WO2018017076A1 - Pre-treatment fixing fluid - Google Patents
Pre-treatment fixing fluid Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2018017076A1 WO2018017076A1 PCT/US2016/043156 US2016043156W WO2018017076A1 WO 2018017076 A1 WO2018017076 A1 WO 2018017076A1 US 2016043156 W US2016043156 W US 2016043156W WO 2018017076 A1 WO2018017076 A1 WO 2018017076A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- treatment fixing
- surfactant
- fixing fluid
- calcium
- amount ranging
- Prior art date
Links
- 238000002203 pretreatment Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 122
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 98
- 239000004094 surface-active agent Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 77
- ZCCIPPOKBCJFDN-UHFFFAOYSA-N calcium nitrate Chemical compound [Ca+2].[O-][N+]([O-])=O.[O-][N+]([O-])=O ZCCIPPOKBCJFDN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 36
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 22
- 239000006184 cosolvent Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 19
- BCZXFFBUYPCTSJ-UHFFFAOYSA-L Calcium propionate Chemical compound [Ca+2].CCC([O-])=O.CCC([O-])=O BCZXFFBUYPCTSJ-UHFFFAOYSA-L 0.000 claims abstract description 15
- 235000010331 calcium propionate Nutrition 0.000 claims abstract description 15
- 239000004330 calcium propionate Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 15
- 230000002209 hydrophobic effect Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 14
- 239000003795 chemical substances by application Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 12
- 125000002091 cationic group Chemical group 0.000 claims abstract description 10
- 239000011575 calcium Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 8
- OYPRJOBELJOOCE-UHFFFAOYSA-N Calcium Chemical compound [Ca] OYPRJOBELJOOCE-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 7
- 229910052791 calcium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 7
- 239000011248 coating agent Substances 0.000 claims description 22
- 238000000576 coating method Methods 0.000 claims description 22
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 15
- -1 poly(oxy-1 ,2-ethanediyl) Polymers 0.000 claims description 9
- UWHCKJMYHZGTIT-UHFFFAOYSA-N tetraethylene glycol Chemical group OCCOCCOCCOCCO UWHCKJMYHZGTIT-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 9
- LXOFYPKXCSULTL-UHFFFAOYSA-N 2,4,7,9-tetramethyldec-5-yne-4,7-diol Chemical class CC(C)CC(C)(O)C#CC(C)(O)CC(C)C LXOFYPKXCSULTL-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 8
- 229920001223 polyethylene glycol Polymers 0.000 claims description 8
- 239000003086 colorant Substances 0.000 claims description 6
- 239000002253 acid Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 229920001600 hydrophobic polymer Polymers 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000011230 binding agent Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000000976 ink Substances 0.000 description 54
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 32
- 230000000052 comparative effect Effects 0.000 description 26
- 238000007639 printing Methods 0.000 description 25
- NECRQCBKTGZNMH-UHFFFAOYSA-N 3,5-dimethylhex-1-yn-3-ol Chemical compound CC(C)CC(C)(O)C#C NECRQCBKTGZNMH-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 12
- FAPWYRCQGJNNSJ-UBKPKTQASA-L calcium D-pantothenic acid Chemical compound [Ca+2].OCC(C)(C)[C@@H](O)C(=O)NCCC([O-])=O.OCC(C)(C)[C@@H](O)C(=O)NCCC([O-])=O FAPWYRCQGJNNSJ-UBKPKTQASA-L 0.000 description 11
- 238000004581 coalescence Methods 0.000 description 11
- 229960002079 calcium pantothenate Drugs 0.000 description 10
- 238000011084 recovery Methods 0.000 description 10
- PEDCQBHIVMGVHV-UHFFFAOYSA-N Glycerine Chemical compound OCC(O)CO PEDCQBHIVMGVHV-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 9
- 238000007641 inkjet printing Methods 0.000 description 7
- 238000009472 formulation Methods 0.000 description 6
- 159000000007 calcium salts Chemical class 0.000 description 5
- 239000000049 pigment Substances 0.000 description 5
- 150000003839 salts Chemical class 0.000 description 5
- AFVFQIVMOAPDHO-UHFFFAOYSA-N Methanesulfonic acid Chemical compound CS(O)(=O)=O AFVFQIVMOAPDHO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- RUPBZQFQVRMKDG-UHFFFAOYSA-M Didecyldimethylammonium chloride Chemical compound [Cl-].CCCCCCCCCC[N+](C)(C)CCCCCCCCCC RUPBZQFQVRMKDG-UHFFFAOYSA-M 0.000 description 3
- 239000004599 antimicrobial Substances 0.000 description 3
- DMSMPAJRVJJAGA-UHFFFAOYSA-N benzo[d]isothiazol-3-one Chemical compound C1=CC=C2C(=O)NSC2=C1 DMSMPAJRVJJAGA-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 239000003139 biocide Substances 0.000 description 3
- 150000002009 diols Chemical class 0.000 description 3
- 238000005516 engineering process Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000002904 solvent Substances 0.000 description 3
- BHPQYMZQTOCNFJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Calcium cation Chemical compound [Ca+2] BHPQYMZQTOCNFJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 240000002989 Euphorbia neriifolia Species 0.000 description 2
- 230000003115 biocidal effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000000740 bleeding effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 229910001424 calcium ion Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 2
- 150000002334 glycols Chemical class 0.000 description 2
- 230000006872 improvement Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000004816 latex Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229920000126 latex Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 229940098779 methanesulfonic acid Drugs 0.000 description 2
- 230000005012 migration Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000013508 migration Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 229920001983 poloxamer Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 230000002035 prolonged effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000000758 substrate Substances 0.000 description 2
- 235000001892 vitamin D2 Nutrition 0.000 description 2
- 238000010005 wet pre-treatment Methods 0.000 description 2
- GHOKWGTUZJEAQD-ZETCQYMHSA-N (D)-(+)-Pantothenic acid Chemical compound OCC(C)(C)[C@@H](O)C(=O)NCCC(O)=O GHOKWGTUZJEAQD-ZETCQYMHSA-N 0.000 description 1
- LMMTVYUCEFJZLC-UHFFFAOYSA-N 1,3,5-pentanetriol Chemical compound OCCC(O)CCO LMMTVYUCEFJZLC-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000002174 Styrene-butadiene Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000010521 absorption reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 150000003869 acetamides Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 150000001298 alcohols Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 230000000845 anti-microbial effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000008135 aqueous vehicle Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 1
- MTAZNLWOLGHBHU-UHFFFAOYSA-N butadiene-styrene rubber Chemical group C=CC=C.C=CC1=CC=CC=C1 MTAZNLWOLGHBHU-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000002738 chelating agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000008199 coating composition Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000007797 corrosion Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005260 corrosion Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000003247 decreasing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 1
- SZXQTJUDPRGNJN-UHFFFAOYSA-N dipropylene glycol Chemical compound OCCCOCCCO SZXQTJUDPRGNJN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000006185 dispersion Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000001035 drying Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000010981 drying operation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000975 dye Substances 0.000 description 1
- 150000002170 ethers Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- LYCAIKOWRPUZTN-UHFFFAOYSA-N ethylene glycol Natural products OCCO LYCAIKOWRPUZTN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000010304 firing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 150000003948 formamides Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 239000000417 fungicide Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000036541 health Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000005802 health problem Effects 0.000 description 1
- WGCNASOHLSPBMP-UHFFFAOYSA-N hydroxyacetaldehyde Natural products OCC=O WGCNASOHLSPBMP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000007689 inspection Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000003993 interaction Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005259 measurement Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 1
- BEGLCMHJXHIJLR-UHFFFAOYSA-N methylisothiazolinone Chemical compound CN1SC=CC1=O BEGLCMHJXHIJLR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000002156 mixing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000010355 oscillation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229940014662 pantothenate Drugs 0.000 description 1
- 235000019161 pantothenic acid Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000011713 pantothenic acid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000000149 penetrating effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229920000151 polyglycol Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000010695 polyglycol Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920000642 polymer Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920001451 polypropylene glycol Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920002635 polyurethane Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000004814 polyurethane Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000009257 reactivity Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000001044 red dye Substances 0.000 description 1
- FVEFRICMTUKAML-UHFFFAOYSA-M sodium tetradecyl sulfate Chemical compound [Na+].CCCCC(CC)CCC(CC(C)C)OS([O-])(=O)=O FVEFRICMTUKAML-UHFFFAOYSA-M 0.000 description 1
- 239000011115 styrene butadiene Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920003048 styrene butadiene rubber Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 238000009736 wetting Methods 0.000 description 1
- 150000003953 γ-lactams Chemical class 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J11/00—Devices or arrangements of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form
- B41J11/0015—Devices or arrangements of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
