paper, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-29546 proposes a method of adding a large amount of a surfactant to the ink.
In this case, very much bleeding occurs depending on the paper, or when the ink is filled in the ink jet head, depending on the structure of the head, the ink recedes from the orifice surface and the ink is not discharged. Troubles such as the entire surface being wet and no ink being ejected were observed.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 56-57862 also proposes a method for making the pH of the ink strongly alkaline. However, this method is dangerous when the ink is touched by hand.
In addition, there is a drawback that paper using a certain type of sizing agent, such as neutral paper, may bleed and dryness may not be good.

Although various improvements have been attempted in addition to the above, all of the aforementioned problems of bleeding, drying, and clogging can be sufficiently achieved even if there is no limitation to use the thermal energy method. At present, there is no known ink that solves the above problem.In addition, an ink design that further has a performance of responding well to the phenomenon peculiar to the thermal energy method of foaming is important but extremely important. It is a difficult task.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a foam having a good response to heat energy.
Ink and ink-jet recording method that solves the bleeding of ink and the slow drying property of recorded matter when recording on uncoated paper generally used in offices such as copy paper, report paper, notebook, and stool 6435, so-called plain paper, An object of the present invention is to provide a device using such an ink.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ink which is highly safe for use in offices and homes.

Another object of the present invention is to prevent the nozzles of the ink jet recording head from being clogged,
An object of the present invention is to provide an ink with excellent reliability and a device using the ink.

[0013]

The above object is achieved by the present invention described below.

That is, the present invention comprises water and a water-soluble dye.
In the ink used for inkjet recording,
1,2,3-butanetriol and 1,2,4-buta
Containing at least one selected from
And features. According to the present invention, there is provided an ink jet recording method in which an ink droplet is ejected from an orifice in accordance with a recording signal to perform recording on a recording material, wherein the ink is used.

According to the present invention, there is provided a recording unit provided with an ink storage section for storing ink and a head section for discharging the ink as ink droplets, wherein the above-described ink is used as the ink. .

According to the present invention, there is provided an ink cartridge provided in an ink containing section containing ink, wherein the above ink is used as the ink.

The present invention is characterized in that the above-mentioned ink is used as an ink in an ink jet recording apparatus provided with an ink storing section for storing ink and a recording unit having a head section for discharging the ink as ink droplets. Is an ink jet recording apparatus.

According to the present invention, there is provided an ink jet recording apparatus having a recording head for discharging ink droplets, an ink cartridge having an ink storage section for storing ink, and an ink supply section for supplying ink from the ink cartridge to the recording head. An ink jet recording apparatus characterized in that the above ink is used as the ink in the apparatus.

(Preferred Aspects of the Present Invention) The present inventors are particularly suitable for recording in which ink is ejected by the bubbling phenomenon of ink due to thermal energy, and improve ink bleeding, drying properties, and permeability on paper, Furthermore, as a result of intensive studies on a highly reliable ink composition that is unlikely to cause clogging in the nozzles of the ink jet recording head, the ink containing butanetriol together with water as the liquid medium is balanced in terms of bleeding and permeability. Further, the inventors have found that the clogging prevention property is particularly good, and have reached the present invention.

According to the knowledge of the present inventors, glycols such as polyethylene glycol, glycerin and the like have been used as a clogging preventive agent for inks, and glycerin in particular can be used to reduce clogging by adding a relatively small amount. This is a particularly preferable anti-clogging agent because it can prevent the ink from bleeding on the paper surface. However, since the wettability to the sizing agent present in the paper is poor, some papers have a drawback that the drying property and the permeability of the ink on the paper surface are extremely poor.

On the other hand, butanetriol used in the present invention has the same effect of preventing clogging as glycerin,
In addition, the balance between ink bleeding and permeability is very good. The reason is considered to be that the compound has a low vapor pressure and has three hydroxyl groups, like glycerin, so that it is excellent in dissolving or dispersing the dye, and as a result, the effect of preventing clogging can be obtained. Further, it is considered that since the carbon number is larger than that of glycerin, the molecule has a hydrophilic portion and a hydrophobic portion in the molecule, so that the wettability to the sizing agent is good, and as a result, the permeability of the ink on the paper surface is remarkably improved.

On the other hand, the responsiveness to foaming is such that the content of the compound in the ink is 0.1 to 30% by weight and water is 5%.
Particularly good when the content is 0 to 95% by weight. This is presumably because the physical properties of the ink mixed in the above ratio and the wettability to each member inside the nozzle are optimal for a recording method in which the ink is ejected by the bubbling phenomenon of the ink due to thermal energy.

