JP7025195B2 - Ink set and printing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an ink set and a printing method using the ink set, and in particular, an ink capable of suppressing the occurrence of bleeding of the print layer and forming a print layer having excellent adhesiveness without lowering the gloss. It's about the set.

Various inks have been developed as inks used for printing by an inkjet printer, but water-based inks are widely used from the viewpoint of reducing the environmental load. However, since the water-based ink contains water as a solvent, it tends to cause bleeding during printing. As a method for improving the bleeding of the print layer formed by printing, for example, a method of using a treatment liquid having an action of aggregating a pigment in a colored ink is known. A water-based ink set that combines such a treatment liquid and colored ink is called a two-component reaction type water-based ink set.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-57192 (Patent Document 1) describes an ink set including a black ink containing an anionic dye and a yellow ink containing a cationic dye, which is an ink set composed of a plurality of colored inks. , It is stated that the use of these dyes reduces bleeding between color and black, but it also states that bleeding can be reduced by blending a polyvalent precipitant with yellow ink. .. In Patent Document 1, it is recognized that this yellow ink also acts as a treatment liquid.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-190379 (Patent Document 2) describes a colored ink containing a pigment (water-dispersible pigment) coated with a crosslinked water-soluble polymer and a colorless ink containing an aggregation promoter that promotes aggregation of the pigment. It is described that the ink set including the above is described, whereby the liquid stability and the ejection property are improved, and the curl and image deformation of the recording medium after the ink is applied can be suppressed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-57192 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-190379

Further, from the viewpoint of ensuring coating film performance such as water resistance, a resin is widely used as a binder for water-based ink, and is usually dispersed in the ink in the form of an emulsion. However, if the dispersed resin particles are contained in both the colored ink and the treatment liquid constituting the two-component reaction type water-based ink set, there is a problem that sufficient adhesion of the print layer to the substrate cannot be obtained. be. In order to solve this problem, a method of blending a water-soluble polymer into the treatment liquid has been proposed, but there is still room for improvement.

In a two-component reaction type water-based ink set, it is also important to control the timing of aggregation. For example, if the agglutination action of the treatment liquid is strong and the agglutination occurs too early, unevenness is formed on the surface of the print layer, which causes the gloss of the print layer to be lowered.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, to suppress the occurrence of bleeding of the print layer, to form a print layer having excellent adhesiveness without lowering the gloss, and to store the print layer. The purpose is to provide an ink set having excellent stability. Another object of the present invention is to provide a printing method using such an ink set.

As a result of diligent studies to achieve the above object, the present inventor has made a water-based colored ink containing a self-dispersible pigment and a self-dispersible urethane resin containing a polyester group or a polyether group, and a water-based ink containing a water-soluble polymer having a cation. We have found that by combining with a coating liquid, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of bleeding of the print layer and to form a print layer having excellent adhesiveness without lowering the gloss, and have completed the present invention.

That is, the ink set of the present invention is an ink set containing a water-based coloring ink and a water-based coating liquid, wherein the water-based coloring ink contains water, a self-dispersing pigment, a water-soluble solvent, and a self-dispersing resin. The self-dispersible resin contains a polyester group or a polyether group-containing urethane resin, the water-based coating liquid contains water, a water-soluble solvent and a resin, and the resin contained in the water-based coating liquid is a water-soluble polymer having a cation. It is characterized by including.

In a preferred example of the ink set of the present invention, the self-dispersible resin has a 50% by volume particle diameter (D50) of 10 nm to 90 nm.

In another preferred example of the ink set of the present invention, the polyester group or the polyether group-containing urethane resin has a weight average molecular weight of 100,000 or more.

In another preferred example of the ink set of the present invention, the pH of the water-based coating liquid is in the range of 7.01 to 10.0.

In another preferred example of the ink set of the present invention, the water-soluble polymer is a water-soluble polymer having a quaternary ammonium cation.

In another preferred example of the ink set of the invention, the water-soluble polymer has a quaternary ammonium cation in the backbone.

In another preferred example of the ink set of the present invention, the ratio (A: B) of the acid value (A) of the self-dispersible resin to the cation degree (B) of the water-soluble polymer is 10: 1 to 1: 1. Is within the range of.

Further, the printing method of the present invention is a printing method in which a print layer is formed on a substrate by an inkjet printer using the above ink set, and the aqueous coating liquid is discharged from a print head to generate coating droplets. It is characterized by including a step of landing on a substrate and a step of ejecting the water-based colored ink from a print head and landing ink droplets on the coating liquid to form a print layer.

According to the ink set of the present invention, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of bleeding of the print layer, to form a print layer having excellent adhesiveness without deteriorating the gloss, and to provide an ink set having excellent storage stability. Can be provided. Further, according to the printing method of the present invention, it is possible to provide a printing method using such an ink set.

The ink set of the present invention will be described in detail below. The ink set of the present invention is an ink set containing a water-based coloring ink and a water-based coating liquid, wherein the water-based coloring ink contains water, a self-dispersing pigment, a water-soluble solvent and a self-dispersing resin, and the self-dispersing is performed. The sex resin contains a polyester group or a polyether group-containing urethane resin, the water-based coating liquid contains water, a water-soluble solvent and a resin, and the resin contained in the water-based coating liquid contains a water-soluble polymer having a cation. It is characterized by that.

The ink set of the present invention is an ink set containing a water-based coloring ink and a water-based coating liquid. The water-based coloring ink may be used alone, but it is also possible to combine two or more colors of water-based coloring ink. Here, the "water-based coloring ink of two or more colors" means two or more kinds of water-based coloring inks that emit different colors.