- D21H—PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D21H17/00—Non-fibrous material added to the pulp, characterised by its constitution; Paper-impregnating material characterised by its constitution
- D21H17/63—Inorganic compounds
- D21H17/66—Salts, e.g. alums
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
- B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
- B41J2/01—Ink jet
- B41J2/21—Ink jet for multi-colour printing
- B41J2/2107—Ink jet for multi-colour printing characterised by the ink properties
- B41J2/2114—Ejecting specialized liquids, e.g. transparent or processing liquids
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41L—APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR MANIFOLDING, DUPLICATING OR PRINTING FOR OFFICE OR OTHER COMMERCIAL PURPOSES; ADDRESSING MACHINES OR LIKE SERIES-PRINTING MACHINES
- B41L23/00—Devices for treating the surfaces of sheets, webs, or other articles in connection with printing
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
- B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
- B41M5/0011—Pre-treatment or treatment during printing of the recording material, e.g. heating, irradiating
- B41M5/0017—Application of ink-fixing material, e.g. mordant, precipitating agent, on the substrate prior to printing, e.g. by ink-jet printing, coating or spraying
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- C09D—COATING COMPOSITIONS, e.g. PAINTS, VARNISHES OR LACQUERS; FILLING PASTES; CHEMICAL PAINT OR INK REMOVERS; INKS; CORRECTING FLUIDS; WOODSTAINS; PASTES OR SOLIDS FOR COLOURING OR PRINTING; USE OF MATERIALS THEREFOR
- C09D11/00—Inks
- C09D11/02—Printing inks
- C09D11/03—Printing inks characterised by features other than the chemical nature of the binder
- C09D11/033—Printing inks characterised by features other than the chemical nature of the binder characterised by the solvent
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- C09D—COATING COMPOSITIONS, e.g. PAINTS, VARNISHES OR LACQUERS; FILLING PASTES; CHEMICAL PAINT OR INK REMOVERS; INKS; CORRECTING FLUIDS; WOODSTAINS; PASTES OR SOLIDS FOR COLOURING OR PRINTING; USE OF MATERIALS THEREFOR
- C09D11/00—Inks
- C09D11/30—Inkjet printing inks
- C09D11/38—Inkjet printing inks characterised by non-macromolecular additives other than solvents, pigments or dyes
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- C09D—COATING COMPOSITIONS, e.g. PAINTS, VARNISHES OR LACQUERS; FILLING PASTES; CHEMICAL PAINT OR INK REMOVERS; INKS; CORRECTING FLUIDS; WOODSTAINS; PASTES OR SOLIDS FOR COLOURING OR PRINTING; USE OF MATERIALS THEREFOR
- C09D11/00—Inks
- C09D11/54—Inks based on two liquids, one liquid being the ink, the other liquid being a reaction solution, a fixer or a treatment solution for the ink
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
- D21H—PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D21H19/00—Coated paper; Coating material
- D21H19/10—Coatings without pigments
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
- D21H—PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D21H19/00—Coated paper; Coating material
- D21H19/10—Coatings without pigments
- D21H19/14—Coatings without pigments applied in a form other than the aqueous solution defined in group D21H19/12
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
- D21H—PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D21H19/00—Coated paper; Coating material
- D21H19/80—Paper comprising more than one coating
- D21H19/82—Paper comprising more than one coating superposed
- D21H19/828—Paper comprising more than one coating superposed two superposed coatings, the first applied being non-pigmented and the second applied being pigmented
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
- D21H—PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D21H21/00—Non-fibrous material added to the pulp, characterised by its function, form or properties; Paper-impregnating or coating material, characterised by its function, form or properties
- D21H21/06—Paper forming aids
- D21H21/10—Retention agents or drainage improvers
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
- D21H—PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D21H21/00—Non-fibrous material added to the pulp, characterised by its function, form or properties; Paper-impregnating or coating material, characterised by its function, form or properties
- D21H21/14—Non-fibrous material added to the pulp, characterised by its function, form or properties; Paper-impregnating or coating material, characterised by its function, form or properties characterised by function or properties in or on the paper
- D21H21/22—Agents rendering paper porous, absorbent or bulky
- D21H21/24—Surfactants
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
- B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
- B41M5/50—Recording sheets characterised by the coating used to improve ink, dye or pigment receptivity, e.g. for ink-jet or thermal dye transfer recording
- B41M5/52—Macromolecular coatings
- B41M5/5227—Macromolecular coatings characterised by organic non-macromolecular additives, e.g. UV-absorbers, plasticisers, surfactants
Definitions
- Inkjet printing is a non-impact printing method that utilizes electronic signals to control and direct droplets or a stream of ink to be deposited on media.
- Some commercial and industrial inkjet printers utilize fixed printheads and a moving substrate web in order to achieve high speed printing.
- Current inkjet printing technology involves forcing the ink drops through small nozzles by thermal ejection, piezoelectric pressure or oscillation onto the surface of the media. This technology has become a popular way of recording images on various media surfaces (e.g., paper), for a number of reasons, including, low printer noise, capability of high-speed recording and multi-color recording.
- FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method for improving uncapped start up performance of an inkjet fixer pen, according to an example
- FIG. 2 is a schematic of a printing scheme used to determine recovery/start up for fixer pens, according to an example;
- Figs. 3A and 3B are, respectively, a black and white image illustrating bleed control and a black and white image illustrating print quality for prints formed using a first example of a comparative pre-treatment fixing coating;
- Figs. 4A and 4B are, respectively, a black and white image illustrating bleed control and a black and white image illustrating print quality for prints formed using a second example of a comparative pre-treatment fixing coating;
- Figs. 5A and 5B are, respectively, a black and white image illustrating bleed control and a black and white image illustrating print quality for prints formed using a third example of a comparative pre-treatment fixing coating;
- Figs. 6A and 6B are, respectively, a black and white image illustrating bleed control and a black and white image illustrating print quality for prints formed using a fourth example of a comparative pre-treatment fixing coating;
- Figs. 7A and 7B are, respectively, a black and white image illustrating bleed control and a black and white image illustrating print quality for prints formed using a fifth example of a comparative pre-treatment fixing coating;
- Figs. 8A and 8B are, respectively, a black and white image illustrating bleed control and a black and white image illustrating print quality for prints formed using a first example of a pre-treatment fixing coating disclosed herein;
- Figs. 9A and 9B are, respectively, a black and white image illustrating bleed control and a black and white image illustrating print quality for prints formed using a second example of a pre-treatment fixing coating disclosed herein;
- Figs. 10A and 10B are each a plot on coordinates of a coalescence score
- aqueous-based inks are commonly used on uncoated media, in part because the high surface energy of the aqueous ink enables the ink to spread well on the uncoated media.
- Aqueous inks may also be desirable for printing on coated offset media.
- coated offset media may be a slow-absorbing medium with high hold-out (i.e., colorants tend to remain on the surface of the media).
- coated offset media may have a relatively low surface energy, and the higher surface energy aqueous inks may not spread well.
- images formed from aqueous inks on coated offset media tend to have reduced image quality attributes, such as, for example, gloss or optical density.
- high speed may refer to print speeds of at least 50 feet per minute (fpm), and up to 1000 fpm.
- pre-treatment fixing compositions may render coated offset media more suitable for printing with aqueous-based inks.
- Pre-treatment fixing compositions are often substantially colorless liquids that interact with the colorant and/or with polymeric components of the ink composition in order to precipitate (i.e., crash) the colorants or otherwise fix the ink composition to the print media surface.
- Pre- treatment fixing fluid compositions have been applied on the coated offset media before the application of an ink composition in view of improving printing
- compositions have been applied to coated offset media and dried prior to subsequent ink application. This forms a dried ink-receiving type of layer on the surface of the medium. While this may desirably control bleed, the gloss of the resulting print often may suffer.
- wet-on-wet printing i.e., wet ink deposited on wet pre-treatment fixing fluid
- wet-on-wet printing may be desirable, for example, so that in-line printing can be performed.
- Wet-on-wet printing could also enable the use of commercially- available coated offset media which does not include any pre-treatment fixing composition thereon, and thus may otherwise be undesirable for high speed inkjet printing.
- a pre-treatment fixing composition for slow-absorbing print media i.e., coated offset media
- Wet-on-wet printing would provide the pre- treatment fixing composition in-line rather than as a dried coating composition.
- the chemistry involved in wet-on-wet printing is complex, due in part to the interaction between the medium and the pre-treatment fixing fluid composition, and between the pre-treatment fixing fluid composition and the ink.
- the slow-absorbing nature of coated offset media requires the pre-treatment fixing fluid composition to be highly (i.e., immediately) reactive with subsequently deposited inks in order to control bleed and pigment floatation (i.e., dot gain).
