Maintenance liquid for ink jet recording apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed is a maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus which possesses excellent cleaning properties. In particular, a maintenance liquid, which exhibits excellent cleaning properties even in an ink jet printer using an ink having a high colorant density and containing a pigment, and a maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus, which does not attack members for a printer and possesses excellent antifoaming properties and preservative/antimold effect, are disclosed. The maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention comprises water and an alkylene glycol monoalkyl ether.

1 . A maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus, comprising water and an alkylene glycol monoalkyl ether. 
   
   
       2 . The maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , which contains 0.3 to 15% by weight of said alkylene glycol monoalkyl ether. 
   
   
       3 . The maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , which further comprises an acetylene glycol surfactant. 
   
   
       4 . The maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus according to  claim 3 , which contains 0.05 to 5% by weight of said acetylene glycol surfactant. 
   
   
       5 . The maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , which comprises one or at least two polyhydric alcohol compounds selected from the group consisting of glycerin and glycol compounds. 
   
   
       6 . The maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus according to  claim 5 , which contains 5 to 60% by weight of the polyhydric alcohol compound. 
   
   
       7 . The maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , which comprises one or at least two kinds of preservative/antimold selected from the group consisting of isothiazolone compounds and oxazolidine compounds. 
   
   
       8 . The maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus according to  claim 7 , which contains 50 ppm to 1% by weight of said preservative/antimold. 
   
   
       9 . The maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , which has a pH value in the range of 6 to 11 at 25° C. 
   
   
       10 . The maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , which has a surface tension of not more than 40 mN/m at 25° C. 
   
   
       11 . The maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , which is used in combination of an ink comprising a pigment as a colorant.