Methods for improving the adhesion and/or colorfastness of ink jet inks with respect to substrates applied thereto

Abstract

A method of improving the adhesion of an ink jet ink formulation to a substrate, which method includes adding to the ink jet ink formulation an amount of a chelate of a transition metal or a chelate of a mixture of transition metals effective to improve the adhesion of the ink jet ink formulation to the substrate; printing the substrate with the chelate-containing ink jet ink formulation; and treating the printed substrate with heat for a time and at a temperature to further improve the adhesion of the ink jet ink formulation to the substrate. The ink jet ink formulation typically will include a diluent system and colorant. The chelate typically will be present in the ink jet ink formulation in a range of about 0.001 up to about 20 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the chelate-containing ink jet ink formulation. A particularly desirable chelate is zirconium lactate. The present invention also provides an article and a substrate produced by the foregoing method.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method of improving the adhesion of an ink jet ink formulation to a substrate, the method comprising: 
       adding to the ink jet ink formulation an amount of a chelate of a transition metal or a chelate of a mixture of transition metals effective to improve the adhesion of the ink jet ink formulation to the substrate;  
       printing the substrate with the chelate-containing ink jet ink formulation; and  
       treating the printed substrate with heat for a time and at a temperature to further improve the adhesion of the ink jet ink formulation to the substrate.  
     
     
       2. The method of claim  1 , in which the ink jet ink formulation comprises a diluent system and colorant. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim  2 , in which the diluent system is an aqueous diluent system or a non-aqueous diluent system. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim  3 , in which the aqueous diluent system is selected from the group consisting of: 
       water containing in the range of about 0.5 up to about 3.0 percent by weight of a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and at least one alcohol having a boiling point of less than 130° C.;  
       water containing in the range of about 2.5 up to about 25 percent by weight of pyrrolidone or a derivative thereof;  
       water containing in the range of about 2 up to about 20 percent by weight of 1,3-propanediol or a derivative thereof;  
       water containing in the range of about 1 up to about 50 percent by weight of a glycol ether; and  
       water containing in the range of about 5 up to about 25 percent by weight isopropyl alcohol, about 30 up to about 80 percent by weight of N-methyl pyrrolidone, and 0 up to about 60 percent by weight of ethylene glycol monoethyl ether.  
     
     
       5. The method of claim  4 , in which the aqueous diluent system is selected from the group consisting of: 
       a composition comprising 87.1 percent by weight distilled water and 5 percent by weight 2-pyrrolidone;  
       a composition comprising 89 percent by weight distilled water and 4 percent by eight 2-pyrrolidone;  
       a composition comprising 74.1 percent by weight distilled water, 5 percent by eight glycerin, 5 percent by weight thiodiglycol, and 2 percent by weight diethylene glycol;  
       a composition comprising 90.6 percent by weight distilled water and 4.1 percent by weight 2-pyrrolidone;  
       a composition comprising 86.8 percent by weight distilled water and 4 percent by weight polyethylene glycol 400; and  
       a composition comprising 15.4 percent by weight distilled water, 7.6 percent by weight isopropyl alcohol, 61.0 percent by weight N-methyl pyrrolidone, and 13.7 percent by weight ethylene glycol monoethyl ether.  
     
     
       6. The method of claim  3 , in which the non-aqueous diluent system comprises methyl lactate; ethyl lactate; butyl lactate; isopropyl lactate; diacetone alcohol; ethylene glycol; diethylene glycol; triethylene glycol; 1,3-butylene glycol; 1,5-pentanediol; isophorone; xylene; mineral spirits; an aromatic distillation fraction; glycerol; ethylene glycol monomethyl ether; propylene glycol monomethyl ether; diethylene glycol mono-n-hexyl ether; or a mixture of any two or more thereof. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim  1 , in which the substrate is paper, fabric, a polymeric film, a cellulosic film, glass, metal, wood, vellum, or carbon. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim  7 , in which the fabric contains free hydroxyl and/or free carboxyl groups. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim  7 , in which the fabric is 100 percent cotton, a cotton/polyester blend, silk, rayon, wool, nylon, latex, butyl rubber, vinyl, or a polyamide fiber. 
     