- the desired reactivity may be accomplished by increasing the organic acid salt content; however, it has been found that a higher salt content can lead to pen reliability issues resulting from corrosion and to the formation of prints with poor durability.
- pre-treatment fixing formulations include calcium propionate, calcium (B5) pantothenate, and calcium nitrate in combination with co-solvent and surfactant in an aqueous vehicle.
- pre-treatment fixing formulations may have undesirable uncapped life or performance, which refers to the ability of the pre-treatment fixing formulation to readily eject from the pen, upon prolonged exposure to air.
- the pen used to eject the pre-treatment fixing formulation may have an unacceptable uncapped start up performance (or recovery), which refers to the ability of the pen to readily eject the fluid therefrom after prolonged exposure to air.
- the uncapped time may be measured as the amount of time that the pen (in a printhead) may be left uncapped (i.e., exposed to air) before the printer nozzles no longer fire properly, potentially because of clogging, plugging, or retraction of solid(s) in the fluid from the drop forming region of the nozzle/firing chamber.
- the uncapped time for a thermal inkjet pen may be the length of time that the pen can remain unused and uncapped before spitting (one example of pen servicing) would be required to form an acceptable quality drop.
- a decreased uncapped time can lead to poor print reliability.
- it is desired for the uncapped time to be from about five minutes to about ten minutes. In other examples, it is desired for the uncapped time to exceed six minutes, especially in the newer, high speed, industrial printers.
- a pre-treatment fixing fluid for an offset coated medium includes a particular cationic crashing agent or a combination of particular cationic crashing agents to prevent ink pigment migration (which leads to better image quality) and to facilitate fast drying. It has been found that high levels of cationic crashing agents (e.g., metal salts) often used in pre-treatment fixing fluids to achieve the desired image and text quality has caused pen nozzle health problems, such as poor uncapped start up performance.
- cationic crashing agents e.g., metal salts
- a pre-treatment fixing fluid has been developed that includes a high percentage of the particular cationic crashing agent(s) and that improves fixer pen start up from an uncapped position (i.e., uncapped start up performance).
- the fixer pens dispensing the pre-treatment fixing fluid disclosed herein exhibit significantly better recovery and reliability.
- the pre-treatment fixing fluid may have a composition including: calcium- containing cationic crashing agents consisting of calcium propionate and/or calcium nitrate; a co-solvent; one or more surfactants, with a first surfactant having a first hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) value within a hydrophobic range used alone or in combination with a second surfactant having a second HLB value within a water dispersible range; and water.
- the pre-treatment fixing fluid is devoid of calcium pantothenate.
- Removing the calcium pantothenate salt from the pre-treatment fixing fluid may have a significant effect on pen recovery.
- the calcium pantothenate may be replaced with additional calcium nitrate to maintain the same molar concentration of calcium ions.
- the calcium propionate may be present in an amount ranging from 0 weight percent (wt%) to about 10 wt% based on a total wt% of the pre-treatment fixing fluid, while the calcium nitrate may be present in an amount ranging from about 15 wt% to 0 wt% based on the total wt% of the pre-treatment fixing fluid.
- these two calcium salts can be used individually and the result is almost the same as the combination. If one of the two calcium salts is 0 wt%, the other of the calcium salts can be at its maximum weight percent.
- the pre-treatment fixing fluid includes a first surfactant having a first hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) value within a hydrophobic range, which is used alone or in combination with a second surfactant having a second HLB value within a water dispersible range.
- the surfactant(s) may be present for wetting and penetrating the print medium. In the ideal case, the surfactant(s) spread uniformly on the print medium.
- using the surfactant having an HLB value within a water dispersible range i.e., a high HLB surfactant
- helps a low HLB surfactant i.e., having an HLB value within a hydrophobic range
- SURFYNOL® SE-F stay in the pre-treatment fixing fluid and perform as a strong dynamic surfactant.
- a strong dynamic surfactant is one that wets the medium vertically and laterally, and the dot gain is big. In contrast, a non-dynamic surfactant lowers the surface tension and moves vertically, and the dot gain is small.
- SURFYNOL® SE-F is an ethoxylated acetylenic diol, such as ethoxylated 2,4,7,9- tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol, and has an HLB of 4-5.
- hydrophobic surfactants in addition to SURFYNOL® SE-F, include SURFYNOL® 104,
- PLURONIC® L61 and 25R2 PLURONIC® L61 and 25R2
- DYNOL® 960, 800, and 360 PLURONIC® L61 and 25R2
- Examples of surfactants having an HLB value within a water dispersible range include SURFYNOL® CT-21 1 , which is an alkylphenylethoxylate, such as poly(oxy-1 ,2-ethanediyl), a-(nonylphenyl)- -hydroxy-, branched plus 2,4,7,9- tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol, having an HLB value of 8-12, and CARBOWET® GA- 21 1 , which may be similar to SURFYNOL® CT-21 1 , SURFYNOL® 465 and CT-121 , TERGITOL® 15s5, 15s7, TMN-3, and TMN-6, PLURONIC® 123 and 17R4, and DYNOL® 604 and 607.
- SURFYNOL® CT-21 1 is an alkylphenylethoxylate, such as poly(oxy-1 ,2-ethanediyl), a-(
- the surfactant having the lower HLB value (less than about 6) may be present in an amount ranging from about 0.05 wt% to about 1.5 wt% based on the total wt% of the inkjet ink.
- the surfactant having the higher HLB value (greater than 6) may be present in an amount ranging from 0 wt% to about 0.1 wt% based on the total wt% of the pre-treatment fixing fluid.
- the surfactant with the higher HLB value may not be needed at lower concentrations of the surfactant having the lower HLB value. For example, when using SURFYNOL® SE-F at low concentrations (i.e., up to about 0.09 wt%), CARBOWET® GA-21 1 may not be needed, since
- SURFYNOL® SE-F is soluble at low concentrations.
- the surfactant having the lower HLB value e.g., SURFYNOL® SE- F
- the surfactant having the higher HLB value e.g., CARBOWET® GA-21 1
- CARBOWET® GA-21 1 may be needed to help with the solubility of the surfactant having the lower HLB value.
- the co-solvent may be an organic co-solvent, such as aliphatic alcohols, aromatic alcohols, diols, glycol ethers, polyglycol ethers, 2-pyrrolidinones,
- the co-solvent may be present in total in the pre-treatment fixing fluid in an amount ranging from about 2 wt% to about 20 wt% depending, at least in part, on the jetting architecture of the system used to print the pre-treatment fixing fluid. In an example, the co-solvent is present in the pre- treatment fixing fluid in an amount of about 12 wt% based on the total wt% of the pre- treatment fixing fluid.
- the balance of the pre-treatment fixing fluid may be water.
- the pre-treatment fixing fluid may also include an acid present in an amount sufficient to render a pH of the pre-treatment fixing fluid from about 4.0 to 7.0.
- An example of a suitable acid for adjusting the pH is methanesulfonic acid.
- Fig. 1 depicts a flow chart of an example of a method 10 for improving uncapped start up performance of an inkjet fixer pen, according to an example.
- an example of the pre-treatment fixing fluid is prepared (reference numeral 12).
- the example pre-treatment fixing fluid includes:
- calcium-containing cationic crashing agents consisting of calcium propionate and calcium nitrate, wherein the calcium propionate is present in an amount ranging from 0 wt% to about 10 wt% based on a total wt% of the pre-treatment fixing fluid, and wherein the calcium nitrate is present in an amount ranging from about 15 wt% to 0 wt% based on the total wt% of the pre-treatment fixing fluid;
- a surfactant being selected from the group consisting of a first surfactant having a first hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) value within a hydrophobic range and a combination of the first surfactant and a second surfactant having a second HLB value within a water dispersible range; and
- HLB hydrophilic lipophilic balance
- the method 10 may further include loading the pre-treatment fixing fluid into the inkjet fixer pen (reference numeral 14).
- the method 10 may also include allowing the inkjet fixer pen to remain uncapped for a time ranging from about 5 minutes to about 10 minutes. After the time has passed and without servicing the inkjet fixer pen, the method 10 further includes ejecting at least some of the pre-treatment fixing fluid from the inkjet fixer pen. At this time, the nozzles of the pen can fire properly, and the pen can easily resume printing of the pre-treatment fixing fluid.
- the printing of the pre-treatment fixing fluid may be accomplished using a high speed printing apparatus at print speeds of at least 50 fpm, and up to 1000 fpm.
- suitable high speed printing apparatuses include thermal inkjet printers or web presses, piezoelectric inkjet printers or web presses, or continuous inkjet printers or web presses.
- the pre-treatment fixing fluid may be printed directly onto a surface of coated offset medium.
