Water-Based Inkjet Ink Applying Kao’s Pigment Nano Dispersion Technology

Digital Printing Materials

Kao has been pursuing advanced inkjet colorant technology to realize inkjet printing of high reliability, high speed and high quality. We have developed inkjet colorants made from pigment that is encapsulated with specially designed functional polymer for use in water-based inkjet ink.

Moreover, by applying an original “pigment nano-dispersion technology,” we succeeded in developing a water-based pigmented inkjet ink for use on flexible packaging film media, featuring an environmentally friendly VOC-free design (minimizing emissions of volatile organic compounds). This breakthrough has made it possible to achieve high-quality printing on flexible packaging film while reducing the impact on the environment.

Kao’s pigment nano dispersion technology offers the following advantages:

  1. Excellent jetting stability,
  2. Uniform dot formation (prevents aggregation of colorant during drying), and
  3. Compatibility with wide range of inks (maintains stability in both hydrophilic and hydrophobic co-solvent).

Kao will continue offering people-friendly, earth-friendly eco-printing solutions through the development of advanced inkjet ink and colorant technology to contribute to the richness and color of daily life.

The electron microscope images of the newly developed pigment dispersion show that the pigment is coated and encapsulated by a polymer. In the schematic diagram, it is indicated that from the pigment side, there are hydrophobic encapsulation layer with adhesion, electrostatic repulsion layer, and steric repulsion layer.

Pigment nano dispersion technology
Electron microscope images and schematic diagram of nano-encapsulated pigment.

A comparison photo showing the flight of ink droplets during inkjet printing using conventional pigment dispersion and the developed nano-capsule pigment dispersion. In the conventional product, the ink droplets have long tails and are less likely to coalesce, while in the dispersion using nano-capsuled pigments, the ink droplets have shorter tails and coalesce more easily.

Jetting stability
Comparison of ink droplet flight during inkjet printing

A photograph comparing the surface roughness of printed matter when using pigment dispersions of conventional products and the developed nano-capsuled pigment. The conventional product is crater-like and uneven, while the developed product is smooth with fewer irregularities.

Dot uniformity
Comparison of surface roughness images on printed substrates

A photograph of printing on flexible packaging film substrates, such as candy packaging, using the developed water-based inkjet ink.

Printing on flexible packaging film substrates with water-based inkjet ink

Industrial Chemicals

Industrial Chemicals

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