In the ink set of the present invention, the water-based coloring ink is an ink containing water, a self-dispersing pigment, a water-soluble solvent and a self-dispersing resin, and is preferably an inkjet ink. The inkjet ink is an ink composition for an inkjet printer. Further, in the ink set of the present invention, the water-based coating liquid is a liquid for coating the base material and aggregating the colored ink, and contains water, a water-soluble solvent and a resin, and can be used for an inkjet printer. It is preferably a coating liquid. In the present invention, the composition containing the colorant in an amount of more than 0.1% by mass is referred to as "ink", and the composition containing no colorant or containing 0.1% by mass or less of the colorant is simply "liquid". It is expressed as.

In the ink set of the present invention, the pH of the water-based coating liquid is preferably in the range of 7.01 to 10.0. Since many water-based coating liquids containing water-soluble polymers are generally acidic, they may cause corrosion, and the addition of corrosion inhibitors and other neutralizing agents makes the coating liquid neutral or basic. However, in this case, the aggregation effect expected of the coating liquid may not be sufficiently exhibited, and bleeding may occur. By setting the pH of the water-based coating liquid in such a basic region, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of corrosion in metal parts (particularly print heads) of printing equipment such as printers. In the ink set of the present invention, since a water-soluble polymer having a cation is used as the resin of the water-based coating liquid, a desired aggregation effect can be exhibited even if the pH of the water-based coating liquid is in the basic region. ..
On the other hand, the pH of the water-based colored ink changes depending on the type of pigment selected and the like, but for the same reason, it is preferably basic, and the pH is in the range of 7.01 to 10.0. Is preferable.
Although a pH adjuster can be used for adjusting the pH, it is preferable to use an amine compound, and it is more preferable to use an amine compound having a boiling point of 70 to 270 ° C. The amine compound has the effect of appropriately adjusting the pH in the water-based coating liquid and the water-based coloring ink, and further preventing the agglomeration of the resin. Further, by blending the amine compound with the ink or the coating liquid, it is possible to further reduce the occurrence of corrosion. Further, if the boiling point of the amine compound is in the range of 70 to 270 ° C., it is difficult to evaporate, the amine compound stays in the water-based coloring ink or the water-based coating liquid for a long period of time, and the ejection stability of the water-based coloring ink or the water-based coating liquid is stable. The properties are excellent over a long period of time, and the gloss of the print layer tends to be high. Specific examples of the amine compound having a boiling point of 70 to 270 ° C. include N-methyldiethanolamine, N-ethyldiethanolamine, N, N-dimethylethanolamine, N, N-diethylethanolamine and the like. These amine compounds may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of the amine compound in the water-based coloring ink and the water-based coating liquid is preferably 0.1 to 2.0% by mass independently of each other.

The resin used for the water-based coating liquid contains a water-soluble polymer having a cation. Since the water-soluble polymer has a cation, it can exhibit the ability to aggregate pigments even when it is present in an aqueous coating liquid whose pH is in the basic region. However, since the water-soluble polymer has a high ability to agglomerate the pigment, the agglomeration of the pigment occurs remarkably quickly, and there is a problem that the gloss of the print layer is lowered. Therefore, it is important to combine it with the self-dispersing pigment described later. become. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of corrosion of the printing equipment, suppress the occurrence of bleeding of the printing layer, form a printing layer having excellent adhesion to the substrate, and prevent deterioration of the gloss of the printing layer. .. Further, the aqueous coating liquid prepared by using the water-soluble polymer having a cation keeps its viscosity and pH even after long-term storage, and excellent storage stability can be obtained.
In the present invention, the water-soluble polymer means a polymer that dissolves in water or an aqueous solution containing less than 50% by mass of a water-soluble organic solvent.

The water-soluble polymer having the cation is preferably a water-soluble polymer having a quaternary ammonium cation (cationized nitrogen atom). By using a water-soluble polymer having a quaternary ammonium cation, the occurrence of bleeding of the printed layer is further suppressed, and the scratch resistance of the printed layer and the storage stability of the water-based coating liquid are improved.

The water-soluble polymer having the cation preferably has a weight average molecular weight of 1,000 to 50,000, more preferably 2,500 to 45,000, and more preferably 5,000 to 40,000. Is more preferable. By setting the weight average molecular weight of the water-soluble polymer to 1,000 or more, the water-soluble polymer having a cation has a high ability to aggregate the pigment, and bleeding is less likely to occur. Further, by setting the weight average molecular weight to 50,000 or less, the speed of pigment aggregation is suppressed, and a printed matter having high gloss can be obtained.
In the present specification, the weight average molecular weight is a value measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), polystyrene is used as a standard substance, and tetrahydrofuran is used as a mobile phase.

The water-soluble polymer having the above cation preferably has a quaternary ammonium cation in the main chain. When a water-soluble polymer having such a structure is used, when the water-based coloring ink lands on the water-based coating liquid, only the interface of the water-based coloring ink is instantly aggregated, and the positions where the water-based coloring inks land without mixing with each other. Therefore, it is possible to form a print layer having no bleeding and having high gloss.

