BIODEGRADABLE LIQUID INK COMPOSITION FOR INK JET PRINTING
A biodegradable ink composition for ink jet printing, liquid at room temperature, including a binder comprising at least 0.5% by weight relative to the total weight of the ink, of at least one biodegradable polymer having a weight average molecular weight less than 70 kDa, an organic vehicle or solvent including one or more organic solvent compound(s), and optionally water, at least 0.1% by weight relative to the total weight of the ink of one or more dye(s) and/or pigment(s), in which the biodegradable polymer is polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), polyesteramides (PEA), poly(glycolic acid)s, poly(lactic acid)s (PLA), polycaprolactones (PCL), the copolymers thereof; and aliphatic copolyesters such as succinates, adipates or terephtalates, and in which the ink composition has a viscosity of 1 to 20 mPa·s.
1 . A biodegradable ink composition for ink jet printing, liquid at room temperature, comprising:
a binder comprising at least 0.5% by weight relative to a total weight of the ink, of at least one biodegradable polymer having a weight average molecular weight of less than 70 kDa, expressed as polystyrene equivalents;
an organic vehicle or solvent comprising one or more organic solvent compound, and optionally water; and
at least 0.1% by weight relative to the total weight of the ink composition of one or more dyes and/or pigments;
wherein the biodegradable polymer is chosen from among polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), polyesteramides (PEA), poly(glycolic acid)s, poly(lactic acid)s (PLA), polycaprolactones (PCL), and the copolymers thereof; and aliphatic copolyesters such as succinates, adipates, and terephtalates; and
wherein the ink composition has a viscosity of 1 to 20 mPa·s.
2 . The ink composition according to claim 1 , wherein said biodegradable polymer is a compostable polymer and the composition is a compostable composition.
3 . The ink composition according to claim 1 ,
wherein the ink composition comprises at least 2% by weight relative to the total weight of the ink composition, of said at least one biodegradable polymer.
4 . The ink composition according to claim 1 ,
wherein the ink composition comprises from 0.5 to 25% by weight, relative to the total weight of the ink composition, of said at least one biodegradable polymer.
5 . The ink composition according to claim 1 ,
wherein said poly(lactic acid) is chosen from among amorphous poly(lactic acid)s whose weight average molecular weight is less than 60 kDa, expressed as polystyrene equivalents.
6 . The ink composition according to claim 1 ,
wherein said polycaprolactone is chosen from among polycaprolactones whose weight average molecular weight is less than 60 kDa, expressed as polystyrene equivalents.
7 . The ink composition according to claim 1 ,
wherein the solvent or vehicle represents at least 10% by weight of the total weight of the ink composition.
8 . The ink composition according to claim 1 ,
wherein said organic solvent compounds of the solvent are chosen from among biodegradable and compostable solvent compounds.
9 . The ink composition according to claim 1 ,
wherein said organic solvent compounds are chosen from among ketones, alcohols, alkyl esters, glycol ethers, acetals, ethyl lactate, methyl lactate, ethyl acetate, and mixtures thereof.
10 . The ink composition according to claim 9 , wherein the vehicle of the ink composition contains a major proportion by weight of one or more ketones.
11 . The ink composition according to claim 1 ,
wherein the dyes and/or pigments are chosen from among biodegradable and compostable dyes and/or pigments, not containing heavy metals, and non-ecotoxic.
12 . The ink composition according to claim 1 , wherein the dyes are chosen from among organic dyes soluble in ketones.
13 . The ink composition according to claim 1 , wherein the pigments are chosen from among carbon black, titanium oxides and mixtures thereof.
14 . The ink composition according to claim 1 , wherein the total amount of dyes and/or pigments is from 0.05 to 25% by weight, of the total weight of the ink composition.
15 . The ink composition according to claim 1 , wherein the ink composition is in the form of a dispersion of particles of at least one pigment in a vehicle of the ink composition.
16 . The ink composition according to claim 15 , wherein the pigment is a white pigment such as titanium dioxide.
17 . The ink composition according to claim 15 , wherein, in said dispersion, 100% of the particles have a size of less than 0.5 μm determined by quasi-elastic light scattering.
18 . The ink composition according to claim 1 , wherein the binder consists solely of one or more biodegradable and compostable polymer.
19 . The ink composition according to claim 1 ,
wherein the binder, in addition to the at least one biodegradable and compostable polymer, in a major proportion by weight relative to the total weight of the binder, further comprises one or more non-biodegradable and non-compostable resins and/or polymers.
20 . The ink composition according to claim 1 ,
wherein the binder represents from 0.1 to 30% by weight of the total weight of the ink composition, of the total weight of the ink composition.
