Dispersants and Colorants

Title Aqueous Inks Containing Colored Polymers 

Patent Application Material Patentability Anticipated Issuing Date  

Research Focus Preparation of water-soluble organic ink colorants by incorporating chro-mophores onto oligomeric alkoxyethers. 

Originality Very versatile synthetic design for water-solubilizing ink colorants. 

Observations Two separate methods were used to solubilize colorants in an aqueous 

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Uses Improves rub resist, in printing inks flatting and antisettling agent in paints/ coatings dispersant and color enhancer in color cones. inc. hardness in wax compds. improves bIk. heel mark resist, in floor polishes lubricant for plastics processing... 

Chem. Descrip. Sodium nitrite-borax compd. with corrosion inhibitors, copolymer dispersant, and color indicator... 

Elemental chemical analysis provides information regarding the formulation and coloring oxides of glazes and glasses. Energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectrometry is very convenient. However, using this technique the analysis for elements of low atomic numbers is quite difficult, even when vacuum or helium paths are used. The electron-beam microprobe has proven to be an extremely useful tool for this purpose (106). Emission spectroscopy and activation analysis have also been appHed successfully in these studies (101). 

Flexo and gravure inks are both known as Hquid inks because of their low viscosity. The inks for both systems have basic components in common with inks for other printing processes. Vehicles disperse and carry the pigment, and also contribute most to the end use properties. Colorants provide color. Solvents dissolve resins in the vehicle and determine drying rate. Additives modify ink properties to overcome deficiencies. 

Testing of phthalocyanines includes crystallization (qv), flocculation, and appHcation in paints, plastics (qv), and printing inks (1). The ASTM standard specifications include CuPc in dry powder form for various appHcations (153). The specifications cover color (qv), character or tint, oil absorption, reactions in identification tests, and dispersions and storage stabiUty. Quantitative deterrninations are possible with ceric sulfate (30) or sodium vanadate (154). Identification methods are given (155), including tests for different appHcations. 

The process of flushing typically consists of the foUowing sequence phase transfer separation of aqueous phase vacuum dehydration of water trapped in the dispersed phase dispersion of the pigment in the oil phase by continued appHcation of shear thinning the heavy mass by addition of one or more vehicles to reduce the viscosity of dispersion and standardization of the finished dispersion to adjust the color and rheological properties to match the quaHty to the previously estabHshed standard. 

The value of pigments results from their physical—optical properties. These ate primarily deterrniaed by the pigments physical characteristics (crystal stmcture, particle size and distribution, particle shape, agglomeration, etc) and chemical properties (chemical composition, purity, stabiUty, etc). The two most important physical—optical assets of pigments are the abiUty to color the environment in which they ate dispersed and to make it opaque. 

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