US2621130A - Printing ink - Google Patents

Description

Patented Dec. 9, 1952 PRINTING INK Clarence G. Cutler, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as-

signor to Sun Chemical Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application June 28, 1947, Serial No. 757,937. In Canada May 12, 1947 12 Claims.

This invention relates to printing inks.

One object of the present invention is to provide ink materials of such nature that they can be set by the application of steam to an imprinted base material, and which can be satisfactorily washed up and removed from the distributing system of a printing press with an aqueous material.

Another object of the present invention is to provide ink material containing vehicles which have as the binder constituent a water-immiscible resin and a liquid carrier comprising a water-miscible solvent, and which can be removed from the distributing system of a press with aqueous wash-ups.

Another object of the present invention is to provide ink materials of steam setting characteristics and which contain a water dispersible, non-ionic surface active agent.

Other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the description and appended claims.

Ink materials have hitherto been available which are of such characteristics that the imprinted film of ink materials on a base can readily and easily be set to non-offsetting and nonsmudging conditions by the application thereto of water in the form of water vapor, steam or the like. Such ink materials have many desirable characteristics and have been utilized to a considerable extent in printing operations. inks normally comprise a vehicle in Which there is a binder constituent comprising a resinous material which is insoluble in water, together with a liquid carrier component in which the resinous material is dispersed or dissolved. Such liquid carrier component is a material that is miscible with water. In addition, the liquid carrier component must have the desired characteristics of stability against evaporation while on the press distributing systems. .Such ink systems are designedso that when an imprinted film of the ink istreated with water, as above described, that there is effected a separation or precipitation of the resinous binder constituent. Upon such separation or precipitation, the resinous binder material becomes afiixed to the surface on which the printing is done and binds the coloring material in the printing ink to such surface.

Many of these so-called moisture setting inks are employed in typographic printing operations.

Such

In such printing operations the ink material is transferred from an ink reservoir or fountain to a series of rollers which serve to carry a film of the ink from the ink fountain to the form rollers of the press, and from these form rollers to a printing plate from which the ink film is transferred to the surface to be imprinted.

Upon the completion of a printing operation utilizing such ink materials, it is necessary to wash up the press, an operation which involves removing from the distributing rollers, form rollers and printing plate, theink which is present thereon.

With older types of printing inks utilized on typographic presses, such as the inks containing drying oils or inks in which the major portion of the liquid material is a hydrocarbon, the material employed to effect washing up of the presssatisfactorily has been a hydrocarbon solvent which will dilute the ink film Without effectin precipitation of the constituents and enable the press operator to effect removal of the ink film satisfactorily. In the case of the moisture setting inks, such Wash up materials have not been satisfactory because of the immiscibility of such moisture setting inks with the hydrocarbon wash-up materials formerly utilized. To overcome such difiiculty with a moisture setting ink, there has been utilized wash-up materials which are miscible with the vehicle component of the moisture set ink. Many of these wash-up materials, however, are expensive and likewise many are dangerous in that they are volatile, toxic, inflammable liquids.

According to the present invention there are provided ink materials which are effective for utilization in printing operations in Which the imprinted film is set by application of moisture as steam thereto and which are of such nature that they can be removed from the press distributing mechanism in wash-up operations by means of aqueous wash-up materials. Utilization of such inks permits of the securing of the advantages of the moisture setting processes without the necessity for the utilization of expensive or dangerous materials to effect removal of the ink film from the distributing mechanism and printing plate during wash-up operations.

In accordance with the present invention, ink materials are provided in which there is utilized as a vehicle component a water insoluble resinous binder material dissolved or dispersed in the water-miscible liquid carrier component, and there is included in such ink material a water dispersible, non-ionic surface active agent.

Inclusion of such water dispersible, non-ionic surface active agent in the ink materials of the present invention results in an ink which has the apparently contradictory characteristics of rapidly setting to a non-offsetting, non-smudging film upon application of moisture as steam to an imprinted film thereof, and yet which can be removed without objectionable precipitation or separation of the constituents, from the distributing mechanism and printing portions of the press by the use of aqueous washup materials.

Illustrative of successful commercial inks embodying the present invention are the following examples. The amount of non-ionic surface active agent employed in the illustrative ink examples hereinafter set forth is satisfactorily within the range of approximately 39.6% to approximately 62.1% by weight based upon the weight of the resinous binder thereof. In the preparation of these inks the normal manufacturing procedure well known to those in the ink industry can be utilized, as for example, the vehicle component may be prepared by dissolving or dispersing resinous binder material in the liquid carrier either in the cold or warm conditions and, if desired, by the utilization of agitation conditions such as stirring. Coloring materials and pigments may be incorporated by the usual dispersing operations such as, for example, the well-known roller mills.

