# US 10,370,551 B2 · Ink composition and recording method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,370,551 B2 - Document ID: US10370551B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/371,495 - Filed: 2016-12-07 - Published: 2017-06-15 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-10 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation - Inventors: Tadashi Watanabe; Takayoshi Kagata; Akira Mizutani; Kenichi Seguchi; Akiko Matsuzaki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10370551B2 ## CPC - C09D 11/54: Inks based on two liquids, one liquid being the ink, the other liquid being a reaction solution, a fixer or a treatment solution for the ink - C09D 11/106: containing macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds - C09D 11/107: from unsaturated acids or derivatives thereof - C09D 11/322: Pigment inks - C09D 11/38: characterised by non-macromolecular additives other than solvents, pigments or dyes - C09D 11/40: Ink-sets specially adapted for multi-colour inkjet printing - C09D: COATING COMPOSITIONS, e.g. PAINTS, VARNISHES OR LACQUERS; FILLING PASTES; CHEMICAL PAINT OR INK REMOVERS; INKS; CORRECTING FLUIDS; WOODSTAINS; PASTES OR SOLIDS FOR COLOURING OR PRINTING; USE OF MATERIALS THEREFOR (cosmetics A61K; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces, in general, B05D; staining wood B27K5/02; glazes or vitreous enamels C03C; natural resins, French polish, drying-oils, driers, turpentine, per se, C09F; polishing compositions other than French polish, ski waxes C09G; adhesives or use of materials as adhesives C09J; materials for sealing or packing joints or covers C09K3/10; materials for stopping leaks C09K3/12; processes for the electrolytic or electrophoretic production of coatings C25D) ## Abstract Provided is an ink composition that includes a color material, water, an organic solvent, and polymer particles, the organic solvent including an organic solvent with a standard boiling point of equal to or greater than 150° C. and equal to or less than 250° C., the content of the organic solvent that is an alkyl polyol with a standard boiling point of equal to or greater than 280° C. being equal to or less than 2.0% by mass with respect to a total amount of the ink composition, the polymer particles having a core-shell structure including core polymer and shell polymer, and a glass transition temperature of the shell polymer being higher than that of the core polymer, and that is used for a recording method using the ink composition and an aggregating liquid containing an aggregating agent capable of aggregating components of the ink composition and increasing viscosity of the components. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An ink composition comprising: a color material; water; an organic solvent; and polymer particles, wherein the organic solvent includes an organic solvent with a standard boiling point of equal to or greater than 150° C. and equal to or less than 250° C., and the content of the organic solvent that is an alkyl polyol with a standard boiling point of equal to or greater than 280° C. is equal to or less than 2.0% by mass with respect to a total amount of the ink composition, wherein the polymer particles have a core-shell structure including core polymer and shell polymer, and a glass transition temperature of the shell polymer is in the range of 60° C. to 150° C., a glass transition temperature of the core polymer is greater than 0° C. and less than 60° C., and when a mass of the shell polymer is 100%, a mass of the core polymer is equal to or greater than 40% by mass and equal to or less than 80% by mass, wherein the ink composition is used for a recording method using the ink composition and an aggregating liquid containing an aggregating agent that is capable of aggregating components of the ink composition or increasing viscosity of the components of the ink composition, and wherein the shell polymer contains at least an aromatic monomer unit as a constitutional unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ink composition according to claim 1, wherein the content of the organic solvent with the standard boiling point of equal to or greater than 280° C. is equal to or less than 0.5% by mass with respect to a total amount of the ink composition. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The ink composition according to claim 1, wherein an acid value of the shell polymer is larger than an acid value of the core polymer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ink composition according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a condition that an acid value of the shell polymer is equal to or greater than 20 mgKOH/g and a condition that an acid value of the core polymer is equal to or less than 15 mgKOH/g is satisfied. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The ink composition according to claim 1, wherein a difference between the glass transition temperature of the core polymer and the glass transition temperature of the shell polymer is equal to or greater than 10° C. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The ink composition according to claim 1, wherein the aggregating agent is one kind or two or more kinds selected from a group consisting of polyvalent metal salts, organic acids, and cationic compounds. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A recording method comprising: causing the ink composition according to claim 1 to adhere to a recording medium; and causing an aggregating liquid containing an aggregating agent that is capable of aggregating components of the ink composition or increasing viscosity of the components of the ink composition to adhere to the recording medium. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) A recording method comprising: causing the ink composition according to claim 2 to adhere to a recording medium; and causing an aggregating liquid containing an aggregating agent that is capable of aggregating components of the ink composition or increasing viscosity of the components of the ink composition to adhere to the recording medium. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) A recording method comprising: causing the ink composition according to claim 3 to adhere to a recording medium; and causing an aggregating liquid containing an aggregating agent that is capable of aggregating components of the ink composition or increasing viscosity of the components of the ink composition to adhere to the recording medium. ### Claim 10 (depends on 4) A recording method comprising: causing the ink composition according to claim 4 to adhere to a recording medium; and causing an aggregating liquid containing an aggregating agent that is capable of aggregating components of the ink composition or increasing viscosity of the components of the ink composition to adhere to the recording medium. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) A recording method comprising: causing the ink composition according to claim 5 to adhere to a recording medium; and causing an aggregating liquid containing an aggregating agent that is capable of aggregating components of the ink composition or increasing viscosity of the components of the ink composition to adhere to the recording medium. ### Claim 12 (depends on 6) A recording method comprising: causing the ink composition according to claim 6 to adhere to a recording medium; and causing an aggregating liquid containing an aggregating agent that is capable of aggregating components of the ink composition or increasing viscosity of the components of the ink composition to adhere to the recording medium. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The recording method according to claim 7, wherein the causing of the ink composition to adhere is causing at least the ink composition to adhere to the recording medium by an ink jet method. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The recording method according to claim 7, wherein the causing of the ink composition to adhere to the recording medium is causing the ink composition to adhere to a heated recording medium. ### Claim 15 A recording method comprising: causing an aggregating liquid containing an aggregating agent that is capable of aggregating components of an ink composition or increasing viscosity of the components of the ink composition to adhere to a recording medium; and causing the ink composition that contains a color material, water, an organic solvent, and polymer particles to adhere to the recording medium with a surface temperature of equal to or less than 38° C., the polymer particles having a core-shell structure where a glass transition temperature of a polymer that forms the shell is in the range of 60° C. to 150° C., a glass transition temperature of a polymer that forms the core is greater than 0° C. and less than 60° C., and when a mass of the shell polymer is 100%, a mass of the core polymer is equal to or greater than 40% by mass and equal to or less than 80% by mass, wherein in the ink composition, the organic solvent includes an organic solvent with a standard boiling point of equal to or greater than 150° C. and equal to or less than 250° C., and the content of the organic solvent that is an alkyl polyol with a standard boiling point of equal to or greater than 280° C. is equal to or less than 2.0% by mass with respect to a total amount of the ink composition, and wherein the shell polymer contains at least an aromatic monomer unit as a constitutional unit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The recording method according to claim 15, wherein the causing of the ink composition to adhere to the recording medium is causing the ink composition to adhere to the recording medium heated to a temperature from 30° C. to 50° C.