KR20020008156A - Pigmented compositions - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to pigment compositions comprising pigment particles and polymers, such as pigment inks and coating compositions. Such polymers include, for example, (1) vinyl halides (such as vinyl chloride); Monomers comprising (2) vinyl esters (e.g. vinyl acetate) and (3) monomers with sulfonic acid groups or derivatives thereof (e.g. acrylate or methacrylate residues with sulfonic acid groups or metal salts or amine salts thereof) Can be obtained by copolymerization. The polymer can impart improved dispersing properties to the composition, while having desirable adhesion and flow properties and thermal stability.

Description

Pigmented compositions

Field of invention

The present invention relates to a polymer containing pigment composition, such as an ink composition, suitable for decorative and protective coatings on rigid and flexible substrates. More particularly, the present invention relates to polymers suitable for use as binders in such pigment compositions.

Background of the Invention

Pigments are often used in the industry to color coatings such as packaging materials applied to hard and flexible substrates. As used herein, the term "pigment" means a particulate material that can impart color to other materials or mixtures. In general, pigments are insoluble in aqueous liquids or organic liquids and the coloring effect is the result of their dispersion in a solid medium or a liquid medium.

In order to form a soft, high gloss coating, the pigment must be well dispersed in a liquid medium such as an ink formulation and must be resistant to aggregation. Aggregated pigment particles can produce a rough and uneven appearance on the coated substrate, which is generally considered undesirable. To avoid agglomeration, the pigments are typically ground, for example, ground, with the polymer used alone or in combination with a solvent for the binder polymer to bond the pigment particles to the substrate to be coated.

Preference is given to improved pigment compositions comprising pigment particles and a polymer suitable for bonding the pigment particles to the substrate to be coated. It is also preferred that the binder polymer used in such a composition is effective to inhibit aggregation of the pigment particles in the liquid medium in which the pigment particles will be dispersed.

Summary of the Invention

According to the present invention there is provided an improved pigment composition comprising pigment particles and a binder polymer which, when dispersed in a liquid medium, is effective to inhibit aggregation of the pigment particles. The composition of the present invention may be provided as a dispersion of pigment particles in a liquid medium in which the binder polymer is dissolved or as a solid composition of the binder polymer and the pigment particles.

By the present invention, it is now possible to avoid significant viscosity increases of typical pigment compositions that can occur during polishing of pigment particles and binder polymers. The pigment compositions of the present invention can provide a smaller final pigment particle size, lower viscosity even at high solids content, high gloss at short polishing times and good thermal stability than those obtained with conventional pigment dispersants.

The particular pigment particle used according to the invention is not critical. Typically, the particle size of the pigment particles is about 5-50 μ before polishing. Most pigments are insoluble in organic solvents and water. The exceptions are natural organic pigments, for example chlorophyll, which are generally organic soluble. In general, pigments can be classified as follows.

I. Minerals

A. metal oxides such as iron, titanium, zinc, cobalt and chromium;

B. metal powder suspending agents such as gold and aluminum;

C. earth pigments (eg sienato, ocher and umber);

D. Lead Chromate and

E. Carbon Black.

II. Organic matter

A. animal (eg, rhodopsin and melanin);

B. vegetable (eg chlorophyll, xanthophyll, indigo, flavones and carotene);

C. Synthesis (e.g. phthalocyanine, lithos, toluidine, para red, toner and lake).

Compositions of the present invention typically comprise from about 1 to 99% by weight of pigment particles, preferably from about 1 to 80% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition. Further details regarding suitable pigments are known to those skilled in the art. Such pigments are readily commercially available.

Suitable polymers for use in accordance with the present invention are polymers which, when dispersed in a liquid medium, are effective in inhibiting the aggregation of pigment particles.

Typical polymers suitable for use according to the invention are copolymers polymerized from the following monomer moieties. As used herein, the term “copolymer” means a polymer made from two or more monomers.