Next, each component of the ink of the present invention will be described.

Butanetriol which is used in the present invention and mainly characterizes the present invention includes 1,2,3 butanetriol and 1,2,4 butanetriol.

The addition of butanetriol to the ink may be used alone or in a mixed system, and may vary depending on the dye used and other liquid medium components used in combination.
The proportion occupies about 0% by weight, preferably 0.1 to 25% by weight, more preferably 1 to 20% by weight.

When the content is less than 0.1% by weight,
No clogging prevention effect is observed. In addition, this content is 3
If it exceeds 0% by weight, problems occur in terms of permeability and bleeding.

The pigments constituting the ink of the present invention include:
Direct dyes, acid dyes, food dyes, basic dyes, reactive dyes, disperse dyes, architectural dyes, soluble architectural dyes, reactive disperse dyes, oil-based dyes, and various pigments can be mentioned. Particularly preferred.

The content of these pigments depends on the type of the liquid medium component,
It is determined depending on the characteristics required for the ink, etc., but is generally about 0.2 to 20% by weight in the total amount of the ink,
Preferably 0.5 to 10%, more preferably 1 to 5
%. The proportion of water in the ink, which is an essential component of the present invention, is 50 to 95% by weight, preferably 55 to 95% by weight, and more preferably 60 to 95% by weight.
It is the ratio occupying the weight%. When the amount of water is less than 50% by weight, the amount of the organic solvent is large, and the paper curls or the print quality on plain paper or the like is significantly deteriorated. When the amount of water exceeds 95% by weight, the discharge stability from the nozzle orifice may be significantly deteriorated.

The essential components of the ink of the present invention are as described above, but other common organic solvents used in conventionally known inks can also be used in combination. Examples of the organic solvent include methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol and n-propyl. Alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol,
C1-C5 alkyl alcohols such as sec-butyl alcohol, tert-butyl alcohol, isobutyl alcohol, n-pentanol; amides such as dimethylformamide and dimethylacetamide; acetone;
Ketone or keto alcohols such as diacetone alcohol; ethers such as tetrahydrofuran and dioxane;
Oxyethylene or oxypropylene addition polymers such as diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol; ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, trimethylene glycol, butylene glycol, 1,2 Alkylene glycols having an alkylene group containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms, such as 1,6-hexanetriol and hexylene glycol; thiodiglycol; glycerin; ethylene glycol monomethyl (or ethyl) ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl (or ethyl) ether, Lower alkyl ethers of polyhydric alcohols such as triethylene glycol monomethyl (or ethyl) ether; Glycol dimethyl (or ethyl) ether, lower dialkyl ethers of polyhydric alcohols such as tetraethylene glycol dimethyl (or ethyl) ether; sulfolane, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, include 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone.

The content of the water-soluble organic solvent is generally in the range of 1 to 49%, preferably 2 to 30% by weight based on the total weight of the ink.

When the above-mentioned mediums are used in combination, they can be used alone or as a mixture. The most preferable liquid medium composition is at least one water-soluble high-boiling organic solvent, for example, a polyvalent solvent such as diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol or glycerin. It contains alcohol.

Other various dispersants, surfactants, viscosity modifiers, surface tension modifiers, fluorescent brighteners and the like can be added as required.

For example, viscosity modifiers such as polyvinyl alcohol, celluloses, and water-soluble resins; various surfactants such as cation, anion or nonionic; surface tension modifiers such as diethanolamine and triethanolamine; pH modifiers with buffer solution And a fungicide.

Further, the ink of the present invention solves the bleeding of the ink and the drying and penetrability of the recorded matter when recorded on plain paper or the like. Tension is 30
It is desirable that the viscosity be adjusted to 68 dyne / cm and the viscosity be 15 cp or less, preferably 10 cp or less, more preferably 5 cp or less.

The ink of the present invention is particularly preferably used for an ink jet recording method in which recording is performed by discharging droplets by the action of thermal energy, but it goes without saying that it can also be used for general writing instruments.

A preferred method and apparatus for performing recording using the ink of the present invention is a method in which thermal energy corresponding to a recording signal is applied to ink in a chamber of a recording head, and a droplet is generated by the thermal energy. And a device.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show examples of the configuration of a head which is a main part of the apparatus.

The head 13 includes a glass, ceramic or plastic plate having a groove 14 through which ink passes, and a heating head 15 used for thermal recording (a head is shown in the figure, but is not limited to this). And obtained by bonding. The heating head 15 includes a protective film 16 formed of silicon oxide or the like, aluminum electrodes 17-1 and 17-2, a heating resistor layer 18 formed of nichrome or the like, a heat storage layer 19, and a substrate 20 having good heat dissipation such as alumina. Is made up of

The ink 21 has a discharge orifice (fine hole) 2
2, and the meniscus 23 is formed by the pressure P.