- the pre-treatment fixing fluid may be the composition disclosed above.
- the ink may be applied onto the pre-treatment fixing fluid using the same suitable high speed inkjet printing apparatus disclosed herein for the pre-treatment fixing fluid application.
- the ink composition may include:
- binder that is a polyurethane-based dispersion
- the ink may further include other components common to inkjet inks, such as antimicrobial agents (e.g., biocides and fungicides), anti-kogation agents (for thermal inkjet printing), etc.
- antimicrobial agents e.g., biocides and fungicides
- anti-kogation agents for thermal inkjet printing
- the ink may be chosen from a pigment-based inkjet ink, a pigmented latex-based inkjet ink, a UV curable inkjet ink, a dye-based inkjet ink, or a toner.
- the ink may be any color, such as black, cyan, magenta, yellow, etc.
- the ink may contain two or more surfactants, a first surfactant having a first hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) value either within a water dispersible range or within a hydrophobic range, and a second surfactant having a second HLB value within a hydrophobic range.
- the combination of the first surfactant and the second surfactant is to adjust a surface tension of the inkjet ink to a value lower than a surface tension of the offset coated medium on which the inkjet ink is to be printed.
- an example coated offset medium may include: a print medium coated with a coating that contains a hydrophobic polymer and forms a nonporous smooth surface; and an example pre-treatment fixing coating (formed from an example pre-treatment fixing fluid disclosed herein) on the nonporous smooth surface of the print medium.
- hydrophobic polymer is styrene butadiene.
- a smooth surface is one that is substantially uniform and essentially nonporous.
- the print medium may be a commercially available coated medium, such as STERLING® Ultra Gloss (NewPage Corp.) and UTOPIATM Digital (Appleton Coated LLC).
- the coated offset media may further include the ink described above printed on the pre-treatment fixing coating.
- the coating of the pre- treatment fixing fluid may be a wet coating upon which the ink is applied.
- Example pre-treatment fixing fluid compositions were prepared, as listed in Table I below. Most included calcium propionate (“Ca Pro.”) and calcium nitrate (with 4H 2 O). Some compositions included calcium pantothenate (“Ca Pan.”) as well. The compositions including Ca Pan are comparative examples. Comparative pre-treatment fixing fluids with calcium pantothenate have not shown the necessary decap/uncapped performance required for high speed printing. Examples of the pre-treatment fixing fluid compositions as disclosed herein do not include calcium pantothenate. [0042] Some of the pre-treatment fixing fluids had one surfactant, while other compositions included two surfactants.
- the surfactant was the surfactant was SURFYNOL® SE-F ("SE-F"), an ethoxylated acetylenic diol available from Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (Allentown, PA).
- SE-F ethoxylated acetylenic diol available from Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
- the compositions with two surfactants included a first surfactant having a first HLB value within a hydrophobic range and a second surfactant having a second HLB value within a water dispersible range.
- the co-solvent was either glycerol (“Gly”), tetraethylene glycol (“4EG”) or DANTOCOL® DHE ("Dant”).
- DANTOCOL® DHE is di-(2-hydoxyethyl)-5, 5- dimethylhydantoin, available from Lonza Inc. (Allendale, NJ).
- GXL PROXELTM GXL
- B20 ACTICIDE® B20
- ACTICIDE® M20 (“M20”), a biocide containing 2-methylisothiazol-3(2H)-one and 1 ,2- benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one, available from Thor Specialties, Inc., and ACTICIDE® B20 were used.
- Comparative Examples 1 -5 all included calcium pantothenate and are considered to be outside the scope of the teachings. It is noted that in Comparative Example 4, calcium propionate was omitted, to see if its absence would lead to an improvement in the properties of the pre-treatment fixing fluid. In Comparative Example 5, the concentration of calcium pantothenate was reduced (while keeping the concentration of calcium nitrate approximately the same as Comparative Examples 1 - 4), to see if a lower calcium pantothenate would lead to an improvement in the properties of the pre-treatment fixing fluid.
- Examples 6 and 7 omitted the calcium pantothenate, as well as increased the calcium nitrate concentration and also included two surfactants, one having an HLB value within a hydrophobic range and a second surfactant having a second HLB value either within a water dispersible range. These two compositions are considered to be within the scope of the teachings.
- Comparative Examples 8 and 9 were similar to Example 6, except that different co-solvents were utilized to evaluate the effect of the co-solvent.
- Comparative Examples 1 , 2 and 8 used glycerol as the co-solvent
- Comparative Examples 3-5 and Examples 6 and 7 used tetraethylene glycol as the co- solvent
- Comparative Example 9 used DANTOCOL® DHE as the co-solvent.
- Fig. 2 illustrates an example Uncapped Test file 20 that was printed for a recovery/start up test.
- a first bar 22 of pre-treatment fixing fluid was printed on an offset coated medium 24 as a 1200 dpn (dots per nozzle) "spit" after a 6 minute delay during which the fixer pen is left uncapped.
- a second bar 26 of pre-treatment fixing fluid was printed on the offset coated medium 24 as a 200 dpn spit.
- a third bar 28 of pre-treatment fixing fluid was printed on the offset coated medium 24 as a 22 dpn spit. The third bar 28 was printed 0.09 seconds after the start of printing the first bar 24. After the third bar 28, actual printing commences.
- the goal is to achieve a fully recovered first line after the 22 dpn spit bar. Missing the smallest spit bar 28 and the lines after it meant that the fixer pen was not able to recover. For the 22 dpn spit, any number of missed drops less than 21 is acceptable, because this indicates pen recovery.
- Table II lists the observed results of printing the Uncapped Test file 20 for the nine pre-treatment fixing fluid compositions.
- Table IV shows the number of missed drops for Examples 6 and 7 which had the 22 dpn spit bar printed.
- a swath of black ink was printed on an offset coated medium between two swaths of cyan ink, using the pre-treatment fixing fluid of each of Comparative Examples 1 -5 and Examples 6 and 7.
- the pre-treatment fixing fluid was printed on the medium, and while wet, the inks were printed thereon.
- the mixing of two dissimilar colors in two adjacent printed dots before they dry and absorb in a substrate is referred to as color bleeding. Color bleeding reduces print quality.
- the color bleed results are depicted in Figs. 3A-9A.
- the middle swath was black ink, while the two outer swaths were cyan ink.
- Table III The results are summarized in Table III.
- Comparative Example 1 Although not shown in Tables II and III, the formulation of Comparative Example 1 became hazy over time and it was not a clear solution.
- coalescence of black and cyan inks printed on the pre-treatment fixing fluids of Comparative Examples 1 -5 and Examples 6 and 7 was measured and plotted.
- the coalescence was measured by printing an ink on the pre-treatment fixing fluid on an offset coated medium in a series of squares, ranging from 4% coverage to 100% coverage (X-axis of Figs. 10A and 10B).
- a scanner was used to measure the white space in each square.
- An algorithm translated the optical measurement to a coalescence score (Y-axis of Figs. 10A and 10B). A relatively higher score is indicative of poor coalescence.
- the results are depicted in Fig. 10A (for black ink) and Fig. 10B (for cyan ink).
- Comparative Examples 1 -5, Example 6, and Example 7 are denoted by Curves E1 -E7, respectively.
- the curves show that the pre-treatment fixing fluid of Example 6 had an overall better control on coalescence than the other pre- treatment fixing fluids. This is evidenced by inspecting those portions of the curves above the threshold of 4 for black or closer to the threshold of 2 for cyan. Better coalescence is indicated by as much of the curve as possible being as close to 4 or below 4 for black or by as much of the curve as possible being below 2 for cyan.
- ranges provided herein include the stated range and any value or sub-range within the stated range.
- a range from about 50 fpm to about 1000 fpm should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited limits of about 50 fpm to about 1000 fpm, but also to include individual values, such as 75 fpm, 900 fpm, etc., and sub-ranges, such as from about 65 fpm to about 850 fpm, etc.
- “about” is utilized to describe a value, this is meant to encompass minor variations (up to +/- 10%) from the stated value.
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Abstract
A pre-treatment fixing fluid for an offset coated medium is disclosed. The pre-treatment fixing fluid includes calcium-containing cationic crashing agents consisting of calcium propionate and calcium nitrate, wherein the calcium propionate is present in an amount ranging from about 0 wt% to about 10 wt%, and wherein the calcium nitrate is present in an amount ranging from about 15 wt% to 0 wt%, both based on the total wt% of the pre-treatment fixing fluid. The pre-treatment fixing further includes a co-solvent, a surfactant, and a balance of water. The surfactant is selected from the group consisting of a first surfactant having a first hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) value within a hydrophobic range and a combination of the first surfactant and a second surfactant having a second HLB value within a water dispersible range.