Example 1 Pounds Orange pigment 2.1 Monastral pigment 6.6 Benzidine yellow 2.5 China clay 4.2 Blanc fixe 4.2 Rosin-maleic anhydride diene resin 18.7 Diethylene glycol 37.3 Rosin 9.4 Parafiin wax 1.3 Non-ionic surface active agent -s 11.7 Solid polyglycol 1.0 Mono calcium phosphate 1.0

The non-ionic surface active agent utilized in the above ink material is a condensation product of polyethylene oxide and a mixture of fatty acid amides containing principally lauramide. The above ink material can be utilized in typographic printing operations. The imprinted ink film can be set rapidly to a non-offsetting and non-smudging condition by the application of steam to the imprinted film. The ink film on the distributing mechanism and the printing plate of the press can be washed up with an aqueous wash-up material without causing any objectionable precipitation or separation of the components of the ink during such wash-up operations.

Other water dispersible non-ionic surfaces active agents may be utilized therein. For example, the partial esters of polyhydric alcohols with long-chain fatty acids may be employed, as for example, sorbitol monooleate or pentaerythritolmonostearate. Likewise, condensation products of ethylene oxide and polyethylene oxide with long-chain fatty derivatives such as long-chain fatty alcohols, long-chain fatty esters, longchain fatty amides, long-chain fatty acids, or long-chain fatty mercaptans may be employed. An example of such materials are the polyoxyalkylene ethers of oleic acid esters, di(polyoxyethylene) lauramide and polyoxyethylene octadecyl ether. Further examples of such nonionic surface active agents and the preparation thereof are described in United States Patents Nos. 1,970,578 and 2,213,477. Likewise, there may be utilized partial ethers of polyhydric alcohols with long-chain fatty alcohols such as sorbitol cetyl ether. Other examples of waterdispersible and glycol-dispersible non-ionic surface active agents which may be employed in the preparation of the printing inks of the present invention are set forth in Chemical Industries, vol. LII, No. 3, page 328.

Example 2 Pounds Rosin-maleic anhydrid diene resin 16.1 Diethylene glycol 32.21 Non-ionic surface active agent 9.245 Rosin 7.26 Paraffin wax 1.05 Titanium dioxide pigment 32.8 Rhodamine dyestuff 0.2625 Vivid magenta pigment 0.2625 Auramine dyestuff 0.41 Chrome yellow pigment 0.4

The non-ionic surface active agent utilized in the above example is a polyethylene oxide condensation product with a mixture of long-chain fatty acid amides. The ink material can be utilized in letterpress printing operations and provides an imprinted film which sets rapidly to a non-offsetting and non-smudging condition upon the application of moisture thereto, and which can be removed from the distributing system and printing plate of the press by aqueous wash-up materials.

Other ink materials can be prepared, and it is possible to utilize various pigments and coloring materials in the inks of the present invention. No deleterious or objectionable change in color or shade of the coloring is caused.

Other liquid carrier materials likewise may be utilized, for example, glycols, polyglycols, water soluble glycol esters and ethers and water-soluble polyglycol esters and ethers. Resinous materials which may be employed include those resins which are dispersible or soluble in the water-miscible liquid carrier component, but which are immiscible in water. Examples include resinous materials resulting from the reaction of rosin with alpha beta unsaturated dicarboxylic acids and anhydrides, resinous ma terials secured by the interaction of terpenes with alpha beta unsaturated dicarboxylic acids and anhydrides, rosin, shellac and zein.

Condensation product of polyethylene oxide with long chain fatty acid amide Wax compound Condensation product of polyethylene oxide 15.5

. long chain fatty acid amide Wax compound 2.2

It is not understood with certainty why the inks of the present invention possess the apparently contradictory characteristics of setting as an imprinted film by the application of moisture thereto, and yet of being capable of being removed from the distributing mechanism and printing plate by aqueous wash-up materials. But it is known that by the practicing of the present invention there are provided inks which possess such characteristics. In addition, such ink materials are extremely resistant to the action of atmospheric moisture while exposed to the atmosphere on the distributing mechanism of the press. In addition, the ink materials are of such nature that no objectionable change in the characteristics of the coloring material utilized is caused in the inks as hereinbefore described.

While the above examples constitute preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An ink composition comprising a vehicle including a water-immiscible resinous binder, a water-miscible liquid polyglycol solvent, and a water dispersible and glycol dispersible non-ionic surface active agent, said surface active agent being present in amount from approximately 39.6% to approximately 62.1% by weight of said binder.

2. An ink composition comprising a vehicle including a water-immiscible resinous binder, a water-miscible liquid polyglycol solvent and a condensation product of a polyethylene oxide and a mixture of long chain fatty acid amides, said condensation product being present in amount from approximately 39.6% to approximately 62.1% by weight of said binder.