The water-soluble polymer having the cation is preferably two or more kinds of water-soluble polymers having different cation degrees. By using a plurality of water-soluble polymers having different cation degrees, it becomes easy to adjust the size of the dot diameter and the bleeding.
Specifically, the water-soluble polymers having the above cations are a water-soluble polymer having a cation degree of 5.5 to 7.5 meq / g at pH 7.1 and a cation degree of 2.0 to 5 at pH 7.1. It is preferable to contain a water-soluble polymer having a cation degree of .0 meq / g, a water-soluble polymer having a cation degree of 6.0 to 7.0 meq / g at pH 7.1, and a cation degree at pH 7.1 of 2. It is more preferable to contain a water-soluble polymer having a temperature of 5 to 4.5 meq / g. The ratio of the two types of cationic resins is preferably such that the mass ratio of the water-soluble polymer having a high cationic content to the water-soluble polymer having a low cationic content is in the range of 1: 1 to 20: 1, 7: 3 to 10 :. It is more preferably within the range of 1.
In the present specification, the cation degree can be determined by colloidal titration using a polyvinyl sulfate potassium reagent. The detailed procedure is as follows.
Take 90 mL of deionized water in a conical beaker, add 10 mL of a 500 ppm aqueous solution of the sample (equivalent to a dry product), adjust the pH to 7.1 with an aqueous amine solution, and stir for about 1 minute. Next, add 2-3 drops of toluidine blue indicator and titrate with N / 400 polyvinyl sulfate potassium reagent (N / 400PVSK). The titration rate is 2 mL / min, and the end point is when the test water changes color from blue to purplish red and is held for 10 seconds or longer. The formula for calculating the degree of cation (meq / g) is as follows.
Cation degree = (N / 400PVSK titration) × (N / 400PVSK titer) / 2

As the water-soluble polymer having the above cation, a commercially available product can be used. Of these, a water-soluble polymer having a quaternary ammonium cation is preferable, but from the viewpoint that it can exist stably even if it is basic, for example, DK6810, DK6851, DK6864, WS4030, WS4027, WS4052, CA6018 (all manufactured by Seiko PMC). Harsize CP-300, CP-800 (manufactured by Harima Kasei Co., Ltd.), PAS-H-1L, PAS-H-5L, PAS-2401, PAS-A-1 (manufactured by Knitbow Medical Co., Ltd.), Cachiomaster PDT -2, PD-7, PD-30 (all manufactured by Yokkaichi Chemical Co., Ltd.), a reaction product of epichlorohydrin and an alkylamine commercially available, a polyamine resin, a polyamide / epichlorohydrin resin, and the like can be mentioned. The water-soluble polymer having the above cation may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The ratio of the water-soluble polymer having the cation to the resin contained in the water-based coating liquid is preferably 50% by mass or more from the viewpoint of appropriately controlling the aggregating action.

As the other resin that can be used in the water-based coating liquid, a resin that is usually used in the ink industry other than the water-soluble polymer having a cation can be used. For example, acrylic resin, silicone resin, acrylic silicone resin, styrene acrylic copolymer resin, polyester resin, rosin resin, phenol resin, urethane resin, melamine resin, urea resin, epoxy resin, cellulose resin, butyral resin, maleic acid resin, fumaru. Examples thereof include acid resin and vinyl resin. These resins may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The water-based colored ink contains a self-dispersing resin. The self-dispersible resin is a resin that can maintain a dispersed state in an ink without using a surfactant or an emulsifier, and is usually hydrophilic such as sulfonic acid or a salt thereof or carboxylic acid or a salt thereof. A polymer having a group at the end or a side chain, a polymer having a hydrophilic group such as a polycarbonate group, a polyester group, or a polyether group in the main chain, and the like are preferably used. The hydrophilic groups of the self-dispersible resin repel each other with the hydrophilic groups of the self-dispersible pigment, so that the dispersed state is maintained, and as a result, an ink having excellent storage stability can be prepared. These self-dispersible resins may be used alone or in combination of two or more. As the self-dispersible resin, a commercially available product may be used.

In the ink set of the present invention, the self-dispersible resin contains a polyester group or a polyether group-containing urethane resin. The polyester-based or polyether-group-containing urethane resin has excellent adhesion to plastic substrates such as polyethylene terephthalate and polyolefin (particularly biaxially stretched polypropylene and non-stretched polypropylene), and therefore adheres to various substrates. It is possible to form an excellent print layer. Further, since the polyester group or the polyurethane group-containing urethane resin is a urethane resin, it is preferable from the viewpoint of improving the performance of the printed layer such as scratch resistance and water resistance.

The polyester group or the polyether group-containing urethane resin preferably has a weight average molecular weight of 100,000 or more, more preferably 100,000 to 1,000,000, and 150,000 to 750,000. It is more preferably 200,000 to 500,000, and particularly preferably 200,000 to 500,000. When the weight average molecular weight of the polyester group or the polyurethane group-containing urethane resin is within the specified range, the scratch resistance can be further improved and a strong printed layer can be formed.
In the present specification, the weight average molecular weight is a value measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), polystyrene is used as a standard substance, and tetrahydrofuran is used as a mobile phase.

The polyester group or the polyether group-containing urethane resin can be obtained by reacting a polyol component such as a polyester polyol or a polyether polyol with a polyisocyanate component and optionally a chain extender.