Description
PRE-TREATMENT FIXING FLUID
BACKGROUND
[0001 ] In addition to home and office usage, inkjet technology has been expanded to high-speed, commercial and industrial printing. Inkjet printing is a non-impact printing method that utilizes electronic signals to control and direct droplets or a stream of ink to be deposited on media. Some commercial and industrial inkjet printers utilize fixed printheads and a moving substrate web in order to achieve high speed printing. Current inkjet printing technology involves forcing the ink drops through small nozzles by thermal ejection, piezoelectric pressure or oscillation onto the surface of the media. This technology has become a popular way of recording images on various media surfaces (e.g., paper), for a number of reasons, including, low printer noise, capability of high-speed recording and multi-color recording.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0002] Features of examples of the present disclosure will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description and drawings, in which like reference numerals correspond to similar, though perhaps not identical, components. For the sake of brevity, reference numerals or features having a previously described function may or may not be described in connection with other drawings in which they appear.
[0003] Fig. 1 is a flow diagram of a method for improving uncapped start up performance of an inkjet fixer pen, according to an example;
[0004] Fig. 2 is a schematic of a printing scheme used to determine recovery/start up for fixer pens, according to an example;
[0005] Figs. 3A and 3B are, respectively, a black and white image illustrating bleed control and a black and white image illustrating print quality for prints formed using a first example of a comparative pre-treatment fixing coating;
[0006] Figs. 4A and 4B are, respectively, a black and white image illustrating bleed control and a black and white image illustrating print quality for prints formed using a second example of a comparative pre-treatment fixing coating;
[0007] Figs. 5A and 5B are, respectively, a black and white image illustrating bleed control and a black and white image illustrating print quality for prints formed using a third example of a comparative pre-treatment fixing coating;
[0008] Figs. 6A and 6B are, respectively, a black and white image illustrating bleed control and a black and white image illustrating print quality for prints formed using a fourth example of a comparative pre-treatment fixing coating;
[0009] Figs. 7A and 7B are, respectively, a black and white image illustrating bleed control and a black and white image illustrating print quality for prints formed using a fifth example of a comparative pre-treatment fixing coating;
[0010] Figs. 8A and 8B are, respectively, a black and white image illustrating bleed control and a black and white image illustrating print quality for prints formed using a first example of a pre-treatment fixing coating disclosed herein;
[001 1 ] Figs. 9A and 9B are, respectively, a black and white image illustrating bleed control and a black and white image illustrating print quality for prints formed using a second example of a pre-treatment fixing coating disclosed herein; and
[0012] Figs. 10A and 10B are each a plot on coordinates of a coalescence score
(Y-axis) and percent ink coverage (X-axis) of the coalescence of black inks (Fig. 10A) and cyan inks (Fig. 10B) containing different surfactant combinations, according to examples.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] In inkjet printing, aqueous-based inks are commonly used on uncoated media, in part because the high surface energy of the aqueous ink enables the ink to
spread well on the uncoated media. Aqueous inks may also be desirable for printing on coated offset media. However, coated offset media may be a slow-absorbing medium with high hold-out (i.e., colorants tend to remain on the surface of the media). Additionally, coated offset media may have a relatively low surface energy, and the higher surface energy aqueous inks may not spread well. As a result, images formed from aqueous inks on coated offset media tend to have reduced image quality attributes, such as, for example, gloss or optical density.
[0014] For recently-developed industrial printers, such as HP PageWide C500 Press and others, control of bleed and coalescence and avoiding text feathering at high speed can be challenging, especially when printing on coated offset media, which may not be suitable for rapid aqueous ink absorption. As used herein, high speed may refer to print speeds of at least 50 feet per minute (fpm), and up to 1000 fpm.
[0015] In theory, pre-treatment fixing compositions may render coated offset media more suitable for printing with aqueous-based inks. Pre-treatment fixing compositions are often substantially colorless liquids that interact with the colorant and/or with polymeric components of the ink composition in order to precipitate (i.e., crash) the colorants or otherwise fix the ink composition to the print media surface. Pre- treatment fixing fluid compositions have been applied on the coated offset media before the application of an ink composition in view of improving printing
characteristics and attributes of the image. Some pre-treatment fixing fluid
compositions have been applied to coated offset media and dried prior to subsequent ink application. This forms a dried ink-receiving type of layer on the surface of the medium. While this may desirably control bleed, the gloss of the resulting print often may suffer.
[0016] For high speed inkjet printing, wet-on-wet printing (i.e., wet ink deposited on wet pre-treatment fixing fluid) may be desirable, for example, so that in-line printing can be performed. Wet-on-wet printing could also enable the use of commercially- available coated offset media which does not include any pre-treatment fixing composition thereon, and thus may otherwise be undesirable for high speed inkjet
printing. Without a pre-treatment fixing composition for slow-absorbing print media (i.e., coated offset media), there is no control of pigment migration, and the result is color bleed and feathering of text. Wet-on-wet printing would provide the pre- treatment fixing composition in-line rather than as a dried coating composition. The chemistry involved in wet-on-wet printing is complex, due in part to the interaction between the medium and the pre-treatment fixing fluid composition, and between the pre-treatment fixing fluid composition and the ink. In addition, for wet-on-wet printing, the slow-absorbing nature of coated offset media requires the pre-treatment fixing fluid composition to be highly (i.e., immediately) reactive with subsequently deposited inks in order to control bleed and pigment floatation (i.e., dot gain). The desired reactivity may be accomplished by increasing the organic acid salt content; however, it has been found that a higher salt content can lead to pen reliability issues resulting from corrosion and to the formation of prints with poor durability.
[0017] Although many pre-treatment fixing formulations have been based primarily on divalent metallic salts, salts containing calcium cations have been found to be particularly suitable fixing agents. Often, pre-treatment fixing formulations include calcium propionate, calcium (B5) pantothenate, and calcium nitrate in combination with co-solvent and surfactant in an aqueous vehicle. However, such pre-treatment fixing formulations may have undesirable uncapped life or performance, which refers to the ability of the pre-treatment fixing formulation to readily eject from the pen, upon prolonged exposure to air. Similarly, the pen used to eject the pre-treatment fixing formulation may have an unacceptable uncapped start up performance (or recovery), which refers to the ability of the pen to readily eject the fluid therefrom after prolonged exposure to air.
[0018] The uncapped time may be measured as the amount of time that the pen (in a printhead) may be left uncapped (i.e., exposed to air) before the printer nozzles no longer fire properly, potentially because of clogging, plugging, or retraction of solid(s) in the fluid from the drop forming region of the nozzle/firing chamber. In other words, the uncapped time for a thermal inkjet pen may be the length of time that the pen can
remain unused and uncapped before spitting (one example of pen servicing) would be required to form an acceptable quality drop. A decreased uncapped time can lead to poor print reliability. In some examples, it is desired for the uncapped time to be from about five minutes to about ten minutes. In other examples, it is desired for the uncapped time to exceed six minutes, especially in the newer, high speed, industrial printers.
[0019] In accordance with the teachings herein, a pre-treatment fixing fluid for an offset coated medium is provided. The pre-treatment fixing fluid includes a particular cationic crashing agent or a combination of particular cationic crashing agents to prevent ink pigment migration (which leads to better image quality) and to facilitate fast drying. It has been found that high levels of cationic crashing agents (e.g., metal salts) often used in pre-treatment fixing fluids to achieve the desired image and text quality has caused pen nozzle health problems, such as poor uncapped start up performance. In the examples disclosed herein, a pre-treatment fixing fluid has been developed that includes a high percentage of the particular cationic crashing agent(s) and that improves fixer pen start up from an uncapped position (i.e., uncapped start up performance). In other words, the fixer pens dispensing the pre-treatment fixing fluid disclosed herein exhibit significantly better recovery and reliability.
[0020] The pre-treatment fixing fluid may have a composition including: calcium- containing cationic crashing agents consisting of calcium propionate and/or calcium nitrate; a co-solvent; one or more surfactants, with a first surfactant having a first hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) value within a hydrophobic range used alone or in combination with a second surfactant having a second HLB value within a water dispersible range; and water. The pre-treatment fixing fluid is devoid of calcium pantothenate.
[0021 ] Removing the calcium pantothenate salt from the pre-treatment fixing fluid may have a significant effect on pen recovery. The calcium pantothenate may be replaced with additional calcium nitrate to maintain the same molar concentration of calcium ions. The calcium propionate may be present in an amount ranging from 0
weight percent (wt%) to about 10 wt% based on a total wt% of the pre-treatment fixing fluid, while the calcium nitrate may be present in an amount ranging from about 15 wt% to 0 wt% based on the total wt% of the pre-treatment fixing fluid. Furthermore, these two calcium salts can be used individually and the result is almost the same as the combination. If one of the two calcium salts is 0 wt%, the other of the calcium salts can be at its maximum weight percent.