3. An ink composition comprising a vehicle including a water-immiscible resinous binder, a water-miscible liquid polyglycol solvent and a condensation product of a polyethylene oxide and a long chain fatty mercaptan, said condensation product being present in amount from approximately 39.6% to approximately 62.1% by weight of said binder.

4. An ink composition comprising a vehicle including a water-immiscible binder consisting of rosin modified by reaction with maleic anhydride, a water-miscible liquid polyglycol solvent and a water dispersible and glycol dispersible non-ionic surface active agent, said surface active agent being present in amount from approximately 39.6% to approximately 62.1% by weight of said binder.

5. An ink composition comprising a vehicle including a water-immiscible shellac binder, a water-miscible liquid polyglycol solvent and a Water dispersible and glycol dispersible nonionic surface active agent, said surface active agent being present in amount from approximate- 6. An ink composition comprising a vehicle including a water-immiscible resinous binder, a water-miscible liquid polyglycol ether, and a water-dispersible and glycol dispersible non-ionic surface active agent, said surface active agent being present in amount from approximately 39.6% to approximately 62.1% by weight of said binder. I p

7. An ink composition comprising coloring material dispersed in a vehicle, said vehicle including a water-immiscible resinous binder, a watermiscible liquid polyglycol solvent, and a water dispersible and glycol dispersible non-ionic surface active agent, said surface active agent being present in amount from approximately 39.6% to approximately 62.1% by weight of said binder.

8. An ink composition comprising coloring material dispersed in a vehicle, said vehicle including a water-immiscible resinous binder, a water-miscible liquid polyglycol solvent, and a condensation product of a polyethylene oxide and a mixture of long chain fatty acid amides, said condensation product being present in amount from approximately 39.6% to approximately 62.1% by weight of said binder.

9. An ink composition comprising coloring material dispersed in a vehicle, said vehicle including a water-immiscible resinous binder, a water-miscible liquid polyglycol solvent and a condensation product of a polyethylene oxide and a long chain fatty mercaptan, said condensation product being present in amount from approximately 39.6% to approximately 62.1% by weight of said binder.

10. An ink composition comprising coloring material dispersed in a vehicle, said vehicle including a water-immiscible resinous binder consisting of rosin modified by reaction with maleic anhydride, a water-miscible liquid polyglycol solvent, and a water dispersible and glycol dispersible non-ionic surface active agent, said surface active agent being present in amount from approximately 39.6% to approximately 62.1% by weight of said binder.

11. An ink composition comprising coloring material dispersed in a vehicle, said vehicle including a water-immiscible shellac binder, a water-miscible liquid polyglycol solvent, and a water dispersible and glycol dispersible non-ionic surface active agent, said surface active agent being present in amount from approximately 39.6% to approximately 62.1% by weight of said binder.

12. An ink composition comprising coloring material dispersed in a vehicle, said vehicle including a water-immiscible resinous binder, a water-miscible liquid polyglycol ether, and a water dispersible and glycol dispersible non-ionic surface active agent, said surface active agent being present in amount from approximately 39.6% to approximately 62.1% by Weight of said binder.

CLARENCE G. CUTLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,833,686 Middleton Nov. 24, 1931 (Other references on following page) 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Number Name Date Number Country Date 2,002,939 Ernest May 28, 1935 420,545 Great Britain Nov. 28, 1934 2,289,638 Erickson et a1 July 14, 1942 2,299,135 Erickson et a1 Oct. 20, 1942 5 OTHER REFERENQES 2,313,323 Erickson et aL Man 9 1943 Go1dsm1th, Chemlcal Industries," Mar. 1943, 2,327,596 Erickson et'al Aug. 24, 1943 Nonionic surface Active Agentsfi pgs. 1, 2 and 3. 21327597 Erickson et a1 Aug 24, 1943 Young et 111., Surface Active Agents," 1945, 2,332,066 Erickson et a1 Oct. 19, 1943 9548- 2 2,335, Pingan'on 7, 1943 10 E 18. rm k 1940, pgs. 189. 190 an 2,336,983 Erickson et a1 Dec. 14, 1943 2336984 Erickson et a1 Dec. 14, 1943 2,390,102 J enck Dec. 4, 1945

Claims (1)

1. AN INK COMPOSITION COMPRISING A VEHICLE INCLUDING A WATER-IMMISCIBLE RESINOUS BINDER, A WATER-MISCIBLE LIQUID POLYGLYCOL SOLVENT, AND A WATER DISPERSIBLE AND GLYCOL DISPERSIBLE NON-IONIC SURFACE ACTIVE AGENT, SAID SURFACE ACTIVE AGENT BEING PRESENT IN AMOUNT FROM APPROXIMATELY 39.6% TO APPROXIMATELY 62.1% BY WEIGHT OF SAID BINDER.