Actinic ray curable composition, actinic ray curable ink, image formation method employing it, and ink-jet recording apparatus

Abstract

The actinic ray curable composition has a radically, photopolymerizable compound, and a non-reactive compound having a viscosity at 25° C. of from 0.1 to 20 mPa·s and a boiling point of not less than 150° C.

1 . An actinic ray curable composition comprising:
 a radically polymerizable compound as a photopolymerizable compound; and   a non-reactive compound having a viscosity at 25° C. of from 0.1 to 20 mPa·s and a boiling point of not less than 150° C.   
   
   
       2 . The actinic ray curable composition of  claim 1 , wherein the non-reactive compound has a viscosity at 25° C. of from 0.1 to 10 mPa·s and a boiling point of not less than 200° C. 
   
   
       3 . The actinic ray curable composition of  claim 1 , wherein the actinic ray curable composition has a viscosity at 25° C. of from 7 to 40 mPa·s. 
   
   
       4 . An actinic ray curable ink comprising pigment and the actinic ray curable composition of  claim 1 . 
   
   
       5 . A process of forming an image on a recording sheet employing an ink-jet recording head, the process comprising the steps of:
 ejecting the actinic ray curable ink of  claim 4  from the ink-jet recording head onto the recording sheet to form an image on the recording sheet; and   exposing the image to actinic rays after the ink has been ejected onto the recording sheet.   
   
   
       6 . The process of  claim 5  wherein the image is exposed to the octinic rays between 0.001 seconds and 2.0 seconds after the ink has been ejected onto the recording sheet. 
   
   
       7 . The process of  claim 5 , wherein the actinic ray curable ink is ejected as ink droplets from each nozzle of the ink-jet recording head, wherein the ink droplets have a volume of from 2 to 15 pl. 
   
   
       8 . An ink-jet recording apparatus used in the process of  claim 5 , wherein the actinic ray curable ink and the ink-jet recording head was heated to a temperature of from 35 to 100° C., and then the heated ink was ejected. 
   
   
       9 . An ink-jet recording apparatus used in the process of  claim 5 , wherein the actinic ray curable ink was ejected to a recording sheet heated to a temperature of from 35 to 60° C.