[0022] As mentioned above, the pre-treatment fixing fluid includes a first surfactant having a first hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) value within a hydrophobic range, which is used alone or in combination with a second surfactant having a second HLB value within a water dispersible range. The surfactant(s) may be present for wetting and penetrating the print medium. In the ideal case, the surfactant(s) spread uniformly on the print medium. As such, in some examples, using the surfactant having an HLB value within a water dispersible range (i.e., a high HLB surfactant) helps a low HLB surfactant (i.e., having an HLB value within a hydrophobic range), such as
SURFYNOL® SE-F, stay in the pre-treatment fixing fluid and perform as a strong dynamic surfactant. As used herein, a "strong dynamic surfactant" is one that wets the medium vertically and laterally, and the dot gain is big. In contrast, a non-dynamic surfactant lowers the surface tension and moves vertically, and the dot gain is small. SURFYNOL® SE-F is an ethoxylated acetylenic diol, such as ethoxylated 2,4,7,9- tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol, and has an HLB of 4-5. Examples of hydrophobic surfactants, in addition to SURFYNOL® SE-F, include SURFYNOL® 104,
PLURONIC® L61 and 25R2, and DYNOL® 960, 800, and 360.
[0023] Examples of surfactants having an HLB value within a water dispersible range include SURFYNOL® CT-21 1 , which is an alkylphenylethoxylate, such as poly(oxy-1 ,2-ethanediyl), a-(nonylphenyl)- -hydroxy-, branched plus 2,4,7,9- tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol, having an HLB value of 8-12, and CARBOWET® GA- 21 1 , which may be similar to SURFYNOL® CT-21 1 , SURFYNOL® 465 and CT-121 , TERGITOL® 15s5, 15s7, TMN-3, and TMN-6, PLURONIC® 123 and 17R4, and DYNOL® 604 and 607.
[0024] The surfactant having the lower HLB value (less than about 6) may be present in an amount ranging from about 0.05 wt% to about 1.5 wt% based on the total wt% of the inkjet ink. The surfactant having the higher HLB value (greater than 6) may be present in an amount ranging from 0 wt% to about 0.1 wt% based on the total wt% of the pre-treatment fixing fluid. In some cases, the surfactant with the higher HLB value may not be needed at lower concentrations of the surfactant having the lower HLB value. For example, when using SURFYNOL® SE-F at low concentrations (i.e., up to about 0.09 wt%), CARBOWET® GA-21 1 may not be needed, since
SURFYNOL® SE-F is soluble at low concentrations. On the other hand, at higher concentrations of the surfactant having the lower HLB value (e.g., SURFYNOL® SE- F), then the surfactant having the higher HLB value (e.g., CARBOWET® GA-21 1 ) may be needed to help with the solubility of the surfactant having the lower HLB value.
[0025] The co-solvent may be an organic co-solvent, such as aliphatic alcohols, aromatic alcohols, diols, glycol ethers, polyglycol ethers, 2-pyrrolidinones,
caprolactams, formamides, acetamides, glycols, and long chain alcohols. However, glycols have generally been found to be superior for uncapped start up performance (or recovery), particularly tetraethylene glycol. The co-solvent may be present in total in the pre-treatment fixing fluid in an amount ranging from about 2 wt% to about 20 wt% depending, at least in part, on the jetting architecture of the system used to print the pre-treatment fixing fluid. In an example, the co-solvent is present in the pre- treatment fixing fluid in an amount of about 12 wt% based on the total wt% of the pre- treatment fixing fluid.
[0026] The balance of the pre-treatment fixing fluid may be water.
[0027] The pre-treatment fixing fluid may also include an acid present in an amount sufficient to render a pH of the pre-treatment fixing fluid from about 4.0 to 7.0. An example of a suitable acid for adjusting the pH is methanesulfonic acid.
[0028] It is to be understood that the pre-treatment fixing fluid excludes any latex polymer.
[0029] Fig. 1 depicts a flow chart of an example of a method 10 for improving uncapped start up performance of an inkjet fixer pen, according to an example. In the method 10, an example of the pre-treatment fixing fluid is prepared (reference numeral 12). The example pre-treatment fixing fluid includes:
calcium-containing cationic crashing agents consisting of calcium propionate and calcium nitrate, wherein the calcium propionate is present in an amount ranging from 0 wt% to about 10 wt% based on a total wt% of the pre-treatment fixing fluid, and wherein the calcium nitrate is present in an amount ranging from about 15 wt% to 0 wt% based on the total wt% of the pre-treatment fixing fluid;
a pre-treatment fixing fluid co-solvent;
a surfactant being selected from the group consisting of a first surfactant having a first hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) value within a hydrophobic range and a combination of the first surfactant and a second surfactant having a second HLB value within a water dispersible range; and
a balance of water.
The method 10 may further include loading the pre-treatment fixing fluid into the inkjet fixer pen (reference numeral 14).
[0030] While not shown in Fig. 1 , the method 10 may also include allowing the inkjet fixer pen to remain uncapped for a time ranging from about 5 minutes to about 10 minutes. After the time has passed and without servicing the inkjet fixer pen, the method 10 further includes ejecting at least some of the pre-treatment fixing fluid from the inkjet fixer pen. At this time, the nozzles of the pen can fire properly, and the pen can easily resume printing of the pre-treatment fixing fluid.
[0031 ] Other examples of the method 10 may proceed without allowing the inkjet fixer pen to remain uncapped for the time period.
[0032] The printing of the pre-treatment fixing fluid may be accomplished using a high speed printing apparatus at print speeds of at least 50 fpm, and up to 1000 fpm. Examples of suitable high speed printing apparatuses include thermal inkjet printers or web presses, piezoelectric inkjet printers or web presses, or continuous inkjet printers
or web presses. The pre-treatment fixing fluid may be printed directly onto a surface of coated offset medium. The pre-treatment fixing fluid may be the composition disclosed above.
[0033] In this example of the printing method 10, no drying operation is performed after the pre-treatment fixing fluid is applied on the medium. Rather, while the pre- treatment fixing fluid is wet, an inkjet ink is deposited on the medium with the pre- treatment fixing fluid thereon. In other words, after the pre-treatment fixing fluid is applied to the medium, the inkjet ink may be applied to the wet pre-treatment fixing fluid coated on the medium. When multiple ink colors are used, it is to be understood that all of the inks are applied while previously deposited layers are still wet.
[0034] The ink may be applied onto the pre-treatment fixing fluid using the same suitable high speed inkjet printing apparatus disclosed herein for the pre-treatment fixing fluid application. The ink composition may include:
a pigment;
a binder that is a polyurethane-based dispersion;
a co-solvent;
a surfactant; and
a balance of water.
[0035] The ink may further include other components common to inkjet inks, such as antimicrobial agents (e.g., biocides and fungicides), anti-kogation agents (for thermal inkjet printing), etc. For some examples of printing, the ink may be chosen from a pigment-based inkjet ink, a pigmented latex-based inkjet ink, a UV curable inkjet ink, a dye-based inkjet ink, or a toner. The ink may be any color, such as black, cyan, magenta, yellow, etc.
[0036] In a particular example, the ink may contain two or more surfactants, a first surfactant having a first hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) value either within a water dispersible range or within a hydrophobic range, and a second surfactant having a second HLB value within a hydrophobic range. The combination of the first surfactant and the second surfactant is to adjust a surface tension of the inkjet ink to a value
lower than a surface tension of the offset coated medium on which the inkjet ink is to be printed.
[0037] In the examples disclosed herein, an example coated offset medium may include: a print medium coated with a coating that contains a hydrophobic polymer and forms a nonporous smooth surface; and an example pre-treatment fixing coating (formed from an example pre-treatment fixing fluid disclosed herein) on the nonporous smooth surface of the print medium.
[0038] An example of the hydrophobic polymer is styrene butadiene. As used herein, a "smooth" surface is one that is substantially uniform and essentially nonporous.
[0039] In an example, the print medium may be a commercially available coated medium, such as STERLING® Ultra Gloss (NewPage Corp.) and UTOPIA™ Digital (Appleton Coated LLC). The coated offset media may further include the ink described above printed on the pre-treatment fixing coating. The coating of the pre- treatment fixing fluid may be a wet coating upon which the ink is applied.
[0040] To further illustrate the present disclosure, examples are given herein. It is to be understood that these examples are provided for illustrative purposes and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.
