Ink jet ink composition and ink jet printing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12305046-B2
Application number	US-202318127070-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2023
Priority date	Mar 29, 2022
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

An ink jet ink composition contains a metal pigment and at least one liquid medium selected from the group consisting of organic solvents and water. The metal pigment is surface-modified with a surface treatment agent. The metal pigment is in the form of scale-like particles and has a volume average particle size D 50 of 1.0 μm or less. The ratio D 50 /Z of the volume average particle size D 50 of the metal pigment to the average thickness Z of the metal pigment particles is 17 or more, and the ratio D 50 /L of the volume average particle size D 50 to the nozzle diameter L of the ink jet head is 0.050 or less.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ink jet ink composition used by being ejected from an ink jet head with a nozzle diameter L for printing, the ink jet ink composition comprising:
a metal pigment surface-modified with a surface treatment agent, the metal pigment being in a form of scale-like particles having a volume average particle size D 50 of 1.0 μm or less and an average thickness Z with a ratio D 50 /Z of the volume average particle size D 50 to the average thickness Z being 17 or more, the metal pigment having a ratio D 50 /L of the volume average particle size D 50 to the nozzle diameter L of the ink jet head being 0.050 or less; and
a liquid medium selected from the group consisting of organic solvents and water,
wherein
the surface treatment agent contains at least one selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by the following formula (1) and compounds represented by the following formula (2):
(R 1 —)P(O)(OH) 2   (1)

wherein R 1 represents a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon group with 14 or more carbon atoms, and
(R 2 —O—) a P(O)(OH) 3-a   (2)

wherein R 2 s each independently represent a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon group having a carbon skeleton with 14 or more carbon atoms, and a represents 1 or 2.

2. The ink jet ink composition according to claim 1 , wherein
the ink jet ink composition is an aqueous composition or a solvent-based composition.

3. The ink jet ink composition according to claim 1 , wherein
the ink jet ink composition is an aqueous ink composition in which the amount of the water is 40% by mass or more relative to the total mass of the ink composition, or a solvent-based ink composition in which the amount of the solvent is 60% by mass or more relative to the total mass of the ink composition.

4. The ink jet ink composition according to claim 1 , wherein
the volume average particle size D 50 of the metal pigment is 0.5 μm or less.

5. The ink jet ink composition according to claim 1 , wherein
the average thickness Z is 30 nm or less.

6. The ink jet ink composition according to claim 1 , wherein
the nozzle diameter L is 30 μm or less.

7. The ink jet ink composition according to claim 1 , wherein
the amount of the surface treatment agent is 1.0% to 50% by mass relative to the total mass of the metal pigment.

8. The ink jet ink composition according to claim 1 , wherein
at least one of the R 1 and R 2 s contains an unsubstituted hydrocarbon group.

9. The ink jet ink composition according to claim 1 , wherein
at least one of the R 1 and R 2 s contains a hydrocarbon group with 15 to 30 carbon atoms.

10. The ink jet ink composition according to claim 1 , wherein
the metal pigment contains at least one metal selected from aluminum and aluminum alloys.

11. The ink jet ink composition according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of the liquid medium is 60% by mass or more relative to the total mass of the ink jet ink composition.

12. An ink jet printing method comprising:
an application step of ejecting the ink jet ink composition as set forth in claim 1 from an ink jet head with a nozzle diameter L to apply the ink composition onto a printing medium,
wherein
the metal pigment has a ratio D 50 /L of the volume average particle size D 50 to the nozzle diameter L being 0.050 or less.

13. The ink jet printing method according to claim 12 , further comprising a primarily heating step of heating the ink jet ink composition attached to the printing medium in the application step.

14. The ink jet printing method according to claim 13 , wherein
the primary heating step is performed at a heating temperature of 30° C. to 50° C.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Hiruma Kei
• Nakatani Mitsunobu
• Ushiyama Tomoyuki
• Tsukada Kenta

Classifications

• B41M7/0081

  using electromagnetic radiation or waves, e.g. ultraviolet radiation, electron beams · CPC title

• C09D11/326

  characterised by the pigment dispersant · CPC title

• C09D11/36

  based on non-aqueous solvents · CPC title

• C09D11/322 Primary

  Pigment inks · CPC title

• C09D11/101 Primary

  Inks specially adapted for printing processes involving curing by wave energy or particle radiation, e.g. with UV-curing following the printing · CPC title