When an electric signal is applied to the electrodes 17-1 and 17-2, the area of the heating head 15 indicated by n rapidly generates heat, and bubbles are generated in the ink 21 in contact with the area.
The meniscus 23 is protruded by the pressure, the ink 21 is ejected, becomes a recording droplet 24 from the orifice 22, and flies toward the recording material 25.

FIG. 3 is an external view of a multi-head in which many heads shown in FIG. 1 are arranged. The multi-head is manufactured by closely contacting a glass plate 27 having a multi-groove 26 and a heating head 28 similar to that described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 shows a head 1 along an ink flow path.
3 is a sectional view, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line AB in FIG.

FIG. 4 shows an example of an ink jet recording apparatus incorporating such a head.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 61 denotes a blade as a wiping member, one end of which is held by a blade holding member to become a fixed end, and forms a cantilever. The blade 61 is disposed at a position adjacent to a recording area of the recording head, and in this example, is held in a form protruding into the movement path of the recording head. Reference numeral 62 denotes a cap, which is disposed at a home position adjacent to the blade 61, and has a configuration in which the cap moves in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the print head moves and comes into contact with the ejection port surface to perform capping. Reference numeral 63 denotes an ink absorber provided adjacent to the blade 61, which is held in a form protruding into the movement path of the recording head, similarly to the blade 61. The blade 61, the cap 62, and the absorber 63 constitute an ejection recovery unit 64, and the blade 61 and the absorber 63 remove water, dust, and the like from the ink ejection port surface.

Reference numeral 65 denotes a recording head which has discharge energy generating means and discharges ink to a recording material facing a discharge port surface provided with discharge ports to perform recording, and 66 denotes a recording head on which the recording head 65 is mounted. A carriage for performing the movement 65. The carriage 66 is slidably engaged with the guide shaft 67, and a part of the carriage 66 is connected to a belt 69 driven by a motor 68 (not shown). As a result, the carriage 66 can move along the guide shaft 67, and the recording head 65 can move the recording area and the adjacent area.

Reference numeral 51 denotes a paper feed unit for inserting a recording material, 5
Reference numeral 2 denotes a paper feed roller driven by a motor (not shown). With such a configuration, the recording material is fed to a position facing the ejection port surface of the recording head, and is discharged to a discharge section provided with a discharge roller 53 as recording proceeds.

In the above configuration, when the recording head 65 returns to the home position at the end of recording or the like, the cap 62 of the head recovery unit 64 is retracted from the moving path of the recording head 65, but the blade 61 protrudes into the moving path. I have. As a result, the ejection port surface of the recording head 65 is wiped. When capping is performed with the cap 62 in contact with the ejection surface of the recording head 65, the cap 62 moves so as to protrude into the movement path of the recording head.

When the recording head 65 moves from the home position to the recording start position, the cap 62 and the blade 61 are at the same positions as the positions at the time of wiping described above. As a result, the ejection port surface of the recording head 65 is also wiped during this movement.

The above-described movement of the print head to the home position is performed not only at the end of printing and at the time of ejection recovery, but also at a predetermined interval while the printing head moves through the printing area for printing. Position, and the wiping is performed along with the movement.

FIG. 5 is a view showing an example of an ink cartridge containing ink supplied to a head via an ink supply member, for example, a tube. Here, reference numeral 40 denotes an ink storage portion that stores the supply ink, for example, an ink bag, and a rubber stopper 42 is provided at the tip thereof.
By inserting a needle (not shown) into the stopper 42, the ink in the ink bag 40 can be supplied to the head. 4
Reference numeral 4 denotes an absorber for receiving waste ink.

As the ink container, those having a liquid contact surface with the ink made of polyolefin, particularly polyethylene, are preferable for the present invention.

The ink jet recording apparatus used in the present invention is not limited to the one in which the head and the ink cartridge are separate as described above, but is also suitable for the one in which they are integrated as shown in FIG. Used. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 70 denotes a recording unit, in which an ink storage unit storing ink, for example, an ink absorber is stored, and a head unit having a plurality of orifices in which the ink in the ink absorber is stored. It is configured to be ejected from 71 as ink droplets. As a material for the ink absorber,
The use of polyurethane is preferred for the present invention.

Reference numeral 72 denotes an air communication hole for communicating the inside of the recording unit with the atmosphere.

This recording unit 70 is used in place of the recording head shown in FIG.
6 is detachable.