(a) a first monomer residue, preferably 50 to 95% by weight, which is a vinyl halide such as vinyl chloride of the formula -CH ₂ -CHCl-;

(b) Monoethylenically unsaturated monomers different from the above components (a) and the following components (c) and (d), preferably vinyl esters, for example the formula -CH ₂ -CH (O-CO-CH ₃ Second monomer residues, preferably 2-30% by weight, of vinyl acetate;

(c) a third monomer residue, preferably 0.1 to 5% by weight, which is a sulfur containing acrylate or methacrylate such as sulfoethyl methacrylate or a metal or amine salt thereof;

(d) a fourth monomer residue or more monomer residues, preferably about 0-20% by weight, which is optionally at least one monoethylenically unsaturated monomer different from component (a), component (b) and component (c).

Suitable vinyl halide monomers for use in accordance with the present invention include vinyl chloride, vinyl bromide and vinyl fluoride, with vinyl chloride being preferred. Such vinyl halide monomers are commercially available. The amount of vinyl halide monomer used in the copolymer of the present invention is typically from about 50 to 95% by weight, preferably from about 55 to 80% by weight, more preferably about about based on the total weight of monomers in the copolymer. 60 to 75% by weight.

Suitable vinyl ester monomers for use in accordance with the present invention include those having from 2 to about 16 carbon atoms in the ester group. Suitable vinyl ester monomers include, for example, vinyl acetate, vinyl propionate, vinyl butyrate, vinyl pentanoate, vinyl neopentanoate, vinyl hexanoate, vinyl octanoate, vinyl 2-ethylhexanoate , Vinyl nonanoate, vinyl decanoate, vinyl neoanoate, vinyl neododecanoate, and the like. Preferred vinyl esters are vinyl acetate and vinyl propionate and most preferred vinyl esters are vinyl acetate. Suitable vinyl esters for use according to the invention are commercially available. The amount of vinyl ester monomer in the copolymer of the present invention is typically from about 2 to 30% by weight, preferably from about 3 to 15% by weight, more preferably from about 5 to about 30, based on the total weight of the monomers in the copolymer. 12% by weight.

The third monomer residue is preferably sulfoethyl methacrylate in free acid form or in salt form with a metal element or amine. In this regard, the weight fraction thereof should be at least 0.1%, although an excessively large weight fraction of more than 5% does not have a particularly beneficial effect. Monomer residues of this type are sulfoethyl methacrylates or derivatives having an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable group and a sulfonic acid group -SO ₃ X, wherein X is a hydrogen atom, a metal atom such as an alkali metal or a quantized amine. It can be introduced into the polymeric resin by copolymerization. Examples of suitable sulfoethylmethacrylate monomers or derivatives include the formula CH ₂ = C (CH ₃ ) -CO-OC ₂ H ₄ -SO ₃ X, where X is a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal, such as sodium and potassium Or quantized amines).

Examples of other sulfur containing monomers are 2-acrylamido-2-methyl propanosulfonic acid and sulfomethylmethacrylate.

The copolymer of the present invention may include other monomers in addition to the monomers described above. Examples of such additional monomers include other vinyl monomers having 2 to 10 carbon atoms per molecule, acrylates or methacrylates having 3 to 20 carbon atoms per molecule, acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile and the like.

Examples of other vinyl monomers include maleic anhydride, maleic acid, fumaric acid, itaconic acid and itaconic anhydride, and maleate, fumarate and itaconate diesters and half esters, vinyl ethers such as methyl vinyl ether, ethyl vinyl Ethers, propyl vinyl ethers), vinyl alcohols formed from hydrolysis of vinyl esters such as vinyl acetate, and the like. Preferred optional vinyl monomers are maleic acid and maleic anhydride.

Examples of acrylates and methacrylates are esters of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, acrylic acid and methacrylic acid (e.g. methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, octyl, decyl, dodecyl, etc.), for example Bornyl, isobornyl and isononorbornyl acrylate; 3-hydroxy-1-isopropyl-2,2-dimethylpropyl- (meth) acrylate, 3-hydroxy-2,2,4-trimethylpentyl (meth) acrylate, dicyclopentenyl acrylate; Hydroxyethyl acrylate, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, hydroxypropyl acrylate, hydroxypropyl methacrylate, hydroxyhexyl acrylate, hydroxydecyl acrylate; Caprolactone acrylate, cyclohexyl acrylate, 2-phenoxyethyl acrylate, glycidyl acrylate, glycidyl methacrylate and the like. Preferred acrylates are hydroxypropyl acrylate and glycidyl methacrylate.