21 . The ink composition according to claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one conductivity salt in an amount of at least 0.05 % by weight, of the total weight of the ink composition.
22 . The ink composition according to claim 1 ,
wherein said ink composition has a conductivity higher than 5 μS/cm at 20° C.
23 . The ink composition according to claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more additives chosen from among anti-foaming agents, chemical stabilizers, surfactants, bactericides, fungicides, biocides, and pH-regulating buffers.
24 . A method comprising:
marking a substrate, object or support by projecting onto said substrate, object or support of an ink by an inkjet printing technique,
wherein the projected ink is an ink composition comprising
a binder comprising at least 0.5% by weight relative to a total weight of the ink, of at least one biodegradable polymer having a weight average molecular weight of less than 70 kDa, expressed as polystyrene equivalents;
an organic vehicle or solvent comprising one or more organic solvent compounds, and optionally water; and
at least 0.1% by weight relative to the total weight of the ink composition of one or more dyes and/or pigments;
wherein the biodegradable polymer is chosen from among polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), polyesteramides (PEA), poly(glycolic acid)s, poly(lactic acid)s (PLA), polycaprolactones (PCL), and the copolymers thereof; and aliphatic copolyesters such as succinates, adipates, and terephtalates; and
wherein the ink composition has a viscosity of 1 to 20 mPa·s.
25 . The method according to claim 24 , wherein the ink jet printing technique is a drop on demand technique.
26 . The method according to claim 24 , wherein the ink jet printing technique is a deflected continuous inkjet technique.
27 . A substrate, object or support, comprising:
a marking obtained by drying and/or absorption of an ink composition comprising
a binder comprising at least 0.5% by weight relative to a total weight of the ink, of at least one biodegradable polymer having a weight average molecular weight of less than 70 kDa, expressed as polystyrene equivalents;
an organic vehicle or solvent comprising one or more organic solvent compounds, and optionally water; and
at least 0.1% by weight relative to the total weight of the ink composition of one or more dyes and/or pigments;
wherein the biodegradable polymer is chosen from among polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), polyesteramides (PEA), poly(glycolic acid)s, poly(lactic acid)s (PLA), polycaprolactones (PCL), and the copolymers thereof; and aliphatic copolyesters such as succinates, adipates, and terephtalates; and
wherein the ink composition has a viscosity of 1 to 20 mPa·s.
28 . The substrate according to claim 27 ,
wherein the substrate is chosen from among biodegradable and compostable substrates including disposable packaging, bags, films, beekers, pots, plates, trays, dishes, cutlery, hostess set, clips, food-container bases, and ash-trays.
29 . The biodegradable ink composition of claim 1 ,
wherein said at least one biodegradable polymer has a weight average molecular weight of less than 40 kDa, expressed as polystyrene equivalents.
30 . The biodegradable ink composition of claim 1 , wherein said ink composition has a viscosity of 2 to 10 mPa·s at 20° C.
31 . The biodegradable ink composition of claim 3 , wherein the ink composition comprises at least 6% by weight.
32 . The biodegradable ink composition of claim 4 ,
wherein the ink composition comprises from 6 to 10% by weight, relative to the total weight of the ink composition, of said at least one biodegradable polymer.
33 . The biodegradable ink composition of claim 5 ,
wherein said poly(lactic acid) is chosen from among amorphous poly(lactic acid)s whose weight average molecular weight is less than 40 kDa, expressed as polystyrene equivalents.
34 . The ink composition according to claim 6 ,
wherein said polycaprolactone is chosen from among polycaprolactones whose weight average molecular weight is less than 40 kDa, expressed as polystyrene equivalents.
35 . The ink composition according to claim 7 ,
wherein the solvent or vehicle represents from 60 to 80% by weight, of the total weight of the ink composition.
36 . The ink composition according to claim 14 ,
wherein the total amount of dyes and/or pigments is from 3 to 10% by weight, of the total weight of the ink composition.
37 . The ink composition according to claim 20 ,
wherein the binder represents from 3 to 20% by weight of the total weight of the ink composition.
38 . The ink composition according to claim 21 , wherein said at least one conductivity salt is in an amount of from 0.1 to 5% by weight, of the total weight of the ink composition.
39 . The ink composition according to claim 21 , wherein said at least one conductivity salt is non-ecotoxic.
40 . The ink composition according to claim 22 , wherein said ink composition has a conductivity higher than or equal to 500 μS/cm at 20° C.
41 . The ink composition according to claim 23 , wherein said one or more additives are biodegradable and compostable additives.