Xerox Corporation

John Wei-Ping Lin

Lesley P Dudek

Gary R Fague

Kock-Yee Law

Ivan Rezanka

Raymond R Wong

William W Limburg

Robert J Gruber

Ronald J Koch

Louis V Isganitis

Gordon E Johnson

Michael C Ferringer

Eric J Schneider

Steven T Dunn

Angello J Barbetta

Disclosed is an ink composition comprising water, a colorant, and an ABSCS&prime;B&prime;A&prime; or BASCS&prime;A&prime;B&prime; block copolymer wherein A and A&prime; are blocks containing one or more ethylene oxide repeat monomer units, B and B&prime; are blocks containing one or more propylene oxide repeat monomer units, C is a block comprising one or more repeat monomer units of an alkylsiloxane, a dialkylsiloxane, an alkyl aryl siloxane, or a diarylsiloxane, S is an optional spacer group between the A or B block and the C block, and S&prime; is an optional spacer group between the C block and the A&prime; or B&prime; block. Also disclosed is a multicolor ink jet printing process using the ink, wherein dry time is reduced and/or intercolor bleed is reduced.

Inks comprising linear ABSCS&prime;B&prime;A&prime;or BASCS&prime;A&prime;B&prime;alkylene oxide/siloxane block copolymers

Disclosed is an ink composition comprising water, a colorant, and a linear ASBS&prime;A&prime; block copolymer wherein A and A&prime; are each, independently of the other, blocks comprising one or more repeat monomer units of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, or random or alternating mixtures of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, B is a block comprising one or more repeat monomer units of an alkylsiloxane, a dialkylsiloxane, an alkyl aryl siloxane, a diarylsiloxane, or mixtures thereof, S is an optional spacer group between the A and B blocks, and S&prime; is an optional spacer group between the B and A&prime; blocks. Also disclosed is a multicolor ink jet printing process using the ink, wherein dry time is reduced and/or intercolor bleed is reduced.

Inks comprising linear Asbs'A' block copolymers of alkylene oxide and siloxane

A multicolor ink jet printing process employs an ink jet ink composition comprising water, a colorant of pigment, dye, or mixtures thereof, and a low boiling point additive to produce high quality multicolor ink jet images with minimal intercolor bleed and lines with sharp edges as characterized by a relatively low mid frequency line edge noise (MFLEN) number. The additive is an alcohol or thiol having a boiling point less than or equal to about 115&deg; C. The aforementioned ink jet ink composition can further include an optional additive of alcohol or thiol with a boiling point less than or equal to about 135&deg; C. if necessary. The desired additive increases the ink's drying rate with fast evaporation and an accelerated penetration into a print substrate (e.g. paper) upon printing. As a result, little or minimum residual ink (e.g. carbon black ink) comprising the aforementioned additive is available on the surface of the print substrate to intermix with a previously or subsequently printed ink (e.g. a color ink). As a result, the ink composition and multicolor ink jet printing process of the present invention can produce high quality images with minimal intercolor bleed and low MFLEN.

Ink jet ink compositions and printing processes

The present invention relates to aqueous ink jet ink compositions comprising a water-soluble or ink-compatible anti-intercolor bleed agent and ink jet printing processes. The inks typically comprise at least water, a colorant of a dye or pigment, or a mixture of dye and pigment, and a water-soluble or ink-compatible anti-intercolor bleed agent. In one embodiment the water-compatible intercolor bleed agent of the invention comprises a fluorinated composition, more particularly a perfluoroalkyl acid salt. The water-soluble or ink-compatible anti-intercolor bleed agent can form hydrophobic layers near the image boundary, thus preventing undesired mixing of different neighboring inks which forms intercolor bleeding. The inks of the present invention exhibit reduced drying time, intercolor bleeding, and image defect as well as providing uniform ink image on transparencies.