When used in the copolymers of the present invention, the amount of additional monomers is typically about 0.5 to 30% by weight, preferably about 1 to 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the monomers and copolymer. Further details regarding the selection, preparation, availability and amount of additional monomers are known to those skilled in the art.

Examples of suitable copolymers are described in US Pat. Nos. 4,707,411 and 5,531,914. Such copolymers include, for example, Union Carbide Corporation; Danbury, Connecticut, USA; Under the trade names UCARMAG ™ 569 and Nippon Zeon Co., Ltd .; Tokyo, Japan; MR-110 is commercially available.

It is preferable that the range of the average degree of polymerization of a copolymer is 200-800. If the average degree of polymerization is too small, sufficiently high mechanical strength as well as durability cannot be imparted to the composition formulated with the copolymer. If the average degree of polymerization is too large, the coating composition formulated at the desired concentration using the copolymer may increase viscosity and adversely affect the workability of the composition. Those skilled in the art can determine the appropriate degree of polymerization.

Copolymerization of the comonomer can be carried out by known methods including suspension polymerization, emulsion polymerization, solution polymerization, bulk polymerization and the like.

Conventional solution polymerization techniques can be used to form the binder polymer of the present invention preferably. Similarly, other polymerization techniques, such as conventional suspension polymerization or emulsion polymerization, may also be used. Therefore, the process used to prepare the resin of the present invention is not critical, and such techniques are known to those skilled in the art. Examples of suitable manufacturing techniques are described in US Pat. No. 3,755,271.

In general and as an illustrative example, the resins of the present invention can be prepared using solution polymerization, using solvents for the resulting resins as well as the various components employed. Examples of suitable solvents include ketone solvents such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl-n-butyl ketone, methyl-isopropyl ketone, as well as common ester solvents such as butyl acetate, ethyl acetate, isopropyl acetate, and the like. There is.

The polymerization can be carried out batchwise or continuously. Typically, the solvent / monomer ratio varies from about 0.3 / 1 to about 4/1, depending on the desired molecular weight. The temperature selected may vary from about 35 to about 80 ° C., depending on the desired reaction rate and the resin molecular weight. The fat-soluble free radical catalyst can be used in varying amounts from about 0.01 to about 3.0% by weight, based on the weight of the monomers. Illustrative examples of suitable catalysts are dibenzoyl peroxide, dilauroyl peroxide, azobisbutyronitrile and diisopropylperoxydicarbonate. Pressures above the vapor pressure of the components of the system can be used, with pressure typically being about 30 to 100 psig.

In preparing the composition using the specific copolymer described above as the vehicle of the pigment particles, the copolymer resin can be used in an amount of usually up to 50% by weight, together with other polymeric resins commonly used in the preparation of the pigment composition. have. Examples of suitable polymers for such compounding use include polyurethane and nitrocellulose, epoxy resins, polyamide resins and phenolic resins, as well as acrylic and methacrylic esters, styrene, acrylonitrile, butadiene, ethylene, propylene, vinyl Polymers and copolymers such as lidene chloride, acrylamide, vinyl ether and the like.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the composition generally comprises an elastomer in an amount sufficient to provide the composition with the desired properties. Many elastomers suitable for this purpose are known and can be used. Polyester urethanes are typically preferred for high performance applications. Suitable materials are commercially available. These materials can generally be described as reaction products of polyester polyols, short chain diols and isocyanates. These resins have excellent toughness and wear resistance.

Various polyisocyanate crosslinkers are known and can be used. Typically, polymeric polyisocyanates are used. For example, it is suitable to use polymeric toluene diisocyanate (TDI) adducts. The amount of crosslinker used is typically from about 1 to about 25 weight percent of the amount of vinyl halide copolymer and polyurethane in the formulation. Polyisocyanate crosslinkers are typically used in formulations to improve such properties as hardness, tensile strength, glass transition temperature, and the like. Since these polymers do not contain groups that are recognized to be reactive toward isocyanates, it is surprising that similar improvements have been found in formulations containing the polymers described herein.

Various adjuvants are sometimes used in the compositions of the present invention. Such additives are known and can be used where desired for certain applications. For example, the compositions of the present invention are known in the art for various types of pigment compositions commonly used in pigment compositions, each containing a limited amount of diluents, lubricants, dispersing aids, plasticizers, antirust additives, antistatic agents, leveling agents, antiwear agents, film reinforcing agents, and the like. It can be mixed with additives further. The composition may be diluted with an organic solvent to impart appropriate viscosity or roughness suitable for the coating process. Examples of suitable organic solvents are methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, toluene and the like.

