TRANSPARENT INK-JET RECORDING FILM
Addition of a surfactant to either the under-layer, the image-receiving layer, or to both the under-layer and the image-receiving layer provides a quick-drying, transparent ink-jet recording film capable of achieving an optical density of at least 2.8 while still having a low haze and producing a number of grey levels.
1 . An ink-jet recording film comprising:
a transparent support;
an under-layer comprising a water soluble or water dispersible cross-linkable polymer containing hydroxyl groups, a borate, and optionally a surfactant; and
an image-receiving layer coated over the under-layer comprising, a water soluble or water dispersible cross-linkable polymer containing hydroxyl groups, inorganic particles, and optionally a surfactant,
wherein at least one of the under-layer or image-receiving layer includes a surfactant in an amount of at least 0.5 wt % when in the under-layer and at least 0.2 wt % when in the image-receiving layer.
2 . The ink-jet recording film of claim 1 , wherein the transparent support comprises a polyester.
3 . The ink-jet recording film of claim 1 , wherein the transparent support comprises polyethylene terephthalate.
4 . The ink-jet recording film of claim 1 , wherein the transparent support comprises a pigment, a dye, or a combination thereof.
5 . The ink jet recording film of claim 1 wherein the water soluble or water dispersible cross-linkable polymer containing hydroxyl groups in the under-layer comprises, poly(vinyl alcohol), partially hydrolyzed poly(vinyl acetate/vinyl alcohol), copolymers containing hydroxyethylmethacrylate, copolymers containing hydroxyethylacrylate, copolymers containing hydroxypropylmethacrylate, hydroxy cellulose ethers, or mixtures thereof;
the borate comprises sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, sodium tetraborate decahydrate, boric acid, phenyl boronic acid, butyl boronic acid, or mixtures thereof; and
the surfactant is a p-isononylphenoxypoly(glycidol), a fluoroaliphatic polyacrylate fluoropolymer, or a hydroxyl terminated fluorinated polyether.
6 . The ink-jet recording film of claim 1 wherein the under-layer polymer comprises polyvinyl alcohol, the borate comprises sodium tetraborate decahydrate, and the surfactant comprises p-isononylphenoxypoly(glycidol).
7 . The ink-jet recording film of claim 1 wherein water soluble or water dispersible cross-linkable polymer in the under-layer is present in an amount of from about 0.02 g/m 2 to about 1.8 g/m 2 , the borate in the under-layer is present in an amount of from about 0.02 g/m 2 to about 2.0 g/m 2 , and the surfactant is present in an amount of from about 0.001 g/m 2 to about 0.10 g/m 2 .
8 . The ink-jet recording film of claim 1 wherein the water soluble or water dispersible cross-linkable polymer containing hydroxyl groups in the image-receiving layer comprises, poly(vinyl alcohol), partially hydrolyzed poly(vinyl acetate/vinyl alcohol), copolymers containing hydroxyethylmethacrylate, copolymers containing hydroxyethylacrylate, copolymers containing hydroxypropylmethacrylate, hydroxy cellulose ethers, or mixtures thereof;
the inorganic particles comprise fumed silica, fumed alumina, colloidal silica, or boehmite alumina, or mixtures thereof;
the borate comprises sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, sodium tetraborate decahydrate, boric acid, phenyl boronic acid, butyl boronic acid, or mixtures thereof; and
the surfactant comprises a p-isononylphenoxypoly(glycidol), a fluoroaliphatic polyacrylate fluoropolymer, a hydroxyl terminated fluorinated polyether, or mixtures thereof.
9 . The ink-jet recording film of claim 1 wherein the image-receiving layer comprises polyvinyl alcohol, the inorganic particles comprise boehmite alumina, and the surfactant comprises p-isononylphenoxypoly(glycidol).
10 . The ink-jet recording film of claim 1 wherein the water soluble or water dispersible cross-linkable polymer containing hydroxyl groups in the image-receiving layer comprises a polyvinyl alcohol; the inorganic particles comprise at least 88 wt %; and the surfactant comprises at least 0.20 wt %.
11 . The ink jet recording film of claim 1 wherein water soluble or water dispersible cross-linkable polymer in the image-receiving layer is present in an amount of from about 1.0 g/m 2 to about 4.5 g/m 2 , the inorganic particles in the image-receiving layer are present in an amount of from about 17 g/m 2 to about 48 g/m 2 , and the surfactant is present in an amount of from about 0.04 g/m 2 to about 1.5 g/m 2 .
12 . The ink-jet recording film of claim 1 wherein the surfactant in the under-layer is present in an amount of from about 0.5 wt % to about 5.0 wt %, and the surfactant in the image-receiving layer is present in an amount of from about 0.2 wt % to about 3.0 wt %.
13 . The ink-jet recording film of claim 1 wherein the portion of the film having an optical density of at least 2.8 is substantially dry 5 seconds after the completion of printing.
14 . The ink-jet recording film of claim 1 having a total haze of less than 24%.
15 . The ink-jet recording film of claim 1 wherein the ratio of inorganic particles to cross-linkable polymer is between 88:12 and 95:5.
16 . The ink-jet recording film of claim 1 wherein the ratio of inorganic particles to cross-linkable polymer is between 92:8 and 94:6
17 . The ink-jet recording film of claim 1 wherein the water soluble or water dispersible polymer in the under-layer and image-receiving layer is a polyvinyl alcohol, the surfactant is p-isononylphenoxypoly(glycidol), the inorganic particles are boehmite alumina, and the borate is sodium tetraborate decahydrate.
18 . The ink-jet recording film of claim 1 wherein the surfactant is present in only the image-receiving layer and in an amount of at least 0.2 wt %.
19 . The ink-jet recording film of claim 1 wherein the surfactant is present in only the under-layer in and in an amount of at least 0.5 wt %.
20 . The ink-jet recording film of claim 1 wherein:
the transparent support is polyethylene terephthalate;
the under-layer comprises polyvinyl alcohol, the borate comprises sodium tetraborate decahydrate, and the surfactant comprises p-isononylphenoxypoly(glycidol); and
the image-receiving layer comprises polyvinyl alcohol, the inorganic particles comprise boehmite alumina, and the surfactant comprises p-isononylphenoxypoly(glycidol).
21 . A method of preparing an ink jet recording film comprising:
coating onto a transparent support:
an under-layer comprising, a water soluble or water dispersible cross-linkable polymer containing hydroxyl groups, a borate, and optionally a surfactant; and
an image-receiving layer coated over the under-layer comprising, a water soluble or water dispersible cross-linkable polymer containing hydroxyl groups, inorganic particles, and optionally a surfactant, wherein at least one of the under-layer or image-receiving layer includes a surfactant in an amount of at least 0.5 wt % when in the under-layer and at least 0.2 wt % when in the image receiving layer; and
drying the coated recording film.
22 . The method of claim 21 wherein the under-layer and image-receiving layer are coated simultaneously.
23 . A method of forming an image comprising printing with an ink-jet printer onto the transparent ink-jet recording film of claim 1 .