Ink jet ink composition

Abstract

An ink jet ink composition of water, a humectant, and a hyperbranched polymeric dye of a hyperbranched polymer having a dye chromophore pendant on the polymer chain or incorporated into the polymer backbone.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An ink jet ink composition comprising water, a humectant, and a hyperbranched polymeric dye comprising a hyperbranched polymer having a dye chromophore pendant on the polymer chain or incorporated into the polymer backbone.  
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said hyperbranched polymer having a dye chromophore pendant on the polymer chain has the formula:  
       HB-D n    
       wherein: 
 HB is a hyperbranched polymer core;  
 D is a dye moiety; and  
 n is an integer of at least 2.  
 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 2  wherein said HB is a polyamide, polyester, polyether, vinylic polymer, polyimine, polysiloxane, polyesteramide or polyurethane.  
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 2  wherein said HB is prepared by a chain polymerization of a monomer of the formula M 1 -R 1 M 2   m  wherein (i) R 1  is a linear or branched alkyl, carbonyl, or aromatic moiety; (ii), M 1  and M 2  are reactive groups that react independently of each other in which M 1  is a polymerization group and M 2  is a precursor of a moiety M 2 * which initiates the polymerization of M 1  as a result of being activated; and (iii), m is an integer of at least 1.  
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 2  wherein said HB is prepared by a condensation or addition polymerization of a monomer of the formula M 3 -R 2 -M 4   p  wherein (i) R 2  is a linear or branched alkyl or aromatic moiety; (ii), M 3  and M 4  are groups that undergo a condensation or addition reaction; and (iii), p is an integer of at least 2.  
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 2  wherein said HB is prepared by a condensation or addition polymerization of a monomer of the formula R 2 -M 5   q  and R 3 -M 6   t  wherein (i) R 2  is as defined above and R 3  is a linear or branched alkyl or aromatic moiety; (ii), M 5  and M 6  are groups that undergo a condensation or addition reaction; and (iii), q is an integer of at least 2 and t an integer of at least 3.  
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 4  wherein M 1  is a non-substituted or substituted vinylic group, M 2  is X, —CH 2 X or —CH(CH 3 )X wherein X is Cl, Br, I, S—C(═S), YR 4 R 5  or —O—NR 4 R 5 , Y═O or N, and R 4  and R 5  are each independently —(CH 2 ) r  (r=1-12), —C 6 H 5 , —C(O)O, or C(O).  
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 5  wherein M 3  and M 4  are each independently —COOH, —OH, —C(O)Cl, epoxy, anhydride, NH, or NH 2 , and R 2  is —C 6 H 3 —, or —(CH 2 ) s —C(R 6 )— wherein R 6  is a linear or branched alkyl or aromatic group and s is an integer of 1-14.  
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 6  wherein M 5  and M 6  are each independently —COOH, —OH, —C(O)Cl, epoxy, anhydride, NH or NH 2 , and R 3  is —C 6 H 4 —, —C 6 H 4 —O—C 6 H 4 —, —C 6 H 3 , N(CH 2 ) 3 —, —C 4 H 8 —, —C 6 H 10 —,  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said hyperbranched polymer having a dye chromophore incorporated into the backbone thereof is a polyamide, polyester, polyether, vinylic polymer, polyimine, polyesteramide or polyurethane.  
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said hyperbranched polymer having a dye chromophore incorporated into the polymer backbone is prepared by a chain polymerization of a monomer of the formula M 1 -R 7 -M 2   m  wherein R 7  is a linear or branched alkyl, carbonyl, or aromatic moiety containing a dye chromophore and M 1 , M 2  and m are defined as in  claim 4 .  
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said hyperbranched polymer having a dye chromophore incorporated into the polymer backbone is prepared by a condensation or addition polymerization of a monomer of the formula M 3 -R 7 -M 4   p  wherein R 7  is defined in  claim 11  and M 3 , M 4  and p are defined as in  claim 5 .  
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said hyperbranched polymer having a dye chromophore incorporated into the polymer backbone is prepared by a condensation or addition polymerization of a monomer of the formula R 8 -M 5   q  and R 9 -M 6   t  wherein R 8  and R 9  are each independently a linear or branched alkyl or aromatic moiety, at least one of which contains a dye chromophore, and M 5 , M 6 , q and t are defined as in  claim 6 .  
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said dye chromophore is a mono- or poly-azo dye, basic dye, phthalocyanine dye, methine or polymethine dye, merocyanine dye, azamethine dye, quinophthalone dye, thiazine dye, oxazine dye, anthraquinone or metal-complex dye.  
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 14  wherein said mono- or poly-azo dye is a pyrazoleazoindole.  
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 14  wherein said metal-complex dye is a transition metal complex of an 8-heterocyclylazo-5-hydroxyquinoline.  
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said humectant is diethylene glycol, glycerol or diethylene glycol monobutylether.  
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said hyperbranched polymeric dye comprises about 0.2 to about 20% by weight of said ink jet ink composition.