Patent · US Expired

Bleed alleviation using zwitterionic surfactants and cationic dyes

US5106416A · kind A · utility

76Cited by
9References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 28, 1991
Grant dateApr 21, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 28, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC09D11/30
  • WIPO fieldBasic materials chemistry
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

Color bleed (the invasion of one color into another on the surface of the print medium) using ink-jet inks is alleviated by employing zwitterionic surfactants (ph-sensitive or pH-insensitive) or ionic or non-ionic amphiphiles. The inks of the invention comprise a vehicle and a cationic dye. The vehicle typically comprises a low viscosity, high boiling point solvent, one or two amphiphiles at concentrations above their critical micelle concentration (cmc), while the dye typically comprises any of the dyes commonly employed in ink-jet printing. The amount of surfactants/amphiphile is described in terms of its critical micelle concentration (cmc), which is a unique value for each amphiphile. Above the cmc, micelles form, which attract the dye molecule and thus control the color bleed. Below the cmc, there is no micelle formation, and thus no control of the color bleed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.