Classification and future trends of inkjet inks
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First, the classification of inkjet ink
1, according to the solvent
Can be divided into water-based and non-aqueous inks. Water-based inks can be classified into pigment type, dye type, and sublimation ink according to color material classification; non-water based inks can be classified into oil-based pigment inks and solvent-based pigment inks. From a chemical point of view, oil is also one of the solvents. We refer to them collectively as non-aqueous inks. In addition, there is an ultraviolet curing ink that is rarely mentioned in China. Inkjet inks can be roughly divided into these six categories.
Advantages and disadvantages of various inkjet inks:
(1) Water-based dye ink: The advantage is that the color is bright, because it is made of water, volatilizes water, and has no harm to the environment. It is more environmentally friendly; the disadvantage is that it is easy to fade, and is generally only used indoors.
(2) Pigment ink: The advantage is that the light resistance is good; the disadvantage is that the color is dark.
(3) Water-based sublimation ink: The advantage is that it can be transferred to different media, not just on paper. Such as ceramics, glass. Many different media can be transferred to the past; the disadvantage is that the operating procedure is cumbersome and the price is high.
(4) Oil-soluble ink: Since the oil-soluble ink is made of a pigment, the advantage is that it is odorless and has good light resistance; the disadvantage is that it is expensive and must be printed on a coated medium.
(5) Solvent ink: Since it is pigmentary, it has the advantages of light resistance, water repellency, and can be printed on any medium. The disadvantage is that the oil base used in the ink itself is flammable, dangerous, and has a strong taste, which has certain damage to the human body.
(6) UV-curable ink: The advantage is that the ink itself does not contain volatile solvents, and after curing, the light resistance and water resistance are very good, so it is very suitable for the printing industry; the disadvantage is that before curing, its Some monomers can easily cause allergic reactions in some people.
Future trend forecast:
The proportion of water-based pigment inks used indoors will increase, because some new applications, such as digital printing, photo printing, prepress printing, need to use some ink that does not fade, light resistance, can be saved, so water-based Pigment inks are expected to be a trend in the future.
Solvent pigment inks need to be further standardized, specialized, and environmentally friendly.
Some product specifications and safety indicators should be developed. Solvent-based inks are currently working on these aspects. Some highly corrosive, strong solvent inks will slowly be replaced in the future.
Oil-based pigment inks are limited to certain specialty applications – such as the petroleum industry.
Sublimation inks and UV-curable inks are now relatively rare in China, but they have their own unique advantages and characteristics, both of which are rising in foreign countries.
Environmentally friendly inks are the direction of future efforts.
2, according to the applicable equipment
Can be divided into indoor photo ink and large jet ink. Indoor photo inks are used in thermal bubble nozzles or Epson high-quality nozzles, most of which are water-based (Dye/Pigment) inks with good printing results and fine particles; outdoor inkjet inks are solvent-based (Solvent) -base) is mostly pigment ink. Waterproof and sunscreen, the picture quality is general, the particles are thicker. ECO Ink is an environmentally friendly and lightweight version of solvent inks used primarily in Epson's high quality nozzles. In addition, Dye Sublimation ink can be transferred to different materials such as fabrics, ceramics, glass, etc. through heat transfer.
3, according to the type of raw materials
One is a dye and the other is a pigment.
(1) Characteristics of dye ink
Dyes are characterized by a transparent color that changes the color of the transmitted light by selectively absorbing certain spectral components of the incident light.
Dye-based ink (Dye-basedInk) is fully dissolved at the molecular level. The ink is a complete composite solution. It is easy to absorb and brighten after printing. It is not waterproof, and it is quickly decomposed by the dye molecules under ultraviolet irradiation. There was significant fading during the month.
(2) Characteristics of pigment ink
Pigment ink (PigmentInk), which grinds solid pigment into small particles and dissolves in a special aqueous solvent, is a colloid-like suspension solution or semi-solution. Since the color is solid particles, the pigment itself is waterproof first. As long as the material is waterproof, the problem of waterproofing is solved. Therefore, the problem of ink absorption of the coating of the photographic paper is involved, and at the same time, the ink droplets are irradiated with ultraviolet light, compared with the dye molecules. It is more difficult to decompose. Even if the molecules in the outer layer of the particles are decomposed, the inner layer will retain the color. Therefore, its main feature is that it is more durable. The thicker the particles, the more durable it is. Generally, it will remain in the outdoors for more than one year without obvious leg color. . But it is opaque, so it can't be used to print transparent films, and its synthetic color: red, green, and blue have lower saturation, so the color performance is not as bright as dye ink.
In reality, the ink selection is determined by the characteristics of the nozzle and the needs of the customer. The ink of the general printer is selected from water-based dyes or pigments. The particles of the aqueous dye ink are relatively fine, the quality is easy to control, and the chance of the plug should not be too high. Large and pigment ink particles are relatively large. If there is a problem in the production process and quality control, the chance of the plug is large, the printer will be unstable, and the quality and color of the spray image are not as good as the dye ink, so the number of customers purchased is relatively small.