[0055]

Next, the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to examples and comparative examples. In the following description, parts and% are based on weight unless otherwise specified.

Examples 1 to 5 The following components were mixed and stirred for 5 hours, the pH was adjusted to 7.5 with a 0.1% aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide, and the membrane filter had a bore size of 0.22 micron. The product was filtered under pressure with a trade name (Fluorobore Filter, manufactured by Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.) to obtain Inks A to E of the present invention.

Next, using the obtained inks A to E, as an ink jet recording apparatus, an ink jet printer BJ130 (trade name, manufactured by Canon Inc.) using a heating element as an ink ejection energy source was used. Recording on copy paper and bond paper, and fixability and bleeding rate of the recorded matter obtained, clogging during reprinting after temporary suspension of printing, clogging during reprinting after long-term suspension of printing The frequency response was evaluated. The results are shown in Table 1. The evaluation was usually performed at 25 ° C. and 60% RH.

Ink A C.I. I. Direct Yellow 86 2 parts 1.2.3 3-Butanetriol 17 parts Water 81 parts

Ink B C.I. I. Acid Red 35 2 parts 1.2.3. Butanetriol 7 parts Glycerin 5 parts Water 86 parts

Ink C C.I. I. Food Black 2 3 parts Triethylene glycol 6 parts 1.2.4-Butanetriol 6 parts Ethanol 3 parts Water 82 parts

Ink D C.I. I. Direct Blue 199 2.5 parts Diethylene glycol 4 parts 1.2.3 3-butanetriol 10 parts n-butanol 2 parts Water 81.5 parts

Ink E C.I. I. Direct Black 154 2 parts 1.2.4 4-Butanetriol 8 parts Thiodiglycol 3 parts Diethylene glycol 3 parts Ethanol 2 parts Water 83 parts

Comparative Examples 1 to 5 In the same manner as in Examples 1 to 5, the following components were treated to obtain Inks F to J of Comparative Examples 1 to 5, and various evaluations were performed in the same manner as in the Examples. Was. The results are shown in Table 1.

Ink F C.I. I. Direct Yellow 86 2 parts Glycerin 17 parts Water 81 parts

Ink G C.I. I. Food Black 2 3 parts Triethylene glycol 12 parts Ethanol 3 parts Water 82 parts

Ink H C.I. I. Direct Blue 199 2.5 parts Diethylene glycol 14 parts n-butanol 2 parts Water 81.5 parts

Ink I C.I. I. Direct Black 154 2 parts PEG300 14 parts Nonionic surfactant (trade name: Nissan Nonion P22)
3 Nippon Yushi Co., Ltd.) 0.5 parts Water 83.5 parts

The ink JC. I. Food Black 2 3 parts Ethylene glycol 15 parts Impropyl alcohol 2 parts Water 80 parts

[0069]

[Table 1]

(1 ^* ) Evaluation of Fixability After printing for 10 seconds on commercial copy paper and bond paper, 30
After 2 seconds, the printed portion was rubbed with a filter paper (trade name: No. 5C, manufactured by Toyo Filter Paper Co., Ltd.)…: No blurring in 10 seconds ○: Small blur in 10 seconds △: Small blur in 30 seconds ×: 30 seconds Large size

(2 ^* ) Dot Shape Regarding the occurrence rate of bleeding, after printing 300 dots on a commercially available copy paper or bond paper so as not to be continuous with a printer, leave it for one hour or more, and then generate bleeding with a microscope. The number of dots formed was counted and expressed in%. ：: 10% or less △: 11 to 30% ×: 31% or more

(3 ^* ) Clogging at the time of reprinting after printing is temporarily stopped For clogging at the time of reprinting after printing is temporarily stopped, the printer is filled with a predetermined ink and alphanumeric characters are continuously printed for 10 minutes. After printing, the printer was stopped and left for 10 minutes without a cap or the like, and then alphanumeric characters were printed again to determine the presence or absence of defective portions such as blurred or missing characters. ：: No defective portion from the first character. Δ: Part of the first character is blurred or chipped. X: The first character cannot be printed at all.

(4 ^* ) Recoverability of clogging at the time of reprinting after printing is stopped for a long time After the printer is filled with a predetermined ink and alphanumeric characters are printed continuously for 10 minutes, printing is stopped, and the cap is not closed. After standing for 7 days in the state, the nozzle clogging recovery operation was performed, and it was determined that the normal printing without character blurring, chipping, etc. was possible (60 ° C., 10 ± 5% RH) by the number of operations.
). ： １: Normal printing is possible with 1 to 5 recovery operations. Δ: Normal printing is possible with 6 to 10 recovery operations. X: Normal printing is possible by 11 or more recovery operations.

