Eastman-kodak Company

Dale E DeCann

David T Southby

Andrei Andrievsky

Steven Evans

Samuel Chen

Yongcai Wang

Thomas B Brust

Brian P Cleary

An inkjet ink composition comprising: (a) water; (b) dispersed pigment particles; and (c) at least one humectant; wherein the pigment particles are present from about 4.5% by mass to about 10% by mass, and the pigment particles have a mass weighted mean Stoke's diameter of from about 35 nm to about 70 nm wherein the Stoke's diameter is determined by differential centrifugal sedimentation of the particles through a fluid in a disc centrifuge. The present invention employs specified sedimentation particle sizing criteria for selection of appropriate pigment particle sizes at high pigment concentrations to obtain improved ink performance. Further embodiments of the invention also demonstrate that the criticality of humectant types and levels employed in an ink can also become much more important at high pigment loading in order to obtain desired performance.

Pigment-based inkjet inks

An ink jet ink composition of water, humectant and a self-assembling colorant that is capable of spontaneously forming a nanoparticulate dispersion without any prior physical attrition or surface modification, the colorant having the formula: (A)&#x2014;Q&#x2014;(Z)wherein: Q represents a chromophore; each A independently represents an organic or inorganic group capable of hydrogen bonding or other non-covalent bonding; each Z independently represents an organic or inorganic group capable of electrostatic bonding; and m and n each independently represents an integer from 0 to 10; with the proviso that n+m is at least 1; and with the further proviso that at least about 50 wt. % of the colorant is present in the composition as particles.

Ink jet ink composition

An ink jet printing process having the steps of: A) providing an ink jet printer that is responsive to digital data signals; B) loading the printer with ink jet recording elements having a support having thereon an image-receiving layer; C) loading the printer with an ink jet ink composition of water, humectant and a self-assembling colorant that is capable of spontaneously forming a nanoparticulate dispersion without any prior physical attrition or surface modification, the colorant having the formula: (A) &mdash;Q&mdash;(Z) wherein: Q represents a chromophore; each A independently represents an organic or inorganic group capable of hydrogen bonding or other non-covalent bonding; each Z independently represents an organic or inorganic group capable of electrostatic bonding; and m and n each independently represents an integer from 0 to 10; with the proviso that n&plus;m is at least 1; and with the further proviso that at least about 50 wt. % of the colorant is present in the composition as particles; and D) printing on the image-receiving layer using the ink jet ink in response to the digital data signals.

Ink jet printing process

An ink jet ink composition including water, humectant and a metallized, phthalocyanine colorant, the metallized, phthalocyanine colorant having the formula: MPc(SO X) (SO NRR&prime;) wherein: M represents a metal; Pc represents a phthalocyanine nucleus; each X independently represents hydrogen, alkali metal or an organic cation; a is from 0 to 3; b is from 1 to 4; each R independently represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having from 1 to about 15 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group; and each R&prime; independently represents R or hydrogen; with the proviso that a&plus;b is an average of from 2 to 4; and with the further proviso that at least about 50 wt. % of the metallized, phthalocyanine colorant is present in the composition as particles.

Ink jet composition

An ink jet printing process having the steps of: A) providing an ink jet printer that is responsive to digital data signals; B) loading the printer with ink jet recording elements having a support having thereon an image-receiving layer; C) loading the printer with an ink jet ink composition including water, humectant and a metallized, phthalocyanine colorant, the metallized, phthalocyanine colorant having the formula: MPc(SO X) (SO NRR&prime;) wherein: M represents a metal; Pc represents a phthalocyanine nucleus; each X independently represents hyrdrogen, alkali metal or an organic cation; a is from 0 to 3; b is from 1 to 4; each R independently represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having from 1 to about 15 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group; and each R&prime; independently represents R or hydrogen; with the proviso that a&plus;b is an average of from 2 to 4; and with the further proviso that at least about 50 wt. % of the metallized, phthalocyanine colorant is present in the composition as particles; and D) printing on the image-receiving layer using the ink jet ink in response to the digital data signals.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

Dale E DeCann