     
       10. The method of claim  7 , in which the paper is ragbond paper, coated paper, or emulsion coated paper. 
     
     
       11. The method of claim  1 , in which the chelate is a derivative of caprylic acid, capric acid, citric acid, lactic acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, tartaric acid, cyclohexanecarboxylic acid, boric acid, or an ammonium complex. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim  1 , in which the transition metal or mixture of transition metals is selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd, W, Ti-Ni, Ni-Cr, Fe-Co, Ti-W, Fe-Ti, Fe-Ni, Fe-Cr, Fe-Ni-Cr, Mo-Si and W-Si. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim  1 , in which the chelate is present in a range of about 0.001 up to about 20 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the chelate-containing ink jet ink formulation. 
     
     
       14. The method of claim  1 , in which the chelate is zirconium lactate. 
     
     
       15. The method of claim  1 , in which the chelate-containing ink jet ink formulation is selected from the group consisting of: 
       a composition comprising 87.1 percent by weight distilled water, 5 percent by weight 2-pyrrolidone, 0.1 percent by weight biocide, 0.1 percent by weight anticorrosive, 1 percent by weight buffer, 6.5 percent by weight polymeric colorant, and 0.2 percent by weight zirconium lactate;  
       a composition comprising 89 percent by weight distilled water, 4 percent by weight 2-pyrrolidone, 0.1 percent by weight biocide, 0.1 percent by weight anticorrosive, 0.3 percent by weight buffer, 0.3 percent by weight surfactant, 6 percent by weight reactive black dye, and 0.2 percent by weight zirconium lactate;  
       a composition comprising 74.1 percent by weight distilled water, 5 percent by weight glycerin, 5 percent by weight thiodiglycol, 2 percent by weight diethylene glycol, 0.1 percent by weight biocide, 1 percent by weight surfactant, 0.1 percent by weight anticorrosive, 0.5 percent buffer, 11.9 percent by weight acid yellow dye, 0.1 percent acid red dye, and 0.2 percent by weight zirconium lactate. a composition comprising 90.6 percent by weight distilled water, 4.1 percent by weight 2-pyrrolidone, 0.2 percent by weight biocide, 0.2 percent by weight anticorrosive, 0.3 percent buffer, 0.3 percent by weight surfactant, 4.1 percent reactive red dye, and 0.2 percent by weight zirconium lactate;  
       a composition comprising 86.8 percent by weight distilled water, 4 percent by weight polyethylene glycol 400, 0.1 percent by weight biocide, 0.1 percent by weight anticorrosive, 12 percent buffer, 7.8 polymeric colorant, and 0.2 percent by weight zirconium lactate; and  
       a composition comprising 15.4 percent by weight distilled water, 7.6 percent by weight isopropyl alcohol, 61.0 percent by weight N-methyl pyrrolidone, 13.7 percent by weight ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, 0.1 percent by weight biocide, 0.7 percent by weight surfactant, 1.5 percent by weight G.I. blue dye, and 0.2 percent by weight zirconium lactate.  
     
