Process for printing textile fibre materials in accordance with the ink-jet printing process

1 . An ink-jet printing process for printing textile fibre materials, wherein

the fiber materials are printed with an aqueous ink comprising

(I) at least one disperse dye, and

(II) glycerol,

said ink having a viscosity of from 5 to 20 mPas at 25° C., and wherein

said ink is applied to the fiber material with an ink-jet print head comprising

an ink supply layer (b) receiving ink from an external ink reservoir, said ink supply layer having a first side and a second side and comprising, a porous medium having a plurality of pores therein and a plurality of holes extending therethrough, so as to allow passage of the ink.

2 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the disperse dye is a dye of the formula

in which

R 1 is halogen, nitro or cyano,

R 2 is hydrogen, halogen, nitro or cyano,

R 3 is hydrogen, halogen or cyano,

R 4 is hydrogen, halogen, C 1 -C 4 alkyl or C 1 -C 4 alkoxy,

R 5 is hydrogen, halogen or C 2 -C 4 alkanoylamino, and

R 6 and R 7 independently of one another are hydrogen, allyl, C 1 -C 4 alkyl which is unsubstituted or substituted by hydroxy, cyano, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy-C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, C 2 -C 4 alkanoyloxy, C 1 -C 4 alkoxycarbonyl, phenyl or phenoxy,

in which

R 8 is hydrogen, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, phenyl or phenylsulfonyl, the benzene ring in phenyl and phenylsulfonyl being unsubstituted or substituted by C 1 -C 4 alkyl, sulfo or C 1 -C 4 alkylsulfonyloxy,

R 9 is hydroxy, amino, N-mono- or N,N-di-C 1 -C 4 alkylamino, phenylamino, the benzene ring in phenyl being unsubstituted or substituted by C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, C 2 -C 4 alkanoylamino or halogen,

R 10 is hydrogen, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy or cyano,

R 11 is hydrogen, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, phenoxy or the radical —O—C 6 H 5 —SO 2 —NH—(CH 2 ) 3 —O—C 2 H 5 ,

R 12 is hydrogen, hydroxy or nitro, and

R 13 is hydrogen, hydroxy or nitro,

in which

R 14 is C 1 -C 4 alkyl which is unsubstituted or substituted by hydroxy,

R 15 is C 1 -C 4 alkyl,

R 16 is cyano,

R 17 is the radical of the formula —(CH 2 ) 3 —O—(CH 2 ) 2 —O—C 6 H 5 ,

R 18 is halogen, nitro or cyano, and

R 19 is hydrogen, halogen, nitro or cyano,

in which

R 20 is C 1 -C 4 alkyl,

R 21 is C 1 -C 4 alkyl which is unsubstituted or substituted by C 1 -C 4 alkoxy and

R 22 is the radical —COOCH 2 CH 2 OC 6 H 5 und R 23 is hydrogen or

R 22 is hydrogen and R 23 is the radical —N═N—C 6 H 5 ,

where the rings A and B are unsubstituted or substituted one or more times by halogen,

in which

R 24 is C 1 -C 4 alkyl, which is unsubstituted or substituted by hydroxy, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy-C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, C 2 -C 4 alkanoyloxy or C 1 -C 4 alkoxycarbonyl,

in which

R 25 is C 1 -C 4 alkyl,

R 26 is C 1 -C 4 alkyl, which is unsubstituted or substituted by C 1 -C 4 alkoxy,

R 27 is hydrogen, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy or halogen, and

R 28 is hydrogen, nitro, halogen or phenylsulfonyloxy,

in which

R 29 , R 30 , R 31 and R 32 independently of one another are hydrogen or halogen,

R 33 is hydrogen, halogen, C 1 -C 4 alkyl or C 1 -C 4 alkoxy,

R 34 is hydrogen, halogen or C 2 -C 4 alkanoylamino, and

R 35 and R 36 independently of one another are hydrogen, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, which is unsubstituted or substituted by hydroxy, cyano, acetoxy or phenoxy,

in which

R 37 is hydrogen or halogen,

in which

R 38 is hydrogen, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, tetrahydrofuran-2-yl or C 1 -C 4 alkoxycarbonyl, which is unsubstituted or substituted in the alkyl by C 1 -C 4 alkoxy,

in which

R 39 is hydrogen or thiophenyl, which is unsubstituted or substituted in the phenyl by C 1 -C 4 alkyl or C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy,