The polyester polyol is not particularly limited, and is, for example, polyethylene adipate, polyethylenepropylene adipate, polybutylene adipate, polyhexamethylene adipate, polydiethylene adipate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene isophthalate, polyhexamethylene isophthalate, polyethylene succinate, poly. Examples thereof include butylene sac 2 sinate, polyethylene sebacate, polybutylene sebacate, poly-ε-caprolactamdiol and poly (3-methyl-1,5-pentylene adipate). By using a polyester polyol as the polyol component, a polyester group-containing urethane resin can be obtained.
The polyether polyol is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include polyoxytetramethylene glycol, polyoxypropylene glycol, polyoxyethylene glycol, and polyoxyethylene / propylene glycol. By using a polyether polyol as a polyol component, a polyether group-containing urethane resin can be obtained.
As the polyol component, a polycarbonate polyol, an acrylic polyol, or the like may be used. The polycarbonate polyol is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include 1,6-hexanediol polycarbonate polyol, 1,4-butanediol polycarbonate polyol, and poly-1,4-cyclohexanedimethylene carbonate diol.
These polyol components may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Examples of the polyisocyanate component include tolylene diisocyanate, xylene diisocyanate, diphenylmethane diisocyanate, naphthylene diisocyanate, 1,3-bis (isocyanatomethyl) cyclohexane, tetramethylxylylene diisocyanate, hexamethylene diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate, dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate and the like. Examples thereof include polyisocyanate compounds composed of norbornane diisocyanate and the like. Among these polyisocyanate components, xylene diisocyanate, 1,3-bis (isocyanatomethyl) cyclohexane, hexamethylene diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate, 4,4'-methylenebis (cyclohexyl isocyanate) or norbornane diisocyanate are preferable. These polyisocyanate components may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Examples of the chain extender include low molecular weight polyhydric alcohols and low molecular weight polyamines. Examples of low molecular weight polyhydric alcohols include ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, 3-methyl-1,5-pentanediol, neopentyl glycol, trimethylolpropane, and penta. Examples thereof include dimethylolalkanoic acids such as erithritol, 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol, dimethylolbutanoic acid and dimethylolpropionic acid. Examples of low molecular weight polyamines include ethylenediamine, trimethylenediamine, tetramethylenediamine, hexamethylenediamine, hydrazine, piperazine, isophoronediamine, norbornandiamine, diaminodiphenylmethane, diaminocyclohexylmethane, tolylenediamine, xylenediamine, diethylenetriamine, and triamine. Examples thereof include ethylenetetramine, tetraethylenepentamine and iminobispropylamine. These chain extenders may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The self-dispersible resin is dispersed in the ink and is in the form of particles. Here, the self-dispersible resin preferably has a 50% by volume particle diameter (D50) of 10 nm to 90 nm, more preferably 20 nm to 70 nm, and even more preferably 30 nm to 60 nm. If the particle size is 50% by volume within the specified range, an ink having a good dispersion state of the self-dispersible resin and excellent storage stability can be prepared. In the present invention, the 50% by volume particle size (D50) refers to the ₅₀ % particle size (D50) of the volume-based particle size distribution, and is a laser diffraction / scattering type particle size distribution measuring device (for example, SALD-7000: Shimadzu Corporation). It can be obtained from the particle size distribution measured using (manufactured by). The particle size in the present invention is represented by the equivalent sphere diameter by the laser diffraction / scattering method.

The acid value of the self-dispersible resin is preferably 5.0 to 60.0. If the acid value is within the specified range, the dispersibility can be improved. As used herein, the acid value of a resin means the number of mg of potassium hydroxide required to neutralize 1 g of the resin.

In the ink set of the present invention, the dot diameter of the water-based coloring ink is adjusted by adjusting the acid value of the self-dispersible resin contained in the water-based coloring ink and the cation degree of the water-soluble polymer having a cation contained in the water-based coating liquid. It is possible to form a print layer having excellent gloss, which is large and does not cause bleeding. Here, the ratio (A: B) of the acid value (A) of the self-dispersible resin and the cation degree (meq / g) (B) of the water-soluble polymer at pH 7.1 is 10: 1 to 1: 1. It is preferably in the range of 1, more preferably in the range of 6: 1 to 1.5: 1, and even more preferably in the range of 3: 1 to 2: 1.

The ratio of the self-dispersible resin to the resin contained in the water-based colored ink is preferably 50% by mass or more. Further, the ratio of the polyester group or the polyether group-containing urethane resin in the self-dispersible resin is preferably 30% by mass or more.

As the other resin that can be used for the water-based colored ink, a resin that is usually used in the ink industry other than the self-dispersible resin can be used. For example, acrylic resin, silicone resin, acrylic silicone resin, styrene acrylic copolymer resin, polyester resin, rosin resin, petroleum resin, kumaron resin, phenol resin, urethane resin, melamine resin, urea resin, epoxy resin, cellulose resin, xylene resin. , Alkid resin, aliphatic hydrocarbon resin, butyral resin, maleic acid resin, fumaric acid resin, vinyl resin and the like. These resins may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

In the water-based colored ink, the content of the resin is preferably 1 to 10% by mass. Further, the content of the resin in the water-based coating liquid is preferably 0.01 to 15% by mass, more preferably 0.05 to 10% by mass.

The water-based coloring ink contains a self-dispersing pigment. The self-dispersible pigment is a pigment that can maintain a dispersed state in an ink without using a pigment dispersant, and is usually obtained by imparting a functional group having excellent hydrophilicity to the surface. The present inventor can prevent the formation of irregularities on the surface of the print layer due to the premature occurrence of aggregation if the combination of the water-soluble polymer having a cation and the self-dispersible pigment described above is used. It was found that the deterioration of the gloss of the print layer can be prevented.

In the present invention, the self-dispersing pigment is preferably a pigment in which anions such as carboxyl ion, sulfate ion, nitrate ion, phosphate ion and hydroxide ion are directly bonded to the surface. By using such an anion-type self-dispersing pigment, the pigment can be stably dispersed in the ink without adding a dispersant, and a clearer image can be printed. Commercially available products can be preferably used as these anion-type self-dispersing pigments.

The pigment that can be used for the self-dispersing pigment is not particularly limited, and pigments such as organic pigments and inorganic pigments that are usually used as colorants in the ink industry can be used. Examples of the pigment include Pigment Yellow 12, 13, 14, 17, 20, 24, 31, 42, 53, 55, 74, 83, 86, 93, 109, 110, 117, 120, 122, 125, 128, 129, 137, 138, 139, 147, 148, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 166, 168, 180, 181, 184, 185, 213; Pigment Orange 16, 36, 38, 43, 51, 55, 59, 61, 64, 65, 71; Pigment Red 9, 48, 49, 52, 53, 57, 97, 101, 122, 123, 149, 168, 177, 180, 192, 202, 206, 215, 216, 217, 220, 223, 224, 226, 227, 228, 238, 240, 244, 254; Pigment Violet 19, 23, 29, 30, 32, 37, 40, 50; Pigment Blue 15, 15: 1, 15: 3, 15: 4, 15: 6, 22, 27, 28, 29, 30, 60, 64, 80; Pigment Green 7, 36; Pigment Brown 23, 25, 26; and Pigment Black 1, 7, 26. , 27, 28, Pigment White 6 and the like. In addition, these pigments may be used individually by 1 type, and may be used in combination of 2 or more types.