The particle size of the polymers of the present invention is typically from about 0.03 to 1.0 μ, preferably from about 0.05 to 0.5 μ, more preferably from about 0.08 to 0.4 μ.

According to the invention, the intrinsic viscosity of the polymer is less than about 2.0, preferably about 0.2 to 1.0, more preferably about 0.2 to 0.8. As used herein, the term "intrinsic viscosity" means an intrinsic viscosity measured using a Ubbelohde viscometer according to the ASTM D1243 process. Further details regarding the measurement of intrinsic viscosity are known to those skilled in the art.

The glass transition temperature ("Tg") of the polymers of the present invention is typically at least about 40 ° C, preferably at least about 50 ° C, more preferably at least about 70 ° C.

Compositions of the present invention typically comprise from about 1 to 99 weight percent of polymer, preferably from about 20 to 99 weight percent, based on the total weight of the composition. Further details regarding suitable polymers are known to those skilled in the art. Such polymers are readily available commercially.

Compositions comprising the polymers of the present invention have a variety of uses and generally have use as pigment dispersants, ink compositions, coating compositions, and adhesives. These may be formulated, for example, in products such as coatings (both hard and flexible), sealants and adhesives. Additional details regarding other components typically included in the end use, coating and adhesive formulations, such as surfactants, pigments, colorants, crosslinkers such as phenolic compounds and the like, are known to those skilled in the art.

Especially for ink coatings, pigment concentrates are typically prepared in a weight ratio of pigment to binder polymer of about 1: 1, by addition of a suitable solvent for the binder polymer, ie a liquid medium. Pigment dispersions are typically prepared by shearing or polishing pigments and polymers using, for example, 3-roll mills or sand mills. The liquid medium may be provided in a pourable, for example, low viscosity form similar to water, or in a high viscosity form similar in roughness to the kneading state (which does not flow except under shear). Likewise, the liquid medium may be provided in the form of medium viscosity. Pigment compositions may also be provided in solid form, for example in a solid matrix of polymers and pigments (known as chips in the art). In the preparation of the composition in solid form, the pigments can be added to the molten polymer of the invention with a heated hot 2-roll mill or Banbury mixer or the like. Additional details of such techniques are known to those skilled in the art. Pigment concentrates are typically diluted with a clear binder polymer solution to produce the desired color and opacity required for the ink composition. The diluted ink composition may contain pigment to binder polymer in a low ratio of 0.1 or less.

Substrates to which the composition can be applied are not limited, for example wood, metal, glass, ceramics, plastics and paper.

Ink compositions prepared in the manner described above may be applied to the substrate surface in the form of films, tapes, sheets, foils, plates, etc., of various materials, including, without limitation, synthetic resins such as polyesters, polyolefins, cellulose acetates, polycarbonates, and the like. Can be. The coating process using the ink or coating composition can be carried out by known methods commonly used to apply coatings and inks.

In one aspect of the invention, about 10 to 20% by weight (such as about 15% by weight) of the polymer or other polymer of the invention, about 10 to 20% by weight (eg about 13.5% by weight), plasticizer about Provided is an ink composition comprising from 2 to 10 weight percent (eg, about 4.5 weight percent) and about 40 to 70 weight percent of one or more solvents (eg, about 48.0 weight percent methyl ethyl ketone and 19.0 weight percent methyl isobutyl ketone) do. Additional details of the components and amounts thereof contained in the ink compositions are known to those skilled in the art.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pigment composition of the present invention is cast on a Leneta paper with a pigment to polymer ratio of 1: 1 diluted to contain 50% by weight of cyclohexanone with a polishing time of about 20 to 60 minutes. When measuring 60 ° gloss using a 60 ° glossmeter with gloss readings obtained with a film, a high gloss level of at least 80, more preferably at least 90, can be achieved. Further, preferably, the 60 ° gloss reading as described above is 60 or more, more preferably 70 or more, at a polishing time of 15 minutes or less.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, solvent-free inks, coatings or castings are provided. About 1 to 40% by weight of the polymer of the present invention is dissolved in a strong solvated monomer, ie as a liquid medium, for example about 60 to 90% by weight of methyl methacrylate, to form a syrup. Pigments, ie colorants, are added to the syrup and dispersed, for example, to polish. Syrups composed of the polymers of the present invention dissolved in acrylic monomers are typically very efficient in dispersing colorants. Another suitable monomer for this purpose is tetrahydrofuran acrylate. Other suitable monomers can be determined by one skilled in the art.

