Source: New ClothMarket


Abstract


Disperse dye inks are used in the inkjet textile printing of polyester fabrics. We aimed at developing a black disperse dye ink consisting of yellow, magenta, and cyan dyes that met the exacting requirements of safety, image durability, and storage stability. One difficulty we met was dye particles tending to aggregate/agglomerate,leading to sedimentation and the threat of head clogging and/or inferior color reproduction.We discovered that rapid adsorption and desorption exchange of dispersants and the wetting ability of the dyes' surfaces appeared to control the system's stability. Based on this, we succeeded in developing a stable black disperse dye ink.


Introduction


The inkjet printing system has not only been used at home but also begun to be extended to industrial use recently, since it has many advantages, including its low equipment and running cost as well as applicability to various recording materials. In the textile printing field, in particular, this system hasbeen drawing attention as a system that meets demands for quick delivery, manufacturing of a wide variety of products in small quantities and sample production, taking advantage of its non-plate-making characteristics.


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Originally published in New Cloth Market, Feb-2011.


The authors are associated with Konica Minolta Technology Center, Inc., 1st R&D Division, Inkjet Technology R&D Center. They have shared their feedback on the happenings during the research period.