The content of the self-dispersible pigment in the water-based coloring ink can be arbitrarily determined depending on the type of pigment used and the like, but is preferably 0.5 to 10% by mass in the water-based coloring ink.

The water-soluble solvent used for the water-based coloring ink and the water-based coating liquid is not particularly limited, and a water-soluble solvent usually used in the ink industry can be used. The content of the water-soluble solvent in the water-based coloring ink and the water-based coating liquid is preferably 60% by mass or less independently. Although the lower limit of the content of the water-soluble solvent is not particularly limited, it is usually preferably 5% by mass or more.

The water-soluble solvent is composed of a group consisting of glycol ether, a 3- to 5-membered ring lactone compound, an amide compound and an alkane diol from the viewpoint of improving the ejection stability, wettability and storage stability of the ink and coating liquid. It is preferable to include at least one selected.

Specific examples of glycol ethers include ethylene glycol methyl ether, ethylene glycol ethyl ether, ethylene glycol propyl ether, ethylene glycol butyl ether, ethylene glycol pentyl ether, ethylene glycol hexyl ether, ethylene glycol cyclohexyl ether, ethylene glycol phenyl ether, and ethylene glycol benzyl. Ether, ethylene glycol isobutyl ether, ethylene glycol tertiary butyl ether, diethylene glycol methyl ether, diethylene glycol ethyl ether, diethylene glycol propyl ether, diethylene glycol butyl ether, diethylene glycol pentyl ether, diethylene glycol hexyl ether, diethylene glycol cyclohexyl ether, diethylene glycol phenyl ether, diethylene glycol benzyl ether, diethylene glycol mono Butyl ether, diethylene glycol isobutyl ether, triethylene glycol methyl ether, triethylene glycol ethyl ether, triethylene glycol propyl ether, triethylene glycol butyl ether, triethylene glycol pentyl ether, triethylene glycol hexyl ether, triethylene glycol cyclohexyl ether, triethylene glycol Ethylene glycol ethers such as phenyl ether, triethylene glycol benzyl ether and triethylene glycol monobutyl ether, as well as propylene glycol methyl ether, propylene glycol ethyl ether, propylene glycol propyl ether, propylene glycol butyl ether, propylene glycol pentyl ether, propylene glycol hexyl ether. , Propropylene glycol cyclohexyl ether, dipropylene glycol methyl ether, dipropylene glycol ethyl ether, dipropylene glycol propyl ether, dipropylene glycol butyl ether, dipropylene glycol pentyl ether, dipropylene glycol hexyl ether, dipropylene glycol cyclohexyl ether, tripropylene glycol Methyl ether, Tripropylene glycol ethyl ether, Tripropylene glycol propyl ether, Tripropylene glycol Examples thereof include propylene glycol ethers such as tyl ether, tripropylene glycol pentyl ether, tripropylene glycol hexyl ether and tripropylene glycol cyclohexyl ether. Among these, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylene glycol isobutyl ether, ethylene glycol tertiary butyl ether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol isobutyl ether, dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether, dipropylene glycol monoethyl ether, dipropylene glycol monopropyl ether and triethylene. Glycol monobutyl ether is preferred.

The three- to five-membered ring lactone compound is a three-membered ring having three atoms constituting the ring and four atoms among the compounds having a lactone ring containing -C (= O) -O-. It is a compound of a four-membered ring or a five-membered ring having 5 atoms. Specific examples include α-acetolactone, β-propionlactone, γ-butyrolactone, δ-valerolactone and the like. Among these, γ-butyrolactone is preferable.

The amide compound is preferably an acyclic amide compound, for example, dimethylacetamide, dimethylformamide, sulfanylamide, toluenesulfonamide, benzenesulfonamide, N-dimethyl-β-methoxypropionamide, N, N-dimethyl-β-butoxy. Propionamide, N, N-dimethyl-β-pentoxypropionamide, N, N-dimethyl-β-hexoxypropionamide, N, N-dimethyl-β-heptoxypropionamide, N, N-dimethyl-β- 2-Ethylhexoxypropionamide, N, N-dimethyl-β-octoxypropionamide, N, N-diethyl-β-methoxypropionamide, N, N-diethyl-β-butoxypropionamide, N, N-diethyl Examples thereof include -β-pentoxypropionamide, N, N-diethyl-β-hexoxypropionamide, N, N-diethyl-β-heptoxypropionamide, N, N-diethyl-β-octoxypropionamide and the like. .. Among these, dimethylacetamide, dimethylformamide, N, N-dimethyl-β-methoxypropionamide, N, N-dimethyl-β-butoxypropionamide, N, N-diethyl-β-methoxypropionamide, N, N- Diethyl-β-butoxypropionamide is preferred.

Alkanediol is an alkane compound in which two hydrogen atoms are substituted with two hydroxyl groups, for example, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 1,2-butanediol, 1, 3-butanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,2-pentanediol, 1,2-hexanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, 1,2-heptanediol, 1,2-octanediol, 1,9 -Nonanediol, 1,10-decanediol and the like can be mentioned. Among these, propylene glycol, 1,2-butanediol, 1,3-butanediol, 1,4-butanediol, and 1,2-hexanediol are preferable.