In this aspect of the invention, the monomers are subsequently polymerized to form a solid alloy. The polymerization can be accelerated by the addition of a peroxide catalyst or the addition of a photoinitiator and exposure to ultraviolet light or electron beam irradiation. Syrups containing about 20-30% of the polymers of the present invention and 70-80% by weight of methyl methacrylate are preferably cured into water-clear solids having a single glass transition temperature to show excellent compatibility. Optionally, weak solvating monomers such as trimethylolpropane triacrylate may be used with strong solvating monomers such as methyl methacrylate. The viscosity of a syrup containing about 20-30% by weight of the polymer of the present invention in methyl methacrylate monomer is typically from 1400 to about 30,000 cP at 25 ° C.

Example

The following examples are representative of the invention and do not limit the invention. The following abbreviations are used in the examples:

VCl-vinyl chloride

VAc-vinyl acetate

SEMA-sulfoethyl methacrylate

HAA-hydroxyalkyl acrylate

VOH-vinyl alcohol

MA-maleic acid

AMPS-2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid

MEK-methyl ethyl ketone

I.V.- inherent viscosity

Example 1

General Polymerization Process-Vinyl Chloride Copolymer

The vinyl chloride copolymer is produced via continuous solution polymerization in a stainless steel stirred tank reactor. The solvent as well as the vinyl chloride and other monomers used are premixed and fed continuously to the reactor. Diisopropylperoxydicarbonate, a free radical initiator, is also continuously fed as an acetone solution at a rate necessary to maintain a constant conversion. The product solution is withdrawn continuously from the reactor. The temperature of the reactor is maintained at 50-60 ° C. while the pressure is maintained at 90-110 psig. Unreacted vinyl chloride monomer is removed from the product solution. Aqueous sodium carbonate solution is added to the acetone solution in a 2-fold excess based on sulfonic acid. This converts the free sulfonic acid to sodium salt before the free sulfonic acid precipitates. The polymer is then precipitated from the solution into an isopropanol / water mixture, filtered, and dried by recovery in a fluid bed drier.

Vinyl chloride copolymer

Weight percent comonomer in the polymer

Polymers available from Union Carbide Corporation VCl Vac SEMA VOH HAA MA I.V. Ucamag ™ 569 85 13 2 0.40 UCAR ™ VYHH 86 14 0.50 UCAR ™ VAGH 90 4 6 0.53 UCAR ™ VAGF 81 4 15 0.56 UCAR ™ VMCH 86 13 One 0.50 Ucamag ™ 527 ¹ 82 4 (14) 0.56

¹ The sum of HAA and MA is equal to 14% by weight.

Example 2

Preparation of Pigment Dispersion

Anhydrous pigments are dispersed in a solvent containing solution of vinyl resin using the formulation shown in Table 1. Relative dispersion ratio is measured by gloss measurement and microscopic examination of the cast thin film on the glass plate.

Anhydrous vinyl resin is first dissolved in MEK solvent. The resin solution is charged to a stainless steel beaker of a homo-disperser. Anhydrous pigment is added, stirring slowly, and it is immersed in water for 5 minutes. A portion of the mixture is added to a stainless steel polishing vessel with the same amount of zirconium oxide polishing medium. The vessel contains the same volume of liquid dispersion, medium and head space.

The filled polishing vessel is placed in a holding block and stirred with a Red Devil paint shaker. Samples of the undiluted abrasive are taken after several time intervals and applied to the glass surface for microscopic measurement of particle size. An additional sample of the abrasive is diluted 1: 1 using cyclohexanone solvent and cast on Leneta paper for gloss measurement using a wire wound with wire 12. Cyclohexanone is slow to dry and flattens the film.