The present invention relates to aqueous ink jet ink compositions comprising an anti-intercolor bleed agent, preferably a water soluble or ink-compatible agent. The inks typically also comprise water and at least a colorant of a dye, a pigment, or a mixture of dye and pigment. In one embodiment, ink jet ink compositions comprising an anti-intercolor bleed agent which is represented by &lcub;&lsqb;(R) &mdash;G) &rsqb; &rcub; (A)(X) (Formula (I)), and ink jet printing processes which print the ink jet ink compositions in any desired printing sequence or order onto an optionally heated substrate are provided. The water-soluble or ink-compatible anti-intercolor bleed agent may form hydrophobic layers near the image boundary, thus preventing undesired mixing of two different neighboring inks which forms intercolor bleed. The ink jet ink compositions of the present invention exhibit reduced drying time, intercolor bleeding, and image defect as well as providing uniform ink images on transparencies.

An aqueous ink jet ink composition having a pigment wherein at least 50% of the pigment particles have an average diameter or size&lE;0.3 microns with the remaining particles in the ink composition having a diameter or size&lE;3.0 microns, water, a dispersant which is a reaction product of an aldehyde and a naphthalene sulfonate salt, and/or a sulfone solvent. The aqueous ink jet ink possesses a latency of at least 10 seconds at a relative humidity of 15% in either a high resolution (>360 spi) printhead or full-width array printhead having at least one nozzle opening of a diameter or size ranging from 10 to about 49 microns.

Pigment ink jet compositions for high resolution printing

The present invention relates to aqueous ink jet ink compositions comprising a water-soluble or ink-compatible anti-intercolor bleed agent. The ink jet ink compositions typically comprise water, a colorant of dye or pigment, or a mixture of dye and pigment, and a water-soluble or ink-compatible anti-intercolor bleed agent. In one embodiment the water-soluble or ink-compatible intercolor bleed agents of the invention comprise glycine materials with or without a fluorine atom and are represented by formula (I) in either ionic or nonionic forms, particularly those of fluorinated glycine salts with high fluorine content. The water-soluble or ink-compatible anti-intercolor bleed agent in an ink jet composition is believed to accelerate ink drying and to form hydrophobic layers on a print substrate near the image boundary in an ink jet printing process, thus minimizing undesired mixing of different neighboring inks resulting in a reduction of intercolor bleed. The ink jet ink compositions of the present invention exhibit reduced drying time, intercolor bleeding, and image defect as well as providing uniform ink image on transparencies. The ink jet ink compositions comprising the water-soluble or ink-compatible anti-intercolor bleed agents can be used in a multi-color ink jet printing process to obtain multi-color ink jet images at a high speed.

An aqueous ink jet ink composition having a pigment wherein at least 50% of the pigment particles have an average diameter or size .ltoreq.0.3 microns with the remaining particles in the ink composition having a diameter or size .ltoreq.3.0 microns, water, a dispersant which is a reaction product of an aldehyde and a naphthalene sulfonate salt, and/or a sulfone solvent. The aqueous ink jet ink possesses a latency of at least 10 seconds at a relative humidity of 15% in either a high resolution (&gt;360 spi) printhead or full-width array printhead having at least one nozzle opening of a diameter or size ranging from 10 to about 49 microns.

Pigment ink jet ink compositions for high resolution printing

In an ink jet printing process, a desired vacuum is applied to the back side of a print substrate with proper feedback and control. The optimum vacuum exerts a suction force on ink dispersed on the front side of the print substrate to accelerate penetration of the ink into the print substrate and to reduce smear and intercolor bleeding. In addition, the vacuum may be applied in the ink jet printing process in combination with various other techniques including heating of the print substrate at any stage of printing process including before, during, after, and combinations thereof and delaying the time between ink dispersing of two different inks as in the checkerboard printing method. The employment of proper vacuum, inks, and printheads including partial-width or full-width array printheads allows a fast speed multi-color ink jet printing process to be carried out on a print substrate to give high resolution (e.g., 600 spi) multi-color images with good print quality.

Method and apparatus for reducing intercolor bleeding in ink jet printing

An aqueous ink jet ink comprises water, a colorant selected from a dye or a pigment, and a diol derivative according to the following formula (Formula I):

Ink jet inks comprising anti-curl agents and printing processes

Disclosed is a set of inks for printing multicolor images in an ink jet printer, said ink set comprising (A) a first ink having a first color and comprising water and a colorant selected from the group consisting of (1) anionic dyes, (2) dyes having physically or chemically associated therewith a stabilizing agent having anionic groups thereon, (3) pigment particles having anionic groups chemically attached thereto, (4) pigment particles having physically or chemically associated therewith a stabilizing agent having anionic groups thereon, and (5) mixtures thereof; and (B) a second ink comprising water, an optional colorant having a color other than the first color, and an ammonium salt having at least two cationic ammonium functional groups, wherein the colorant in the first ink is capable of being immobilized on a printing substrate by interaction with the ammonium salt having at least two cationic ammonium functional groups in the second ink, thereby enabling reduced intercolor bleed.

