JPH09240197A - Thermal transfer sheet and resin composition for transfer layer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve ink acceptability and fixing properties of ink on cloth to be subjected to transfer, by providing on a base sheet a transfer layer formed of a resin composition prepared by dispersing a non-water-soluble thermoplastic resin in a water-soluble thermoplastic resin. SOLUTION: This thermal transfer sheet has a layer construction wherein a transfer layer is provided on a base sheet 2. The transfer layer is formed of a resin composition wherein a non-water-soluble thermoplastic resin 5 is dispersed in a matrix of a water-soluble thermoplastic resin 4. In order to transfer an image onto cloth to be subjected to transfer by using this thermal transfer sheet, an image 6 of thermal transfer ink is formed on the surface of the transfer layer of the thermal transfer sheet by a mirror image pattern, the surface of the transfer layer of the thermal transfer sheet and the cloth are laid on each other, the ink image is made to adhere onto the cloth by heating by a heat source and applying pressure and then the base sheet 2 is peeled off. Thereby the transfer image and the transfer layer are made to adhere onto the cloth. By washing this cloth with water, the transfer layer is removed and the transfer image and the non-water-soluble thermoplastic resin 5 are left on the cloth.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a thermal transfer sheet that can be transferred to a transfer target cloth such as cloth by heating, and a resin composition for forming a transfer layer of the thermal transfer sheet. The present invention relates to a thermal transfer sheet and a resin composition for a transfer layer, which are excellent in washing resistance, flexibility, and texture.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A thermal transfer sheet has a laminated structure in which a transfer layer containing a thermoplastic resin is provided on a base material sheet, and an image (design, pattern, character, etc.) is formed on a cloth by pressure bonding and heating. Can be transferred. To transfer using a thermal transfer sheet, form an image on the transfer layer surface of the thermal transfer sheet,
The transfer layer on which the image is formed may be brought into contact with a transfer cloth such as clothing, heated and pressed from the surface of the base material using an iron, a hot press or the like, and then the base material may be peeled off. There is also a method in which after removing the base material, the transfer layer is dissolved and removed, and only the image composed of the dye and pigment is left on the transfer target cloth.

Conventionally, as a thermal transfer sheet, for example,
(1) JP-B-51-42238 discloses a thermoplastic, water-soluble or alkali-soluble fibrin derivative on a base sheet, or a thermoplastic, water-soluble or alkali-soluble vinyl polymer with the fibrin derivative. There has been proposed a transfer sheet obtained by providing a transfer layer containing a mixture of and as a main component, and printing a pattern to be transferred with an ink containing a dye or pigment on the transfer layer. In order to transfer the pattern, the transfer sheet is superposed on the transfer target, heated and pressed to transfer the ink layer together with the transfer layer to the transfer target, and the base sheet is peeled off from the interface with the transfer layer, and then, After fixing the dye and pigment in the ink, the transfer layer is washed and removed. After the fixing process, unfixed dyes and pigments, the transfer layer, the ink binder, and the like are dissolved and removed, and washed with water to dry, so that only the patterns of dyes and pigments remain on the transfer target. (2) A registered utility model publication No. 30018811 proposes a cloth transfer sheet in which a hydrophilic printing paste is applied to one surface of a base material. As a hydrophilic printing paste, a thermoplastic printing paste containing an acrylic resin emulsion as a main component is shown. To transfer using this transfer sheet, a pattern is printed with a water-based ink on the application surface of the printing paste, the application surface is pressure-bonded and heated to a cloth, and then the base material is peeled off.

(3) JP-A-2-305689, JP-A-4-187495, and JP-A-5-162469
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-242242, a transfer sheet is proposed in which a transfer layer containing a thermoplastic resin as a main component is formed on a substrate. In order to transfer using these transfer sheets, first, a fusion type thermal transfer ink ribbon is pressure-bonded and heated on the surface of the transfer layer to form an inverted image of the ink image on the surface of the transfer layer, which is then melt-transferred, and then formed. The transferred image is transferred to the cloth. That is, the image forming surface of the transfer sheet and the transfer target cloth are superposed so that they are in contact with each other, and the transfer layer is transferred onto the transfer target cloth by heating the base material with an iron, a hot press, etc. Peel off. As the base polymer forming the transfer layer,
A water-insoluble thermoplastic resin such as an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin or low density polyethylene is used.