R 40 is hydrogen, hydroxy or amino,

R 41 is hydrogen, halogen, cyano or thiophenyl, which is unsubstituted or substituted in the phenyl by C 1 -C 4 alkyl or C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy, phenoxy or phenyl, and

R 42 is phenyl, which is unsubstituted or substituted by halogen, C 1 -C 4 alkyl or C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy,

in which

R 43 is hydrogen or C 1 -C 4 alkyl,

R 44 and R 45 independently of one another are hydrogen, halogen, nitro or cyano,

R 46 is hydrogen, halogen, C 1 -C 4 alkyl or C 1 -C 4 alkoxy,

R 47 is hydrogen, halogen or C 2 -C 4 alkanoylamino, and

R 48 and R 49 independently of one another are hydrogen or C 1 -C 4 alkyl, which is unsubstituted or substituted by hydroxy, cyano, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy-C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, C 2 -C 4 alkanoyloxy, C 1 -C 4 alkoxycarbonyl, phenyl or phenoxy.

3 . A process according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein

the ink comprises glycerol in an amount of from 5 to 60% by weight, preferably from 5 to 50% by weight, based on the total weight of the ink.

4 . A process according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein

the viscosity of the ink is from 6 to 14 mPa·s at 25° C., preferably from 8 to 11 mPa·s at 25° C.

5 . A process according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein

the ink further comprises diethylene glycol or dipropylene glycol, in particular dipropylene glycol.

6 . A process according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein

printing is performed by means of an ink-jet printing device provided with at least one ink-jet print head which comprises

a nozzle layer (a) defining a plurality of ejection nozzles,

an ink supply layer (b) which is formed from a porous material having a multitude of small interconnected pores so as to allow passage of ink therethrough, said ink supply layer featuring a plurality of connecting bores from the rear surface to the front surface, each of said connecting bore being aligned so as to connect between a corresponding one of said ejection nozzles and

a deflection layer (c), comprising a plurality of transducers related to said connecting bores for ejecting ink droplets out through the nozzles.

7 . A process according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein

printing is performed by means of an ink-jet printing device provided with at least one ink-jet print head which comprises

a nozzle layer (a) defining a plurality of ejection nozzles,

an ink supply layer (b) having a front surface associated with the nozzle layer and a rear surface associated with a cavity layer (d), said ink supply layer being formed with a plurality of connecting bores from said rear surface to said front surface, each connecting bore being aligned so as to connect between a corresponding one of said ink cavities and a corresponding one of said ejection nozzles, wherein said ink supply layer additionally features

(i) a pattern of ink distribution channels formed in said front surface, and

(ii) at least one ink inlet bore passing from said rear surface to said front surface and configured so as to be in direct fluid communication with at least part of said pattern of ink distribution channels, said pattern of ink distribution channels and said at least one ink inlet bore together defining part of an ink flow path which passes from said rear surface through said at least one ink inlet bore to said pattern of ink distribution channels on said front surface, and through said porous material to said plurality of ink cavities.

a deflection layer (c), comprising a plurality of transducers related to said connecting bores for ejecting ink droplets out through the nozzles.

8 . A process according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein

the transducer is a piezoelectric element.

9 . A process according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein polyester-containing fibre materials are printed.

10 . An aqueous printing ink for the ink-jet printing process, comprising

(I) at least one disperse dye selected from the group of dyes of the formulae (1) to (13) according to claim 2 ,

(II) from 10 to 35% by weight of glycerol based on the total weight of the ink, and

(III) from 10 to 25% by weight of dipropylene glycol based on the total weight of the ink, said ink having a viscosity of from 5 to 20 mPas at 25° C.