Ink compositions and multicolor thermal ink jet printing process for the

A thermal ink jet printing comprises incorporating into a thermal ink jet printer at least one ink jet ink with an ink composition comprising water; a colorant of a dye or pigment; a hydroxyamide derivative having at least one hydroxyl group and at least one amide group or a reaction product of oxyalkylene(s) and the said hydroxyamide derivative; a sulfur-containing humectant that is a sulfoxide or a sulfone or a thiol derivative. Printing with the ink jet ink is according to digital signals with at least one printhead which is selected from a group consisting of single, partial-width, and full-width array printheads using a checkerboard or single pass method onto a print substrate either with or without the presence of heat for drying. The ink jet ink has a good latency, long-term jetting stability, and good image quality on plain papers when it is used in a high resolution thermal ink jet printhead including a 600 spi printhead.

Ink jet ink compositions and processes for high resolution and high

A paper curl reduction process is conducted by applying an aqueous dye or pigment ink in an image-wise fashion to a side of a substrate and by applying a clear aqueous liquid to the opposite side of the substrate. An ink printing device includes at least one printhead for applying an aqueous ink to one side of a substrate to form visible images and at least one applicator for applying a clear aqueous liquid to the opposite side of the substrate. A paper curl reduction process is also conducted by applying an aqueous dye or pigment ink and an optional clear aqueous liquid in a selected image-wise fashion by a thermal ink jet printing method to both sides of a substrate to achieve duplex ink jet printing with visible images on two sides of the said substrate.

Printing process, apparatus, and materials for the reduction of paper

An ink jet ink composition comprises water; a colorant selected from the group consisting of a dye, a pigment, and a mixture of a dye and pigment; and a material selected from the group consisting of (1) a hydroxyamide derivative having at least one hydroxyl group and at least one amide group; (2) a mercaptoamide derivative having at least one mercaptol group and at least one amide group; (3) a hydroxythioamide derivative having at least one hydroxyl group and at least one thioamide group; (4) a mercaptothioamide derivative having at least one mercaptol group and at least one thioamide group; (5) an oxyalkylene(alkyleneoxide) reaction product of the above said derivatives; (6) a thioalkylene(alkylenesulfide) reaction product of the above said derivatives; and (7) mixtures thereof. The inks comprising the said ink jet ink composition exhibit good latency especially in a high resolution thermal ink jet printhead (e.g., 600 spi) and can be printed onto a print substrate either with or without heat for the drying to give excellent images with reduced curl and cockle.

Ink jet ink compositions comprising anti-curl hydroxyamide derivatives

The invention includes an ink delivery and filtration medium for delivering and filtering ink from an ink chamber to a printhead in an ink jet system. The ink delivery and filtration medium comprises a porous woven material. The woven material can be made with fibers such as Nylons, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethersulfone, polyesters, polyvinylidene fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene. The woven material is flexible, thermally stable and chemically resistant to ink. The pore size and porosity of the woven material can be controlled by controlling the number of stitches per inch, fiber stitching pattern and fiber thickness or diameter. In addition, the pore size can be controlled by layering the woven material in combination with woven materials of the same or different pore sizes. Accordingly, not only can the pore size of each layer be controlled, but the pore size of the entire medium can be controlled by cumulative stacking of layers of materials with same or different pore size. The ink delivery and filtration medium provides smooth ink flow to the printhead without undesired ink clogging and impedance thereby substantially minimizing or eliminating jetting problems such as missing jets, exploding jets, and ink misdirection. In addition, restricted ink flow due to inefficient filtration and blockage of the filter by particles, debris or fibers, which causes slow ink refill and air ingestion problems resulting in slow printing speed and poor ink jet print quality can also be avoided or minimized by the steady and strong flow of ink produced with the invention.

Growing community of inventors

Webster, NY, United States of America

John Wei-Ping Lin