However, the thermal transfer sheet using the water-soluble or alkali-soluble fibrin derivative or vinyl polymer of the above (1) as a transfer layer can transfer a design which is not uncomfortable on the transfer cloth, It is necessary to fix the ink after the transfer, and in order to dissolve and remove the unfixed dye and the transfer layer, it is necessary to increase the number of manufacturing steps or collect the dissolved and removed dye. In the above-mentioned cloth transfer sheet (2), although the water-based ink acceptability of the transfer layer made of the hydrophilic printing paste is good, the printing paste is plasticized and adheres to the fabric at the time of thermal transfer. There is a feeling of strangeness and the wash resistance is not sufficient.

In the transfer sheet of the above (3), when an image is transferred onto a transfer cloth such as clothes, the thermoplastic resin forming the transfer layer remains on the transfer cloth surface as it is. Flexibility is impaired and discomfort occurs,
When it is dried using a dryer, the thermoplastic resin is detached and adheres to a place other than the transfer portion or other clothing, and at this time, the image portion is detached and the image density becomes low,
In the case of ironing, there is a drawback that the release paper has to be sandwiched so that the thermoplastic resin does not melt and adhere to the iron.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to improve ink acceptability and ink adhesion to a transfer cloth, and even after transferring the image on the transfer layer surface to the transfer cloth, a sticking mark remains. An object of the present invention is to provide an inconspicuous thermal transfer sheet and a resin composition for a transfer layer of the thermal transfer sheet. Further, the object of the present invention is not only excellent in printability, washing resistance, flexibility, texture, etc., but the thermoplastic resin is not detached even by drying with a dryer, and further, it is directly ironed on the transferred cloth after transfer. It is intended to provide a thermal transfer sheet capable of applying heat and a resin composition for a transfer layer of the thermal transfer sheet.

As a result of intensive studies to overcome the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, the present inventors formed a transfer layer with a resin composition in which a water-insoluble thermoplastic resin is dispersed in a water-soluble thermoplastic resin. After the transfer, it was washed with water after the transfer to the transfer cloth, so that the excess resin on the transfer cloth was washed away, the sticking marks were not conspicuous, the flexibility of the fabric was maintained, and the transfer feeling was good. I found that I could get a cloth. Further, by dispersing the non-water-soluble thermoplastic resin in the water-soluble thermoplastic resin, the adhesiveness between the heat transferable ink and the transfer target cloth is improved, and even if washing or drying by a dryer is repeatedly performed, the image part It is possible to directly iron the transferred cloth without detachment. The transfer layer formed from the resin composition of the present invention has good ink acceptability. The present invention has been completed based on these findings.

[0009]

According to the present invention, there is provided on a substrate sheet a transfer layer formed of a resin composition in which a water-insoluble thermoplastic resin is dispersed in a water-soluble thermoplastic resin. A thermal transfer sheet is provided. Also,
According to the present invention, there is provided a resin composition for a transfer layer of a thermal transfer sheet, which comprises a resin composition in which a water-insoluble thermoplastic resin is dispersed in a water-insoluble thermoplastic resin.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, these drawings are examples, and the present invention is not limited to these. As shown in FIG. 1, the thermal transfer sheet 1 of the present invention has a layer structure in which a transfer layer 3 is provided on a base material sheet 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the transfer layer 3 of the present invention has a structure in which the water-insoluble thermoplastic resin 5 is dispersed in the matrix of the water-soluble thermoplastic resin 4. In order to transfer an image to a transfer target cloth such as cloth using this thermal transfer sheet 1, as shown in FIG. 3, a transfer layer of the thermal transfer sheet 1 is used by using a word processor having a printer of a melting type thermal transfer system. A desired image 6 made of thermal transferable ink is formed on the surface of 3 in a mirror image pattern, and then the surface of the transfer layer 3 of the thermal transfer sheet 1 and the transfer target cloth 7 are superposed on each other as shown in FIG. Then, the base sheet 2 is heated and pressed by using a heat source 8 such as an iron or a hot press, and the transfer layer 3 and the ink image 6 are formed on the transferred cloth 7.
And glue.