EXAMPLES
Examples 1 -7
[0041 ] A number of example and comparative ("comp") example pre-treatment fixing fluid compositions were prepared, as listed in Table I below. Most included calcium propionate ("Ca Pro.") and calcium nitrate (with 4H2O). Some compositions included calcium pantothenate ("Ca Pan.") as well. The compositions including Ca Pan are comparative examples. Comparative pre-treatment fixing fluids with calcium pantothenate have not shown the necessary decap/uncapped performance required for high speed printing. Examples of the pre-treatment fixing fluid compositions as disclosed herein do not include calcium pantothenate.
[0042] Some of the pre-treatment fixing fluids had one surfactant, while other compositions included two surfactants. In the one surfactant case, the surfactant was the surfactant was SURFYNOL® SE-F ("SE-F"), an ethoxylated acetylenic diol available from Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (Allentown, PA). The compositions with two surfactants included a first surfactant having a first HLB value within a hydrophobic range and a second surfactant having a second HLB value within a water dispersible range. The first surfactant was SURFYNOL® SE-F (HLB = 4-5), while the second surfactant was CARBOWET® GA 21 1 ("GA 21 1") (HLB= 8-12), also available from Air Products.
[0043] The co-solvent was either glycerol ("Gly"), tetraethylene glycol ("4EG") or DANTOCOL® DHE ("Dant"). DANTOCOL® DHE is di-(2-hydoxyethyl)-5, 5- dimethylhydantoin, available from Lonza Inc. (Allendale, NJ).
[0044] Two antimicrobial agents were employed. In some examples, PROXEL™ GXL ("GXL"), an antimicrobial containing 1 ,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one in a 20% aqueous dipropylene glycol solution, available from Arch Chemicals, Inc. (Norwalk, CT), and ACTICIDE® B20 ("B20"), a biocide containing 1 ,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one, available from Thor Specialties, Inc. (Trumbull, CT), were employed. In other examples, ACTICIDE® M20 ("M20"), a biocide containing 2-methylisothiazol-3(2H)-one and 1 ,2- benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one, available from Thor Specialties, Inc., and ACTICIDE® B20 were used.
[0045] In all cases, the balance of the composition was water. The pH of all compositions was adjusted to 6.6 with methanesulfonic acid. The wt% listed for a component is based on the total wt% of the pre-treatment fixing fluid.
Table I
[0046] Comparative Examples 1 -5 all included calcium pantothenate and are considered to be outside the scope of the teachings. It is noted that in Comparative Example 4, calcium propionate was omitted, to see if its absence would lead to an improvement in the properties of the pre-treatment fixing fluid. In Comparative Example 5, the concentration of calcium pantothenate was reduced (while keeping the concentration of calcium nitrate approximately the same as Comparative Examples 1 - 4), to see if a lower calcium pantothenate would lead to an improvement in the properties of the pre-treatment fixing fluid.
[0047] Examples 6 and 7 omitted the calcium pantothenate, as well as increased the calcium nitrate concentration and also included two surfactants, one having an HLB value within a hydrophobic range and a second surfactant having a second HLB value either within a water dispersible range. These two compositions are considered to be within the scope of the teachings.
[0048] Comparative Examples 8 and 9 were similar to Example 6, except that different co-solvents were utilized to evaluate the effect of the co-solvent. More particularly, Comparative Examples 1 , 2 and 8 used glycerol as the co-solvent, Comparative Examples 3-5 and Examples 6 and 7 used tetraethylene glycol as the co- solvent, and Comparative Example 9 used DANTOCOL® DHE as the co-solvent.
[0049] To test the fixer pens recovery/start up, all pre-treatment fixing fluids were tinted with a red dye for visibility. To check the text quality, bleed and coalescence control, all pre-treatment fixing fluids were printed with black and cyan inks.
[0050] Fig. 2 illustrates an example Uncapped Test file 20 that was printed for a recovery/start up test. A first bar 22 of pre-treatment fixing fluid was printed on an offset coated medium 24 as a 1200 dpn (dots per nozzle) "spit" after a 6 minute delay during which the fixer pen is left uncapped. A second bar 26 of pre-treatment fixing fluid was printed on the offset coated medium 24 as a 200 dpn spit. A third bar 28 of pre-treatment fixing fluid was printed on the offset coated medium 24 as a 22 dpn spit. The third bar 28 was printed 0.09 seconds after the start of printing the first bar 24. After the third bar 28, actual printing commences. As such, the goal is to achieve a fully recovered first line after the 22 dpn spit bar. Missing the smallest spit bar 28 and the lines after it meant that the fixer pen was not able to recover. For the 22 dpn spit, any number of missed drops less than 21 is acceptable, because this indicates pen recovery.
[0051 ] Table II lists the observed results of printing the Uncapped Test file 20 for the nine pre-treatment fixing fluid compositions. Table IV shows the number of missed drops for Examples 6 and 7 which had the 22 dpn spit bar printed.
Table II
[0052] It is clear from an inspection of Table II that the combination of (1 ) eliminating the use of calcium pantothenate and increasing the concentration of calcium nitrate and (2) employing two surfactants, one having an HLB value within a hydrophobic range and the other having a second HLB value either within a water dispersible range, results in improved decap time for the pre-treatment fixing fluid.
[0053] To test bleed, a swath of black ink was printed on an offset coated medium between two swaths of cyan ink, using the pre-treatment fixing fluid of each of Comparative Examples 1 -5 and Examples 6 and 7. The pre-treatment fixing fluid was
printed on the medium, and while wet, the inks were printed thereon. The mixing of two dissimilar colors in two adjacent printed dots before they dry and absorb in a substrate is referred to as color bleeding. Color bleeding reduces print quality. The color bleed results are depicted in Figs. 3A-9A. The middle swath was black ink, while the two outer swaths were cyan ink. The results are summarized in Table III.
[0054] To test printed text quality, the color (black or cyan) was printed on an offset coating medium, using the pre-treatment fixing fluid of each of Comparative Examples 1 -5 and Examples 6 and 7. The pre-treatment fixing fluid was printed on the medium, and while wet, the inks were printed thereon. The text quality results are depicted in Figs. 3B-9B. The left image ("1 ") was of black ink printed on the respective pre- treatment fixing fluid, while the right image ("2) was of cyan ink printed on the respective pre-treatment fixing fluid. The results are summarized in Table III.
Table III
[0055] Although not shown in Tables II and III, the formulation of Comparative Example 1 became hazy over time and it was not a clear solution.
[0056] The text quality was good for Comparative Examples 4 and 5 and Examples 6 and 7, as evidenced by Figs. 6B-9B. However, other factors, such as bleed
(Comparative Example 4) and nozzle health (Comparative Example 5) were undesirable.
[0057] In other observations, comparing the results of Comparative Examples 1 , 2, 8 and 9 and Examples 6 and 7 indicates that tetraethylene glycol (4EG) is a better solvent than glycerol or DANTOCOL® DHE for calcium salts. Tetraethylene glycol may perform as a chelating agent, which can increase the calcium salt solubility and keep the pen healthier. As shown in Table II, the fixer pen did not recover when left uncapped for 6 minutes in printhead for Comparative Examples 1 , 2, 8, and 9. While the data is not shown, essentially the same results were obtained with co-solvents 1 ,3,5-pentanetriol and polypropylene glycol in place of tetraethylene glycol.
[0058] Finally, coalescence of black and cyan inks printed on the pre-treatment fixing fluids of Comparative Examples 1 -5 and Examples 6 and 7 was measured and plotted. The coalescence was measured by printing an ink on the pre-treatment fixing fluid on an offset coated medium in a series of squares, ranging from 4% coverage to 100% coverage (X-axis of Figs. 10A and 10B). A scanner was used to measure the white space in each square. An algorithm translated the optical measurement to a coalescence score (Y-axis of Figs. 10A and 10B). A relatively higher score is indicative of poor coalescence. The results are depicted in Fig. 10A (for black ink) and Fig. 10B (for cyan ink).
[0059] In both plots, Comparative Examples 1 -5, Example 6, and Example 7 are denoted by Curves E1 -E7, respectively. The curves show that the pre-treatment fixing fluid of Example 6 had an overall better control on coalescence than the other pre- treatment fixing fluids. This is evidenced by inspecting those portions of the curves above the threshold of 4 for black or closer to the threshold of 2 for cyan. Better coalescence is indicated by as much of the curve as possible being as close to 4 or below 4 for black or by as much of the curve as possible being below 2 for cyan.
[0060] In conclusion, Examples 6 and 7, with slightly less total salt (wt%) and the highest calcium ion (wt%) and tetraethylene glycol as the co-solvent, gave the best pen recovery, high text quality, and a very good bleed and coalescence control. Table
IV summarizes the pen recovery results (where "NR" indicates the pen did not recover).