(5 ^* ) Evaluation of Frequency Responsiveness The printed state of the obtained printed matter, that is, a state of blurring or white spots and a state of poor landing point such as splash or twist were visually observed and evaluated. A: The ink has good followability with respect to the frequency, and no fuzziness, white spots, or defective landing points are observed in both solid printing and character printing. …: Ink followability to frequency is almost good,
No blurring, white spots, or landing point defects are found in character printing, but slight blurring is seen in solid printing. Δ: No blurred white spots were observed in character printing, but some landing point defects were observed.

Further, in solid printing, blurring and white spots are observed about 1/3 of the entire solid. ×: There are many blurs and white spots in solid printing, and there are many blurs and landing point defects in character printing.

[0076]

As described above, according to the ink of the present invention, the responsiveness of foaming to heat energy is good, and general ink commonly used in offices such as copy paper, report paper, notebooks, and stationery is used. It is possible to perform recording of excellent quality and good permeability without bleeding even on plain paper.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an ink which is highly safe even when used in an office or at home.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to perform highly reliable recording without clogging of the nozzles of the ink jet head.

By using the ink of the present invention, a highly reliable device can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a head section of an ink jet recording apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a head section of the inkjet recording apparatus.

FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of a head obtained by multiplying the head shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an example of an ink jet recording apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the ink cartridge.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a recording unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 13 Head 15 Heating Head 21 Ink 25 Recording Material 28 Heating Head 40 Ink Bag 44 Ink Absorber 45 Ink Cartridge 61 Wiping Member 65 Recording Head 66 Carriage 70 Recording Unit 71 Head Section 72 Atmospheric Communication Hole

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-59-49276 (JP, A) JP-A-1-282273 (JP, A) JP-A-54-59936 (JP, A) JP-A-4- 211468 (JP, A) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) C09D 11/00-11/20 CA (STN) REGISTRY (STN)

Claims (19)

(57) [Claims] An ink jet comprising water and a water-soluble dye.
In the ink used in Tsu preparative recording, 1,2,3 Bed
Tantriol and 1,2,4-butanetriol
An ink containing at least one selected from the group consisting of: 2. The ink according to claim 1, wherein the content of the triol is in the range of 0.1 to 30% of the total weight of the ink. 3. The ink according to claim 1, wherein the water content is 50 to 95% of the total weight of the ink.
The ink of claim 1 in the range of%. 4. The ink according to claim 1, further comprising a water-soluble organic solvent. 5. The ink according to claim 5, wherein the content of the water-soluble organic solvent is in the range of 1 to 49% of the total weight of the ink. 6. An ink jet recording method in which an ink droplet is ejected from an orifice according to a recording signal to perform recording on a recording material, wherein the ink is the ink according to any one of claims 1 to 5. An inkjet recording method, comprising: 7. The recording material is uncoated paper.
3. The inkjet recording method according to item 1. 8. The ink jet recording method according to claim 6 , wherein the ink is ejected by applying thermal energy to the ink. 9. A recording unit comprising: an ink storage section for storing ink; and a head section for discharging the ink as ink droplets, wherein the ink is any one of claims 1 to 5.
A recording unit, which is the ink described in any of the above. 10. The recording unit according to claim 9 , wherein the ink container is formed of polyurethane. 11. The head portion is claim 1 including a head to eject ink droplets by applying thermal energy to the ink
The recording unit according to 0 . 12. An ink cartridge provided with an ink storage section for storing ink, wherein the ink is provided.
An ink cartridge comprising the ink according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . 13. The ink cartridge according to claim 12 , wherein the ink containing section has a liquid contact surface formed of polyolefin. 14. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a recording unit having an ink storage section for storing ink and a head section for discharging the ink as an ink liquid, wherein the ink is any one of claims 1 to 5. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising the ink described in the above. 15. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the ink containing section is made of polyurethane. 16. The ink jet printer according to claim 1, wherein the head unit includes a head for ejecting ink droplets by applying thermal energy to the ink.
5. The ink jet recording apparatus according to 4 . 17. A recording head for discharging ink droplets,
In the ink jet recording apparatus having an ink supply portion for supplying the ink to the ink cartridge and the recording head from the ink cartridge having an ink container portion containing the ink, ink according to the ink in any one of claims 1 to 5 An ink jet recording apparatus, characterized in that: 18. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the ink containing section has a liquid contact surface formed of polyolefin. 19. The recording head according to claim 19, wherein the recording head is a head that ejects ink droplets by applying thermal energy to ink.
18. The ink jet recording apparatus according to item 17 .