     
       16. The method of claim  2 , in which the colorant is a dispersion of a pigment, a dye, or a polymeric colorant. 
     
     
       17. The method of claim  16 , in which the dispersion of a pigment is a dispersion of phthalocyanine blue, carbon black, mars black, quinacridone magenta, ivory black, prussian blue, cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, manganese blue, cerulean blue, indathrone blue, chromium oxide, viridian, cobalt green, terre verte, nickel azo yellow, light green oxide, phthalocyanine green-chlorinated copper phthalocyanine, burnt sienna, perinone orange, irgazin orange, quinacridone magenta, cobalt violet, ultramarine violet, manganese violet, dioxazine violet, zinc white, titanium white, flake white, aluminum hydrate, blanc fixe, china clay, lithophone, arylide yellow G, arylide yellow 10G, barium chromate, chrome yellow, chrome lemon, zinc yellow, cadmium yellow, aureolin, naples yellow, nickel titanate, arylide yellow GX, isoindolinone yellow, flavanthrone yellow, yellow ochre, chromophytal yellow 8GN, toluidine red, quinacridone red, permanent crimson, rose madder, alizarin crimson, vermillion, cadmium red, permanent red FRG, brominated anthranthrone, naphthol carbamide, perylene red, quinacridone red, chromophthal red BRN, chromophthal scarlet R, aluminum oxide, barium oxide, bismuth oxide, boric oxide, cadmium oxide, calcium oxide, cerium oxide, chromium oxide, cobalt oxide, copper oxide, iridium oxide, lead oxide, magnesium oxide, manganese oxide, nickel oxide, phosphorus oxide, potassium oxide, rutile, silicon oxide, silver oxide, sodium oxide, strontium oxide, tin oxide, titanium oxide, vanadium oxide, zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, or a mixture of any two or more thereof. 
     
     
       18. The method of claim  17 , in which the ink jet ink formulation contains the dispersion of a pigment in a range of about 6 up to about 20 percent by weight. 
     
     
       19. The method of claim  16 , in which the dye is C.I. Food Black, C.I. Acid Black, C.I. Direct Black, C.I. Reactive Black, C.I. Acid Red, C.I. Direct Red, C.I. Acid Violet, C.I. Direct Violet, C.I. Reactive Red, C.I. Acid Blue, C.I. Direct Blue, C.I. Reactive Blue, C.I. Acid Yellow, C.I. Direct Yellow, C.I. Reactive Yellow, or a mixture of any two or more thereof. 
     
     
       20. The method of claim  19 , in which the ink jet ink formulation contains the dye in a range of about 4 up to about 20 percent by weight. 
     
     
       21. The method of claim  16 , in which the polymeric colorant is selected from: 
       (a) materials having the general formula:  
       R-(polymeric backbone-X) n    
       wherein: 
       R is an organic dyestuff radical,  
       the polymeric backbone is a thermoplastic linear polyester,  
       X is a reactive moiety, and  
       n is an integer falling in the range of 1 up to about 6; or  
       (b) an intimate mixture of:  
       a water-insoluble polymeric colorant comprising a linear, thermoplastic polyester having copolymerized therein at least 5 percent by weight, based on the weight of the colorant, of residues of one or more monomeric, organic colorant compounds, and  
       an ionic or amphoteric surfactant, optionally containing a non-ionic poly(oxyalkylene) surfactant.  
     
     
       22. The method of claim  21 , in which the ink jet ink formulation contains the polymeric colorant in a range of about 1 up to about 12 percent by weight. 
     
     
       23. The method of claim  2 , in which the ink jet ink formulation further comprises one or more of a biocide, a surface active agent, a corrosion inhibitor, a pH adjusting agent, an aqueous diluent, a non-aqueous diluent, an ultraviolet absorber, and an infrared absorber. 
     
     
       24. The method of claim  1 , in which the treatment time is in a range of from about 1 minute to about 90 minutes. 
     
     
       25. The method of claim  1 , in which the treatment temperature is in a range of from about 90° C. to about 205° C. 
     
     
       26. The method of claim  1 , in which the treatment time and temperature are about three minutes and about 190° C., respectively. 
     
     
       27. In a method of improving the adhesion of an ink jet ink formulation to a substrate, wherein the method comprises adding to the ink jet ink formulation an amount of a chelate of a transition metal or a chelate of a mixture of transition metals effective to improve the adhesion of the ink jet ink formulation to the substrate; the improvement which comprises: 
       printing the substrate with the chelate-containing ink jet ink formulation; and  
       treating the printed substrate with heat for a time and at a temperature to further improve the adhesion of the ink jet ink formulation to the substrate.