Uv-curable inkjet inks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020148902-A1
Application number	US-201716617325-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 17, 2017
Priority date	Oct 17, 2017
Publication date	May 14, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure is drawn to UV-curable inkjet inks, fluid sets, and printing systems. An example UV-curable inkjet ink can include water, a photo-initiator, from 8 wt % to 25 wt % organic co-solvent, and from 2 wt % to 20 wt % of a polyurethane. The polyurethane can include a polymer strand including a polymer backbone having two ends terminating at first and second capping units. The polymer backbone can be formed of polymerized monomers including a diisocyanate and a reactive diol selected from an acrylate-containing diol or a methacrylate-containing diol. The first capping unit can include an acrylate-containing monoalcohol, a methacrylate-containing monoalcohol, an allyl-containing monoalcohol, an allyl-containing monoamine, a styrene-containing monoalcohol, an acrylamide-containing monoalcohol, or a methacrylamide-containing monoalcohol reacted with an isocyanate group of the diisocyanate. The second capping unit can include 3-(cyclohexylamino)-1-propanesulfonic acid or 2-(cyclohexylamino)ethanesulfonic acid reacted with an isocyanate group of the diisocyanate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A UV-curable inkjet ink, comprising:
water; a pigment; a photo-initiator; from 8 wt % to 25 wt % organic co-solvent; and from 2 wt % to 20 wt % of a polyurethane dispersed in the UV-curable inkjet ink, wherein the polyurethane comprises a polymer strand including a polymer backbone having two ends terminating at a first capping unit and a second capping unit, wherein the polymer backbone comprises polymerized monomers, including:
a diisocyanate, and
a reactive diol selected from an acrylate-containing diol or a methacrylate-containing diol,
wherein the first capping unit comprises a monoalcohol or a monoamine reacted with an isocyanate group of the diisocyanate, and which is selected from an acrylate-containing monoalcohol, a methacrylate-containing monoalcohol, an allyl-containing monoalcohol, an allyl-containing monoamine, a styrene-containing monoalcohol, an acrylamide-containing monoalcohol, or a methacrylamide-containing monoalcohol; and wherein the second capping unit comprises 3-(cyclohexylamino)-1-propanesulfonic acid or 2-(cyclohexylamino)ethanesulfonic acid reacted with an isocyanate group of the diisocyanate.

2 . The UV-curable inkjet ink of claim 1 , wherein the polymer backbone is devoid of ionic stabilizing groups.

3 . The UV-curable inkjet ink of claim 1 , further comprising from 0.5 wt % to 1.5 wt % surfactant.

4 . The UV-curable inkjet ink of claim 1 , further comprising a polymeric sensitizer including a functionalized anthrone moiety, a polyether chain, and an amide linkage or an ether linkage attaching one end of the polyether chain to the functionalized anthrone moiety.

5 . The UV-curable inkjet ink of claim 1 , further comprising from 1 wt % to 2 wt % of a glycol ether penetrant.

6 . The UV-curable inkjet ink of claim 1 , wherein the reactive diol is selected from:

or a combination thereof.

7 . The UV-curable inkjet ink of claim 1 , wherein the first capping unit is a monoalcohol or monoamine reacted with the isocyanate group of the diisocyanate, and selected from:

or a combination thereof.

8 . A fluid set, comprising:
a UV-curable inkjet ink, comprising:
water,
a pigment,
a photo-initiator,
from 8 wt % to 25 wt % organic co-solvent, and
from 2 wt % to 20 wt % polyurethane dispersed therein; and
a UV-curable binder fluid that is devoid of pigment and includes from 8 wt % to 30 wt % of the polyurethane dispersed therein, wherein the polyurethane dispersed in the UV-curable binder fluid is at a greater concentration than the polyurethane dispersed in the UV-curable inkjet ink, wherein the polyurethane comprises a polymer strand comprising a polymer backbone having two ends terminating at a first capping unit and a second capping unit, wherein the polymer backbone comprises polymerized monomers including:
a diisocyanate, and
a reactive diol selected from an acrylate-containing diol or a methacrylate-containing diol;
wherein the first capping unit comprises a monoalcohol or a monoamine reacted with an isocyanate group of the diisocyanate, and which is selected from an acrylate-containing monoalcohol, a methacrylate-containing monoalcohol, an allyl-containing monoalcohol, an allyl-containing monoamine, a styrene-containing monoalcohol, an acrylamide-containing monoalcohol, or a methacrylamide-containing monoalcohol; and wherein the second capping unit comprises 3-(cyclohexylamino)-1-propanesulfonic acid or 2-(cyclohexylamino)ethanesulfonic acid reacted with an isocyanate group of the diisocyanate.