Next, when the base material sheet 2 of the thermal transfer sheet 1 is peeled off, the transfer image 9 and the transfer layer 3 adhere to the base material sheet 7. When this is washed with water, the transfer layer 3 is removed and the transfer image 9 and the water-insoluble thermoplastic resin 5 are left on the transfer cloth 7, as shown in FIG. That is, the water-soluble thermoplastic resin component of the transfer layer is removed by washing with water, but with this, a part of the water-insoluble thermoplastic resin dispersed in the water-soluble thermoplastic resin is removed. The transferred image 9 is firmly fixed on the transferred cloth 7 by the remaining water-insoluble thermoplastic resin. If necessary, the washing step can be omitted, and the transferred cloth can be used in the state shown in FIG. In this case, the transfer layer 3 is removed by washing.

Water-Soluble Thermoplastic Resin As the water-soluble thermoplastic resin used in the present invention,
Natural polymers include fibrin derivatives such as pullulan, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl cellulose; synthetic polymers include sodium polyacrylate, polyacrylamide, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyethylene oxide, polyester, polydioxolane and the like. , Especially preferred is
Polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene oxide and polyester.

For the water-soluble thermoplastic resin, polyhydric alcohols such as glycerin, trimethylolpropane, sorbitol and mannitol as a melt viscosity reducing agent, and modified products thereof; ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol,
Glycols such as triethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, and polypropylene glycol, and modified products thereof; surfactants such as sorbitan fatty acid esters; maleic acid, and modified products thereof are added. be able to. The water-soluble thermoplastic resin component used in the present invention is not limited to the above resins and has a melting point or softening point of 200 ° C. or lower, preferably 30.
Any water-soluble resin having a temperature of up to 150 ° C. can be suitably used, and depending on the properties required, they can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Non-water-soluble thermoplastic resin Examples of the non-water-soluble thermoplastic resin used in the present invention include polyolefins such as polyethylene, polypropylene and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer; thermoplastic resins such as polyester, polyamide and polyurethane. A thermoplastic elastomer and the like can be mentioned.

The water-insoluble thermoplastic resin used in the present invention is not limited to the above resins and may be a water-insoluble thermoplastic resin having a melting point or softening point of 200 ° C. or lower, preferably 30 to 150 ° C. Can be used suitably,
Depending on the properties required, they may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The water-insoluble thermoplastic resin may be in any shape such as a pellet, a powder, a solution, or the like, but may be used as fine particles or an emulsion in order to enhance dispersibility.

Resin composition for transfer layer The proportion of each resin component in the resin composition forming the transfer layer is usually 55.0 to 99.5% by weight, preferably 60.0% by weight of the water-soluble thermoplastic resin. To 97.0% by weight, more preferably 70.0 to 95.0% by weight, and the water-insoluble thermoplastic resin is usually 0.5 to 45.0% by weight, preferably 3.0 to 40.0%. % By weight, more preferably 5.0 to 3
0.0% by weight.

When the blending ratio of the water-insoluble thermoplastic resin is too low, the fastness and washing resistance are deteriorated, and when it is too high, the water-insoluble thermoplastic resin is contained in the matrix of the water-soluble thermoplastic resin. It becomes difficult to disperse finely into the surface, and it becomes difficult to remove the transfer layer by washing with water, or the residual ratio of the water-insoluble thermoplastic resin becomes too high, which impairs the flexibility and texture of the transferred cloth. It may cause inconvenience such as.

In order to prepare a resin composition in which a water-insoluble thermoplastic resin is dispersed in a water-soluble thermoplastic resin, a method of dissolving or dispersing each of these resin components in water or an organic solvent and mixing them, There are methods such as melt blending. When water or an organic solvent is used, it is dried after being applied on the base sheet. By these methods, a resin composition in which a water-insoluble thermoplastic resin is dispersed in a water-soluble thermoplastic resin matrix can be obtained.