Table 1 shows that, compared to pigment concentrates using other vinyl copolymers, the lytol rubin red pigment dispersion containing polymer 569 requires significantly less polishing time to exhibit high gloss and higher final gloss. . It has also been shown that the rate of particle size reduction of the pigment is faster and the final particle size is smaller.

Glossiness and Pigment Particle Size over Polishing Time (Rubin Red Pigment Concentrates Prepared Using Various Polishing Vehicles) Pigment Abrasives-parts by weight Ukamag 15 UCAR VYHH 15 UCAR VYHH with dispersion ^* 15 UCAR VMCH 15 UCAR VAGH 15 Rubin red pigment 15 15 15 15 15 Methyl ethyl ketone 70 70 70 70 70 Full abrasives 100 100 100 100 100 Cyclohexanone ** 100 100 100 100 100 Comparative value *** Polishing time 20 ° glossiness 15 5 minutes 17 5 6 Flocculation. 4 25 minutes 45 14 10 13 55 minutes 54 18 15 19 Polishing time 60 ° Glossiness 60 5 minutes 54 28 30 Cohesion 24 25 minutes 97 56 48 52 55 minutes 103 67 59 67 Polishing time Average particle size (measured μ) 2 5 minutes 3 5 12 Cohesion 5 25 minutes One 2 5 2 55 minutes One 2 2 2

* 5% BK101 based on pigment

** Added later to facilitate lowering of water in Reneta paper

*** Commercial Rubin Red dispersion diluted 1: 1 with cyclohexanone for glossiness measurement

Table 2 shows that the Rithol Rubin Red concentrate prepared using Ucamag ™ 569 exhibits a unique low viscosity after grinding.

The carboxy functional copolymer VMCH, containing 1% maleic acid comonomer, aggregates when used as a homopolymer in polishing media due to its high interaction with the rubin red pigment. Other polymers provide substantially higher post-polishing viscosity than Ukamag ™ 569. Thus, Ukamag ™ 569 can impart improved productivity in the manufacture of pigment concentrates and can reduce costs.

Effect of Polymer Composition on Vehicle Polishing Pigment Abrasives-parts by weight Ucamag ™ 569 15 UCAR VYHH 15 UCAR VYHH with Dispersant ^* 15 UCAR VMCH 15 UCAR VAGH 15 Ritol Rubin Red Pigment 15 15 15 15 15 Methyl ethyl ketone 70 70 70 70 70 100 100 100 100 100 Viscosity before polishing (cP) 54 94 124 Cohesion 86 Viscosity after grinding for 55 minutes (cP) 100 1200 810 - 1050

* 5% BK101 based on pigment

Brookfield RVT Viscometer, 100 rpm, spindle 21.

As used herein, the term "viscosity" refers to 15 parts by weight of polymer, 15 parts by weight of litol-rubin red pigment and 70 weights of methyl ethyl ketone, measured using a Brookfield RVT viscometer equipped with spindle 21 at 100 RPM, 25 ° C. It means the viscosity of the composition containing the part. Preferably, the viscosity after polishing for 55 minutes is less than 700 cP, more preferably less than 200 cP. The term "viscosity retention factor" as used herein means the viscosity measured after 55 minutes of polishing divided by the viscosity before polishing. Preferably, the viscosity retention factor is about 5 or less, more preferably about 3 or less and most preferably about 2 or less.

Table 3 shows the viscosity and gloss properties of inks prepared by diluting Ukamag ^™ 569 / red pigment concentrates with various types of clear vinyl resin lacquers (16% solids in MEK solvents respectively).

In these examples, 3 parts of Ucamag ^™ 569 / red pigment concentrate is first diluted with 8 parts of Ucamag ^™ 569 lacquer, followed by 8 parts of the second vinyl lacquer.

The ratio of Ucamag ^™ 569 to other polymers is 57.5 to 42.5. A vehicle consisting of all Ukamag ^™ 569 is the reference: (3 parts of red concentrate diluted with 16 parts of Ukamag ^™ 569).

For the second dilution, 3 parts of Ukamag ^™ 569 / red pigment concentrate was diluted with 16 parts of various vinyl lacquers, such that the ratio of Ukamag ^™ 569 to other polymers was 15 to 85.

The resulting inks all had a solids content of 18% and a ratio of pigment to binder of 0.15.

