EP0719845A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Water-base ink composition and process for producing the same
Assignee: Seiko Epson Corp
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Filing: 1995-12-27
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2015-12-27
Abstract
Abstract A water-base ink composition which can provide a print having better water resistance, stably contains a colorant virtually insoluble or sparingly soluble in water, is less likely to cause clogging of a recording head, and can be advantageously used for ink jet recording is disclosed. The water-base ink composition comprises a colorant which is either sparingly soluble or insoluble in water; a solid solvent which is solid at room temperature and soluble in water and can dissolve, in the form of a hot melt or aqueous solution thereof, the colorant and, can form a solid solution together with the colorant; and water.
Inventors
- 👤 Hiroshi c/o Seiko Epson Corporation Ito
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 00:01
CPC Classifications
C; C09; C09D; C09D11/00; C09D11/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
57 words
A water-base ink composition comprising: a colorant which is either sparingly soluble or insoluble in water; a solid solvent which is solid at room temperature and soluble in water and can dissolve, in the form of a hot melt or aqueous solution thereof, the colorant and, can form a solid solution together with the colorant; and water.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
32 words
The water-base ink composition according to claim 1, wherein the colorant is selected from the group consisting of an oil-soluble dye, a disperse dye, and a pigment readily soluble in a solvent.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The water-base ink composition according to claim 1, wherein the solid solvent has a melting point of 30°C or above.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The water-base ink composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the solid solvent is selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid derivatives, urea derivatives, and alkylene carbonates.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
81 words
The water-base ink composition according to claim 4, wherein the carboxylic acid derivatives are represented by the following formula (I): R 1 -CO-NH-R 2 (I) wherein R 1 represents an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl or unsubstituted or substituted alkoxy group, or a five- or six-membered heteroaromatic ring containing one nitrogen atm, R 2 represents H or an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl group, or R 1 and R 2 are an unsubstituted or substituted alkylene group having 3 to 8 carbon atoms.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
62 words
The water-base ink composition according to claim 4, wherein the urea derivatives are represented by the following formula (II): R 3 -NH-CO-NH-R 4 (II) wherein R 3 and R 4 each independently represent H or an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl group, or R 3 and R 4 combine with each other to form an alkylene group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
62 words
The water-base ink composition according to claim 4, wherein the alkylene carbonates are represented by the following formula (III): R 5 -O-CO-O-R 6 (III) wherein R 5 and R 6 each independently represent H or an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl group, or R 5 and R 6 combine with each other to form an alkylene group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
The water-base ink composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the solid solvent is selected from the group consisting of lactamide, acetamide, N-methyl acetamide, methyl carbamate, ethyl carbamate, ε-caprolactam, δ-valerolactam, α-amino-ε-caprolactam, glycolic amide, dimethylolurea, ethyleneurea, nicotinamide, and ethylene carbonate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
The water-base ink composition according to claim 8, wherein the solid solvent is selected from the group consisting of lactamide, ε-caprolactam, methyl carbamate, δ-valerolactam, and ethylene carbonate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
The water-base ink composition according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the solid solvent is contained in an amount of 1 to 50% by weight of the ink composition.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
93 words
A process for producing a water-base ink composition according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising the steps of: heating the solid solvent at the melting point or above to form a hot melt and dissolving a colorant in the melt to prepare a colorant solution; mixing the colorant solution in a hot melt form with water or an aqueous solution containing a water-soluble organic solvent to prepare a dispersion in which particles of the colorant are dispersed; and adding an optional component, for forming an ink composition, to the dispersion.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
98 words
A process for producing a water-base ink composition according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising the steps of: dissolving a colorant in an aqueous solution to prepare a colorant solution wherein the aqueous solution is an aqueous saturated solid solvent solution or an aqueous solid solvent solution having a high concentration close to the saturation; mixing the colorant solution with water or an aqueous solution containing a water-soluble organic solvent to prepare a dispersion in which particles of the colorant are dispersed; and adding an optional component, for forming an ink composition, to the dispersion.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
106 words
A process for producing a water-base ink composition according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising the steps of: heating the solid solvent at the melting point or above to form a hot melt and dissolving a colorant in the melt to prepare a colorant solution; cooling the colorant solution to prepare a colorant solid solution containing the colorant and the solid solvent; dissolving the colorant solid solution in water or an aqueous solution containing a water-soluble organic solvent to prepare a dispersion in which particles of the colorant are dispersed; and adding an optional component, for forming an ink composition, to the dispersion.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
96 words
A process for producing a water-base ink composition according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising the steps of: mixing a solid solvent with a volatile organic solvent, dissolving a colorant in the mixture to prepare a colorant solution, and removing the volatile organic solvent by evaporation to prepare a colorant solid solution; dissolving the colorant solid solution in water or an aqueous solution containing a water-soluble organic solvent to prepare a dispersion in which particles of the colorant are dispersed; and adding an optional component, for forming an ink composition, to the dispersion.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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