The resin composition of the present invention may contain various modifiers and additives, if necessary, within a range not impairing the object of the present invention. Specific examples of these compounding agents include, for example, pigments, coloring agents such as dyes, tackifiers such as rosin and terpene, calcium carbonate, silica, inorganic fillers such as talc, organic fillers, plasticizers, Antioxidants, ultraviolet absorbers and the like can be mentioned. These compounding agents can be appropriately added in the required amounts.

The thickness of the transfer layer containing the resin composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, but usually 15
１００100 μm, preferably about 20-80 μm.
If the thickness of the transfer layer is too thin, the adhesiveness to the fibers of the transferred cloth is reduced during heat transfer, and the fastness and washing resistance are likely to be impaired. Conversely, if it is too thick, the manufacturing method is limited, Inconveniences such as increased manufacturing costs may occur. The image forming surface of the transfer layer is used to prevent blocking between thermal transfer sheets and improve transportability in the printer for image formation, or to maintain ink acceptability and maintain ink ribbon runnability. Can be subjected to a concavo-convex treatment such as a mat treatment.

Thermal transfer sheet As the base sheet for providing the transfer layer, a plastic film such as polyester or polycarbonate; high-quality paper, art paper, coated paper, glassine paper, imitation paper, cellulose fiber paper such as water-soluble paper, etc. Examples include, but are not limited to the above-mentioned substrate sheet as long as it has a function of holding a transfer layer made of a resin composition and has a heat resistance against heating by an iron, a hot press or the like. .
The base sheet may be subjected to a surface treatment such as a peeling treatment or a mat treatment, if necessary. The thickness of the base sheet is not particularly limited, but is usually about 50 to 200 μm from the viewpoint of the strength of the base material and the transportability in the printer.

In order to produce the thermal transfer sheet of the present invention, each resin component and, if desired, various compounding agents are dissolved or dispersed in water or an organic solvent such as an aromatic hydrocarbon and coated on one side of the base sheet. Examples of the method include a method of working, a method of melt-extruding in a sheet form from a T-die and laminating on one surface of a base material sheet, etc. Absent.

The thermal transfer sheet of the present invention has good printability and can be printed easily and clearly using a word processor equipped with a commonly used thermal transfer printer. Further, the thermal transfer sheet of the present invention,
After the transfer to the transfer cloth, peeling the base sheet, and washing with water, the water-soluble thermoplastic resin component of the resin composition is removed, so the sticking marks are not conspicuous and an image that does not impair the flexibility of the fabric is obtained. To be By washing with water, a part of the water-insoluble thermoplastic resin component dispersed in the water-soluble thermoplastic resin is also removed. After washing with water, substantially only a part of the water-insoluble thermoplastic resin component is left on the transfer cloth, but the remaining water-insoluble thermoplastic resin component forms an image on the transfer cloth of the ink. Can be obtained with high fastness, high fastness, and good washing resistance.

As the cloth to be transferred, a desired material such as a shirt, underwear or cloth can be used. The thermal transfer sheet of the present invention can be printed (characters, pictures, etc.) by a printer attached to a general word processor, and can be easily transferred onto a transfer target cloth with a household iron or the like. After the transfer, by washing or washing with water, the water-soluble thermoplastic resin is dissolved and removed, while the printed part is firmly fixed without falling off, and it is possible to obtain fabrics that are very soft and have a good texture. it can.

[0025]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described more specifically below with reference to Examples and Comparative Examples. In addition, all the numerical values in the table indicate weight% of solid content.

Examples 1 to 9 Water-soluble thermoplastic resins and water-insoluble thermoplastic resins having the compositions and blending ratios shown in Table 1 were used as water (Examples 1 to 6) or toluene (Example 7).
~ 9) to dissolve or disperse, adjust the solid content concentration to a coatable viscosity, apply a dry thickness of 50 μm on a release paper with a coating machine equipped with a comma head, and dry. Then, it was cut into A4 size. On the transfer surface of the thermal transfer sheet obtained in this way, using a commercially available word processor equipped with a thermal transfer type printer, after printing arbitrary characters with mirror image characters, use a commercially available iron with the temperature set to medium temperature. Then, the print pattern was transferred onto the cotton fabric by heating and pressing for about 20 seconds. After transfer, the transfer layer was dissolved and removed by washing with water. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0027]