9 . The fluid set of claim 8 , wherein the binder fluid further comprises water, a photo-initiator, and an organic co-solvent.

10 . The fluid set of claim 9 , wherein the organic co-solvent is present in an amount from 8 wt % to 25 wt %.

11 . The fluid set of claim 8 , further comprising a fixer fluid comprising a cationic polymer.

12 . A printing system, comprising:
a vinyl print medium; an inkjet printhead in fluid communication with a reservoir containing a UV-curable inkjet ink, and which is positioned to jet the UV-curable inkjet ink onto the vinyl print medium, wherein the ink comprises:
water,
a pigment,
a photo-initiator,
from 8 wt % to 25 wt % organic co-solvent, and
from 2 wt % to 20 wt % polyurethane dispersed therein; and
a UV curing lamp positioned to cure the UV-curable inkjet ink on the vinyl print medium; wherein the polyurethane dispersion comprises a polymer strand comprising a polymer backbone having two ends terminating at a first capping unit and a second capping unit, wherein the polymer backbone comprises polymerized monomers including:
a diisocyanate, and
a reactive diol selected from an acrylate-containing diol or a methacrylate-containing diol;
wherein the first capping unit comprises a monoalcohol or a monoamine reacted with an isocyanate group of the diisocyanate, and which is selected from an acrylate-containing monoalcohol, a methacrylate-containing monoalcohol, an allyl-containing monoalcohol, an allyl-containing monoamine, a styrene-containing monoalcohol, an acrylamide-containing monoalcohol, or a methacrylamide-containing monoalcohol; and wherein the second capping unit comprises 3-(cyclohexylamino)-1-propanesulfonic acid or 2-(cyclohexylamino)ethanesulfonic acid reacted with an isocyanate group of the diisocyanate.

13 . The printing system of claim 12 , further comprising a UV-curable binder fluid applicator in fluid communication with a reservoir of a UV-curable binder fluid, and which is positioned to apply the UV-curable binder fluid over the UV-curable inkjet ink once printed on the vinyl print medium, wherein the UV-curable binder fluid is devoid of pigment and includes from 8 wt % to 30 wt % of the polyurethane dispersed therein, wherein the polyurethane dispersed in the UV-curable binder fluid is at a greater concentration than the polyurethane dispersed in the UV-curable inkjet ink.

14 . The printing system of claim 12 , further comprising a fixer fluid applicator in fluid communication with a reservoir of a fixer fluid and positioned to apply the fixer fluid to the vinyl print medium before the UV-curable inkjet ink is jetted onto the vinyl print medium, wherein the fixer fluid comprises a cationic polymer.

15 . The printing system of claim 12 , wherein the system is a page-wide high speed inkjet printer adapted to print a page width of 30 cm to 250 cm at a speed from 100 feet per minute to 1,000 feet per minute.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Sarkisian George
• Zhou Zhang-Lin
• Stramel Rodney David

Classifications

• C09D11/322

  Pigment inks · CPC title

• 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 · CPC title

• C08G18/755

  and at least one isocyanate or isothiocyanate group linked to a secondary carbon atom of the cycloaliphatic ring, e.g. isophorone diisocyanate · CPC title

• C08G18/815

  Polyisocyanates or polyisothiocyanates masked with unsaturated compounds having active hydrogen · CPC title

• C08G18/0828

  containing sulfonate groups or groups forming them · CPC title