The water-based coloring ink and the water-based coating liquid naturally contain water, and examples of the water used include pure water such as ion-exchanged water and distilled water, and ultrapure water. When the ink or coating liquid is stored for a long period of time, water sterilized by irradiation with ultraviolet rays or the like may be used in order to prevent the growth of mold and bacteria. Further, it is also possible to dilute the ink or the coating liquid with water according to the printing conditions of the inkjet printer. In the water-based coloring ink and the water-based coating liquid, the water content is preferably in the range of, for example, 20 to 80% by mass.

The water-based coloring ink and water-based coating liquid may be further added with a surface conditioner, an antifoaming agent, a moisturizer, a wet dispersant, a preservative / fungicide, a solubilizing agent, an antioxidant, and a metal trapping agent, if necessary. Etc. may be appropriately selected and blended within a range that does not impair the object of the present invention.

In the ink set of the present invention, the water-based coloring ink and the water-based coating liquid can be prepared by mixing various components appropriately selected as necessary.

In the ink set of the present invention, the water-based coating liquid preferably has a surface tension of 18.0 to 30.0 mN / m at 25 ° C., preferably 19.0, from the viewpoint of improving the wettability to the substrate. It is more preferably to 27.5 mN / m, further preferably 20.0 to 25.0 mN / m. On the other hand, the water-based colored ink does not generate bleeding when in contact with the water-based coating liquid, and has a surface tension of 20.0 to 50.0 mN / m at 25 ° C. from the viewpoint of forming a good print layer. It is preferably 23.0 to 45.0 mN / m, more preferably 26.0 to 40.0 mN / m, and even more preferably 26.0 to 40.0 mN / m. The surface tension of the coating liquid or ink can be measured by the plate method.

In the ink set of the present invention, the water-based coating liquid and the water-based coloring ink preferably have a viscosity at 25 ° C. of 3.0 to 10.0 mPa · s, preferably 4.0 to 8.5 mPa · s. More preferably, it is more preferably 5.0 to 7.0 mPa · s. If the viscosity at 25 ° C. is within the specified range, good ejection stability can be obtained. The viscosity of the coating liquid or ink can be measured using a B-type viscometer.

The ink set of the present invention can be used for various inkjet printers. Such an inkjet printer includes a print head, and the ink and the coating liquid constituting the ink set are ejected in the form of droplets from the nozzle of the print head.

Next, the printing method of the present invention will be described in detail. Further, the printing method of the present invention is a printing method in which a print layer is formed on a substrate by an inkjet printer using the above ink set, and the aqueous coating liquid is discharged from a print head to generate coating droplets. It is characterized by including a step of landing on a substrate and a step of ejecting the water-based colored ink from a print head and landing ink droplets on the coating liquid to form a print layer. According to the printing method of the present invention, the pigment in the ink is aggregated at the portion where the water-based colored ink droplets come into contact with the coating liquid, the occurrence of bleeding of the colored ink is suppressed, and the adhesion to the substrate is good. The print layer can be formed without reducing the gloss.

In the above printing method, the base material is not particularly limited, and the printing method of the present invention is, for example, steel, zinc-plated steel (for example, totan plate), tin-plated steel (for example, tin plate), stainless steel, magnesium. Non-ink-absorbing base material (non-absorbent group) such as metal base materials such as alloys, aluminum and aluminum alloys, and plastic base materials such as acrylic resin, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, ABS resin, polyethylene terephthalate and polyolefin. Also suitable for printing on wood). Examples of other base materials include paper base materials such as art paper, coated paper, cast paper, woodfree paper, synthetic paper, and inkjet paper, wood, gypsum, calcium silicate, glass, ceramics, concrete, cement, and mortar. , Inorganic base materials such as slate, and the like. The substrate may be subjected to general surface treatment such as primer treatment or corona treatment in order to improve the adhesion to the printing layer.

In the above printing method, water-based colored ink droplets can be landed in the coating liquid without waiting for the coating liquid to dry (that is, without drying the coating liquid). In the above printing method, the total thickness of the coating liquid and the total discharge liquid of the colored ink immediately after printing (that is, before the water or the water-soluble solvent evaporates) is in the range of 1 to 20 μm. preferable. The print layer finally formed in the printing method of the present invention means a print layer formed after the ink droplets are landed on the coated droplets and then cured and dried.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

<Water-based coating liquid>
According to the formulation shown in Table 1, a resin, an amine compound, a water-soluble solvent, a surface conditioner and ion-exchanged water were mixed by a known method to prepare aqueous coating liquids 1 to 8. The pH, surface tension (25 ° C.), and viscosity (25 ° C.) of each water-based coating liquid were measured, and the obtained results are shown in Table 1.

The compounding agents listed in Table 1 below are as follows.
* 1 The following was used as the aqueous solution A of the water-soluble polymer having a quaternary ammonium cation.
Catiomaster PE-30 (manufactured by Yokkaichi Chemical Co., Ltd., dimethylamine / ethylenediamine / epichlorohydrin-based polymer resin, resin content: 50% by mass, weight average molecular weight (Mw): 9000, cation degree at pH 7.1: 6.5meq / g)
* 2 The following was used as the dispersion liquid B of the resin having a cation.
Superflex 650 (manufactured by Dai-ichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd., cationic polycarbonate urethane resin dispersion, resin content 28% by mass, cationic content 0.8 meq / g at pH 7.1)
* 3 The following was used as the aqueous solution C of the water-soluble polymer having a primary cation.
PAA-SA (manufactured by Knitbo Medical, allylamine amide sulfate polymer resin, resin content 20% by mass, Mw: 12,000, cation degree at pH 7.1, 5.8 meq / g)
* 4 The following was used as the aqueous solution D of the water-soluble polymer having a quaternary ammonium cation.
EPA-SK01 (manufactured by Yokkaichi Chemical Co., Ltd., polyamide polyamine / epichlorohydrin-based polymer resin, resin content 12.5% by mass, Mw:> 200,000, cation degree at pH 7.1, 2.7 meq / g)
* 5 The following was used as the aqueous solution E of the water-soluble polymer having a quaternary ammonium cation.
DK6810 (manufactured by Seiko PMC, polyamine resin, resin content 55.0% by mass, cation degree at pH 7.1, 7.1 meq / g)
* 6 The following was used as the aqueous solution F of the water-soluble polymer having a quaternary ammonium cation.
DK6851 (manufactured by Seiko PMC, polyamine resin, resin content 70.0% by mass, cation degree at pH 7.1, 6.8 meq / g)
* 7 The following was used as the aqueous solution G of the water-soluble polymer having a quaternary ammonium cation.
DK6864 (manufactured by Seiko PMC, polyamine resin, resin content 50.0% by mass, cation degree at pH 7.1 6.5 meq / g)
* 8 TSF4446 (manufactured by Momentive, polyether-modified silicone oil, silicone oil content 100% by mass, surface conditioner)