Table IV
[0061 ] Reference throughout the specification to "one example", "another example", "an example", and so forth, means that a particular element (e.g., feature, structure, and/or characteristic) described in connection with the example is included in at least one example described herein, and may or may not be present in other examples. In addition, it is to be understood that the described elements for any example may be combined in any suitable manner in the various examples unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[0062] It is to be understood that the ranges provided herein include the stated range and any value or sub-range within the stated range. For example, a range from about 50 fpm to about 1000 fpm should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited limits of about 50 fpm to about 1000 fpm, but also to include individual values, such as 75 fpm, 900 fpm, etc., and sub-ranges, such as from about 65 fpm to about
850 fpm, etc. Furthermore, when "about" is utilized to describe a value, this is meant to encompass minor variations (up to +/- 10%) from the stated value.
[0063] In describing and claiming the examples disclosed herein, the singular forms
"a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[0064] While several examples have been described in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosed examples may be modified. Therefore, the foregoing description is to be considered non-limiting.
Claims
1 . A pre-treatment fixing fluid for an offset coated medium, comprising:
calcium-containing cationic crashing agents consisting of calcium propionate and calcium nitrate, wherein the calcium propionate is present in an amount ranging from 0 wt% to about 10 wt% based on a total wt% of the pre-treatment fixing fluid, and wherein the calcium nitrate is present in an amount ranging from about 15 wt% to 0 wt% based on the total wt% of the pre-treatment fixing fluid;
a co-solvent;
a surfactant selected from the group consisting of a first surfactant having a first hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) value within a hydrophobic range and a
combination of the first surfactant and a second surfactant having a second HLB value within a water dispersible range; and
a balance of water.
2. The pre-treatment fixing fluid as defined in claim 1 wherein the co-solvent is tetraethylene glycol.
3. The pre-treatment fixing fluid as defined in claim 1 wherein the first HLB value is less than about 6 and the first surfactant is present in an amount ranging from about 0.05 wt% to about 1 .5 wt% based on the total wt% of the pre-treatment fixing fluid, and wherein the second HLB value is greater than 6 and the second surfactant is present in an amount ranging from 0 wt% to about 0.1 wt% based on the total wt% of the pre-treatment fixing fluid. 4. The pre-treatment fixing fluid as defined in claim 1 wherein the first surfactant includes ethoxylated 2,4,7,9-tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol and wherein the second surfactant includes poly(oxy-1 ,2-ethanediyl), a-(nonylphenyl)- -hydroxy-, branched plus 2,
4,7,9-tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol.
5. The pre-treatment fixing fluid as defined in claim 1 , further comprising an acid present in an amount sufficient to render a pH of the pre-treatment fixing fluid from about 4.0 to about 7.0.
6. A method for improving uncapped start up performance of an inkjet fixer pen, the method comprising:
preparing a pre-treatment fixing fluid, including:
calcium-containing cationic crashing agents consisting of calcium propionate and calcium nitrate, wherein the calcium propionate is present in an amount ranging from 0 wt% to about 10 wt% based on a total wt% of the pre- treatment fixing fluid, and wherein the calcium nitrate is present in an amount ranging from about 15 wt% to 0 wt% based on the total wt% of the pre- treatment fixing fluid,
a pre-treatment fixing fluid co-solvent,
a surfactant being selected from the group consisting of a first surfactant having a first hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) value within a hydrophobic range and a combination of the first surfactant and a second surfactant having a second HLB value within a water dispersible range, and
a balance of water; and
loading the pre-treatment fixing fluid into the inkjet fixer pen.
7. The method as defined in claim 6, further comprising:
allowing the inkjet fixer pen to remain uncapped for a time ranging from about 5 minutes to about 10 minutes; and
after the time and without servicing the inkjet fixer pen, ejecting at least some of the pre-treatment fixing fluid from the inkjet fixer pen.
8. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein the first HLB value is less than about 6 and the first surfactant is present in an amount ranging from about 0.05 wt% to
about 1 .5 wt% based on the total wt% of the pre-treatment fixing fluid, and wherein the second HLB value is greater than 6 and the second surfactant is present in an amount ranging from 0 wt% to about 0.1 wt% based on the total wt% of the pre-treatment fixing fluid.
9. The method as defined in claim 8 wherein the first surfactant includes ethoxylated 2,4,7,9-tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol and wherein the second surfactant includes poly(oxy-1 ,2-ethanediyl), a-(nonylphenyl)- -hydroxy-, branched plus 2,4,7,9- tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol.
10. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein the pre-treatment fixing fluid further includes an acid present in an amount sufficient to render a pH of the pre- treatment fixing fluid from about 4.0 to about 7.0.
1 1 . A coated offset medium, comprising:
a print medium coated with a coating that contains a hydrophobic polymer and forms a nonporous smooth surface; and
a pre-treatment fixing coating on the nonporous smooth surface of the coated offset medium, the pre-treatment fixing coating including:
calcium-containing cationic crashing agents consisting of calcium propionate and calcium nitrate, wherein the calcium propionate is present in an amount ranging from 0 wt% to about 10 wt% based on a total wt% of the pre- treatment fixing coating, and wherein the calcium nitrate is present in an amount ranging from about 15 wt% to 0 wt% based on the total wt% of the pre- treatment fixing coating, and
a surfactant being selected from the group consisting of a first surfactant having a first hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) value within a hydrophobic range and a combination of the first surfactant and a second surfactant having a second HLB value within a water dispersible range.
12. The coated offset media as defined in claim 1 1 wherein the first HLB value is less than about 6 and the first surfactant is present in an amount ranging from about 0.05 wt% to about 1 .5 wt% based on a total solids wt% of the pre-treatment fixing coating, and wherein the second HLB value is greater than 6 and the second surfactant is present in an amount ranging from 0 wt% to about 0.1 wt% based on the total solids wt% of the pre-treatment fixing coating.
13. The coated offset media as defined in claim 12 wherein the first surfactant includes ethoxylated 2,4,7,9-tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol and wherein the second surfactant includes poly(oxy-1 ,2-ethanediyl), a-(nonylphenyl)- -hydroxy-, branched plus 2,4,7,9-tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol.
14. The coated offset media as defined in claim 1 1 wherein the pre-treatment fixing coating further includes an acid.
15. The coated offset media as defined in claim 1 1 , further comprising an ink printed on the pre-treatment fixing coating, wherein the ink includes:
water;
a colorant;
a binder;
a co-solvent; and
a surfactant.
Priority Applications (8)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP16909670.8A EP3414095A4 (en) | 2016-07-20 | 2016-07-20 | Pre-treatment fixing fluid |
CN201680085112.9A CN109070577B (en) | 2016-07-20 | 2016-07-20 | Pretreatment stationary liquid |
US16/092,718 US10759192B2 (en) | 2016-07-20 | 2016-07-20 | Pre-treatment fixing fluid |
PCT/US2016/043156 WO2018017076A1 (en) | 2016-07-20 | 2016-07-20 | Pre-treatment fixing fluid |
CN201780026677.4A CN109312185A (en) | 2016-07-20 | 2017-06-30 | Ink-jet ink sets with pretreatment fixer |
PCT/US2017/040365 WO2018017307A1 (en) | 2016-07-20 | 2017-06-30 | Inkjet ink set with a pre-treatment fixing fluid |
US16/080,275 US10647140B2 (en) | 2016-07-20 | 2017-06-30 | Inkjet ink set with a pre-treatment fixing fluid |
EP17831545.3A EP3433326B1 (en) | 2016-07-20 | 2017-06-30 | Inkjet ink set with a pre-treatment fixing fluid |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
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PCT/US2016/043156 WO2018017076A1 (en) | 2016-07-20 | 2016-07-20 | Pre-treatment fixing fluid |
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PCT/US2017/019580 Continuation-In-Part WO2018156157A1 (en) | 2016-07-20 | 2017-02-27 | Polyurethane-based binder dispersion |
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WO2018017076A1 true WO2018017076A1 (en) | 2018-01-25 |
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EP (1) | EP3414095A4 (en) |
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- 2016-07-20 WO PCT/US2016/043156 patent/WO2018017076A1/en active Application Filing
- 2016-07-20 EP EP16909670.8A patent/EP3414095A4/en active Pending
- 2016-07-20 US US16/092,718 patent/US10759192B2/en active Active
- 2016-07-20 CN CN201680085112.9A patent/CN109070577B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
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Also Published As
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US10759192B2 (en) | 2020-09-01 |
EP3414095A4 (en) | 2019-03-13 |
CN109070577A (en) | 2018-12-21 |
US20190161635A1 (en) | 2019-05-30 |
CN109070577B (en) | 2021-05-11 |
EP3414095A1 (en) | 2018-12-19 |
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