[Table 1]

(Footnote) (* 1) Polyester WR-930, manufactured by Nippon Synthetic Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. (* 2) Polyester WR-901, manufactured by Nippon Synthetic Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. (* 3) PEO-1, Sumitomo Seika Co., Ltd. (* 4) Paogen PP-15, Dai-ichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd. (* 5) PEG4000N, Sanyo Kasei Co., Ltd. (* 6) Flow beads LE-1080, Sumitomo Seika (stock)
(* 7) Polyester MOP-835, Nippon Synthetic Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. (* 8) Sumika Flex, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. (* 9) Mitsui Petrochemical Industry Co., Ltd. (* 10) Characteristics

Printability When printing on a thermal transfer sheet with a thermal transfer printer, the density of printing was evaluated according to the following three grades. ◯: Dark △: Slightly thin ×: Thin

Washing resistance 20 times normal washing (including drying using a dryer)
The lightness and darkness of the print after the printing was repeated was evaluated according to the following three grades. ◯: Dark △: Slightly thin ×: Thin

[0031] 3 discomfort flexibility of the transfer cloth, from the texture, such as the presence or absence of a sense of incongruity of the next
The grade was evaluated. ◯: No discomfort △: Somewhat discomfort ×: Strong discomfort

[Comparative Examples 1 to 7] Water-soluble thermoplastic resins and water-insoluble thermoplastic resins having the compositions and blending ratios shown in Table 2 were dissolved or dispersed using water (Comparative Examples 2 to 7) as a solvent. After that, adjust the solid content concentration to a coatable viscosity and dry it on a release paper with a coating machine equipped with a comma head to a dry thickness of 50 μm.
Coated with, dried, and then cut into A4 size. On the transfer surface of the thermal transfer sheet obtained in this way, using a commercially available word processor equipped with a thermal transfer type printer, after printing arbitrary characters with mirror image characters, use a commercially available iron with the temperature set to medium temperature. And then about 2 on the cotton fabric
The print pattern was transferred by heating and pressing for 0 seconds. After transfer,
The transfer layer was dissolved and removed by washing with water. Table 2 shows the results. Comparative Example 1 is an evaluation of a commercially available iron transfer sheet.

[0033]

[Table 2] (Footnote) (* 1) to (* 10) are the same as the footnote in Table 1. (* 11) Commercial iron transfer sheet

[0034]

The thermal transfer sheet using the resin composition of the present invention can exhibit the following remarkable effects. (1) Good printability. (2) After transfer to the transferred cloth, the sticking marks are not noticeable. (3) The flexibility of the cloth is not impaired. (4) An image having high fastness and good washing resistance can be obtained. (5) It is possible to directly iron the transferred cloth.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a thermal transfer sheet.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the thermal transfer sheet of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view when an image is printed on a transfer layer of the thermal transfer sheet of the present invention by a thermal transfer method.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a method of transferring a transfer layer of a thermal transfer sheet of the present invention onto a transfer-receiving cloth.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view when the base sheet is peeled off after transferring the thermal transfer sheet of the present invention to a non-transfer cloth.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view when the thermal transfer sheet of the present invention is transferred to a non-transfer cloth, the substrate sheet is peeled off, and then the transfer layer is dissolved and removed by washing with water.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Thermal transfer sheet 2: Substrate sheet 3: Transfer layer 4: Water-soluble thermoplastic resin (matrix) 5: Water-insoluble thermoplastic resin (dispersed phase) 6: Image of thermal transfer ink 7: Transfer cloth 8: Heat source 9 : Transfer image

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (72) Inventor Kazutoshi Haraguchi 2-3-3 Sekiguchi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo Nichiban Co., Ltd.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A thermal transfer sheet comprising a substrate sheet and a transfer layer formed from a resin composition in which a water-insoluble thermoplastic resin is dispersed in a water-soluble thermoplastic resin. 2. A resin composition for a transfer layer of a thermal transfer sheet, comprising a resin composition in which a water-insoluble thermoplastic resin is dispersed in a water-insoluble thermoplastic resin.