<Preparation of water-based coloring ink containing self-dispersing pigment>
According to the formulation shown in Table 2, a self-dispersing pigment, a resin, a water-soluble solvent, a surface conditioner and ion-exchanged water were mixed by a known method to prepare cyan inks 1 to 9, which are water-based colored inks. The surface tension (25 ° C.) and viscosity (25 ° C.) of each water-based colored ink were measured, and the obtained results are shown in Table 2.

The compounding agents listed in Table 2 above are as follows.
* 9 The following was used as the self-dispersible pigment dispersion liquid.
CAB-O-JET 250C (manufactured by Cabot, cyan-colored self-dispersing pigment aqueous dispersion, pigment content 10% by mass)
* 10 The following was used as the resin dispersion liquid H.
NEOREZ R-9621 (manufactured by DSM Coating Resins, polyester group-containing self-dispersible urethane resin, particle size 50 nm, acid value 18, resin content 38% by mass)
* 11 The following was used as the resin dispersion I.
U-205 (manufactured by Alberdingk, polyester group-containing self-dispersible urethane resin, particle diameter 70 nm, acid value 18, resin content 40% by mass)
* 12 The following was used as the resin aqueous solution J.
Hi-Loss X AW-36H (manufactured by Seiko PMC, water-soluble acrylic resin, no particle size, acid value 60, resin content 25% by mass)
* 13 The following was used as the resin dispersion liquid K.
AE373D (manufactured by E-Tech, self-dispersing acrylic resin, particle diameter 150 nm, acid value 1, resin content 50% by mass)
* 14 The following was used as the resin dispersion L.
Neo Sticker HA-560 (manufactured by NICCA CHEMICAL CO., LTD., Polycarbonate group-containing self-dispersible urethane resin, particle size 30 nm, acid value 14, resin content 35% by mass)
* 15 The following was used as the resin dispersion liquid M.
AE986B (manufactured by E-Tech, self-dispersing acrylic resin, particle diameter 60 nm, acid value 15, resin content 35% by mass)
* 16 The following was used as the resin dispersion liquid N.
NEOREZ R-967 (manufactured by DSM Coating Resins, self-dispersible urethane resin containing a polyether group, particle diameter 60 nm, acid value 15, resin content 40% by mass)
* 17 The following was used as the resin dispersion liquid O.
Joncryl 631 (BASF, non-self-dispersing acrylic styrene emulsion, particle size 110 nm, acid value 25, resin content 50% by mass)
* 18 The following was used as the resin dispersion liquid P.
Hydran AP-20 (manufactured by DIC, self-dispersing polyester urethane resin, particle diameter 140 nm, acid value 14, resin content 30% by mass)

<Preparation of water-based coloring ink containing non-self-dispersive pigment>
According to the formulation shown in Table 3, a resin and a surface conditioner are added to a water-based colored dispersion in which a non-self-dispersing pigment, a defoaming agent, a water-soluble solvent, a wet dispersant, and ion-exchanged water are dispersed by a known method. Cyan inks 10 and 11, which are water-based coloring inks containing non-self-dispersive pigments, were obtained. The surface tension (25 ° C.) and viscosity (25 ° C.) of each water-based colored ink were measured, and the obtained results are shown in Table 3.

The compounding agents listed in Table 3 above are as follows.
* 19 The following were used as the non-self-dispersive pigment.
Phthalocyanine blue (FASTOGEN Blue FA5380 (manufactured by DIC), cyan)
* 20 SN Deformer 1312 (manufactured by San Nopco Ltd.)
* 21 Wet dispersant (Neugen EA-157, manufactured by Dai-ichi Kogyo Seiyaku)

We prepared an ink set consisting of a combination of water-based coloring ink and water-based coating liquid, and performed various evaluations. The combinations of the water-based coloring ink and the water-based coating liquid and the evaluation results are shown in Tables 4 to 14. Tables 4 to 14 also show the ratio of the acid value of the self-dispersible resin to the cation degree (meq / g) of the water-soluble polymer at pH 7.1 (resin acid value: cation degree).

<Presence or absence of pigment aggregation when the colored ink and coating liquid are mixed>
A water-based coloring ink and a water-based coating liquid were mixed at a mass ratio of 1: 1 to prepare a mixed liquid. The average particle size of the pigment in the mixed solution was measured using a particle size meter (microtrac upa manufactured by Nikkiso Co., Ltd.). The obtained values were compared with the average particle size of the pigment in the water-based colored ink to evaluate the presence or absence of aggregation. The evaluation criteria are as follows.
◯: The increase rate of the pigment average particle size of the mixed solution is 500% or more as compared with the pigment average particle size of the colored ink.
X: The rate of increase in the pigment average particle size of the mixed solution is less than 500% as compared with the pigment average particle size of the colored ink.