It is apparent from Table 3 that Ukamag ^™ 569 lacquers can be used to dilute pigment concentrates in various proportions while maintaining high gloss and low viscosity.

All other vinyl lacquers tested can only be used in partial dilution and can only be used after the first dilution with Ucamag ^™ 569 lacquer.

VMCH lacquers can gel in the ink at high concentrations but can be added successfully at medium concentrations. At medium concentrations this increases the ink viscosity but maintains excellent gloss. Like VMCH, Ucamag ^™ 527 containing maleic comonomers showed a similar but less pronounced increase in viscosity, indicating crosslinking interactions with pigment components and carboxylic acid groups.

Inks made from Ucamag ^™ 569 (see Table 3) have very good adhesion to commercially important substrates used in flexible packaging and rigid packaging. The data is shown in Table 4.

Inks prepared using Ukamag ^™ 569, all based on the formulation in Table 3, were cast and dried to 18% solids in MEK using a 12-wire wound rod. Scotch brand 610 tapes are tested for tape adhesion using the ASTM D 3359-87 method.

Adhesiveness of Formulated Inks Board Adhesive Aluminum foil Very good Not removed Corona treated oriented polypropylene Very good Not removed Corona Treated Oriented Polyethylene Good Trace removal after wrinkles Corona treated oriented polyester Actors good Not removed

Ink casting to substrate using wire 12 wound

Tape test; ASTM D 3359-87 with Scotch Brand 610 Tapes

Table 5 demonstrates that Ukamag ^™ 569 can be successfully used for various typical colorant applications in the graphic arts industry. All compositions in the series exhibited low viscosity and excellent glossiness.

Polymer 569 / Pigment Concentrate Colors According to Various Methods Pigment Abrasives-parts by weight Ukamag ^TM 569 15 15 15 15 Ritol Rubin Red (1) * 15 Phthalo blue-rd (2) * 15 Phthalo blue-gr (3) * 15 Diarylide yellow (4) * 15 Methyl ethyl ketone 70 70 70 70 Full abrasives 100 100 100 100 Viscosity of pigment Concentrate (cP) 100 40 214 437 Ink Characteristics (nv 18% in MEK) ** 60 ° Glossiness 99 115 113 141 20 ° glossiness 84 100 103 170 Viscosity (cP) 65 42 57 59

* Sun Chemical

(1) SUNBRITE RUBINE 57: 1

(2) SUNFAST BLUE 15: 2

(3) SPECTRA PAC E BLUE 15: 4

(4) SPECTRA PAC E YELLOW (SPECTRA PAC E YELLOW) 14

** 3 parts pigment concentrate diluted to 16 parts of polymer 569 lacquer at nv 16% in MEK

Cast onto polyester film using rod 12 wound wire.

While the invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that other aspects may be intended within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (15)

About 1 to 99% by weight of the pigment particles (a) based on the total weight of the composition and a polymer (b) effective to inhibit aggregation of the pigment particles when dispersed in a liquid medium based on the total weight of the composition (b) ) About 1 to 99% by weight, comprising: Wherein the polymer is effective to provide a viscosity retention factor of 5 or less. The composition of claim 1 wherein the polymer is effective to provide a viscosity retention factor of 3 or less. The composition of claim 1 wherein the viscosity is 700 cP or less. The composition of claim 3 wherein the viscosity is 200 cP or less. The composition of claim 1 wherein the polymer is polymerized from monomers comprising sulfonic acid groups or derivatives thereof. The composition of claim 5 wherein the monomer is selected from the group consisting of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, sulfoethyl methacrylate, sulfomethyl methylacrylate, and mixtures thereof. The composition of claim 5 wherein the polymer is polymerized from monomers comprising vinyl halides, vinyl esters and sulfonic acids or derivatives thereof. The composition of claim 1 which is a solid. The composition of claim 1 which is a dispersion of pigment particles in a liquid medium. The composition of claim 9 wherein the liquid medium is a solvent for the polymer. The composition of claim 9 wherein the liquid medium is a monomer. The composition of claim 1, wherein the pigment particles have a particle size of about 1 to 8 μ. The composition of claim 1, wherein the pigment particles have a particle size of about 1 to 4 μ. A coating agent prepared from the composition of claim 1. A coated substrate comprising a substrate coated with a coating prepared from the composition of claim 1.