<Image fineness at the time of printing>
Using the Ramirez PJ-1304NX manufactured by Muto Kogyo Co., Ltd., first, the coating droplets are ejected, the coating droplets are landed on the surface of the vinyl chloride sheet, and then the coating liquid is water-based colored on the coating liquid without drying. The ink droplets were landed, the image specified by JIS X9201 2001 N3A was printed, and the degree of bleeding after printing was visually evaluated. The evaluation criteria are as follows.
◯: No bleeding in the image △: Color spacing is bleeding, but the bleeding of the entire image is small ×: Clearly bleeding

<Adhesion to vinyl chloride substrate>
Using Ramirez PJ-1304NX manufactured by Muto Kogyo Co., Ltd., first, coating droplets were landed on each surface of the vinyl chloride sheet, and solid printing was performed. Then, without drying the coating liquid, water-based colored ink droplets were landed on the coating liquid to perform solid printing. A cellophane tape (registered trademark, manufactured by NICHIBAN Co., Ltd.) having a width of 24 mm was brought into close contact with the printed portion, and then the tape was peeled off, and the state of the peeled portion was visually evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria.
◯: Did not peel off Δ: Less than 50% of the part where the tape was affixed peeled off.
X: 50% or more of the part where the tape was applied, or the entire surface was peeled off.

<Adhesion to PET substrate>
Using Ramirez PJ-1304NX manufactured by Muto Kogyo Co., Ltd., first, coating droplets were landed on each surface of a polyethylene terephthalate sheet (hereinafter referred to as PET sheet), and solid printing was performed. Then, without drying the coating liquid, water-based colored ink droplets were landed on the coating liquid to perform solid printing. A cellophane tape (registered trademark, manufactured by NICHIBAN Co., Ltd.) having a width of 24 mm was brought into close contact with the printed portion, and then the tape was peeled off, and the state of the peeled portion was visually evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria.
◯: Did not peel off Δ: Less than 50% of the part where the tape was affixed peeled off.
X: 50% or more of the part where the tape was applied, or the entire surface was peeled off.

<Adhesion to PP substrate>
Using Ramirez PJ-1304NX manufactured by Muto Kogyo Co., Ltd., first, coating droplets were landed on each surface of a polypropylene sheet (hereinafter referred to as PP sheet), and solid printing was performed. Then, without drying the coating liquid, water-based colored ink droplets were landed on the coating liquid to perform solid printing. A cellophane tape (registered trademark, manufactured by NICHIBAN Co., Ltd.) having a width of 24 mm was brought into close contact with the printed portion, and then the tape was peeled off, and the state of the peeled portion was visually evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria.
◯: Did not peel off Δ: Less than 50% of the part where the tape was affixed peeled off.
X: 50% or more of the part where the tape was applied, or the entire surface was peeled off.

<Gloss>
Using Ramirez PJ-1304NX manufactured by Muto Kogyo Co., Ltd., first, coating droplets were landed on the surface of a white vinyl sheet, and solid printing was performed. Then, without drying the coating liquid, water-based colored ink droplets were landed on the coating liquid to perform solid printing. The gloss value of the printed portion was measured at 20 ° using a gloss meter micro-TRI-gloss manufactured by BYK. The evaluation criteria are as follows.
⊚: The gloss value is 40 or more.
◯: The gloss value is 20 or more and less than 40.
Δ: The gloss value is 10 or more and less than 20. ×: The gloss value is less than 10.

<Storage stability (colored ink)>
100 g of the water-based colored ink was placed in a 110 cc glass bottle and stored at 60 ° C. for 4 weeks, and the viscosity, particle size, surface tension, specific gravity, and pH were measured before and after storage. The results were compared and evaluated according to the following criteria.
◯: Change rate is within 5.0% for all items Δ: More than 5.0% and less than 7.5% for any one item ×: Change rate is 7.5% or more for any one item

<Storage stability (coating liquid)>
100 g of the aqueous coating solution was placed in a 110 cc glass bottle and stored at 60 ° C. for 4 weeks, and the viscosity, surface tension, specific gravity and pH were measured before and after storage. The results were compared and evaluated according to the following criteria.
◯: Change rate within 10% for all items △: Change rate is more than 10% and less than 20% for any one item ×: Change rate is 20% or more for any one item

Claims (8)

An ink set containing a water-based coloring ink and a water-based coating liquid.
The water-based coloring ink contains water, a self-dispersing pigment, a water-soluble solvent, and a self-dispersing resin.
The self-dispersible resin contains a polyester group or a polyether group-containing urethane resin, the water-based coating liquid contains water, a water-soluble solvent and a resin, and the resin contained in the water-based coating liquid is a quaternary ammonium cation. An ink set comprising a water-soluble polymer having a. The ink set according to claim 1, wherein the self-dispersible resin has a 50% by volume particle diameter (D50) of 10 nm to 90 nm. The ink set according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the polyester group or the polyether group-containing urethane resin has a weight average molecular weight of 100,000 or more. The ink set according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pH of the water-based coating liquid is in the range of 7.01 to 10.0. The ink set according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the water-based coating liquid contains an amine compound having a boiling point of 70 to 270 ° C. as a pH adjuster . The ink set according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the water-soluble polymer has a quaternary ammonium cation in the main chain. The claim is characterized in that the ratio (A: B) of the acid value (A) of the self-dispersible resin to the cation degree (B) of the water-soluble polymer is in the range of 10: 1 to 1: 1. The ink set according to any one of 1 to 6. A printing method for forming a print layer on a substrate by an inkjet printer using the ink set according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
Printing is performed by ejecting the water-based coating liquid from the print head and landing the coating droplets on the substrate, and by ejecting the water-based coloring ink from the print head and landing the ink droplets on the coating liquid. A printing method comprising the step of forming a layer.