# US 8,783,829 B2 · Image forming method and ink composition > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,783,829 B2 - Document ID: US8783829B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/794,808 - Filed: 2013-03-12 - Published: 2013-08-01 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2009-09-18 - Assignees: FUJIFILM Corporation - Applicants: Fujifilm Corporation - Inventors: Tomoyuki Ohzeki; Jun Matsumoto; Masao Ikoshi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8783829B2 ## CPC - B41J 2/14233: {of film type, deformed by bending and disposed on a diaphragm} - B41J 2/1433: {Structure of nozzle plates} - B82Y 30/00: Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites - C01B 33/14: Colloidal silica, e.g. dispersions, gels, sols - C01B 33/20: Silicates (persilicates C01B15/14 {; containing aluminium C01B33/26}) - C01P 2004/64: Nanometer sized, i.e. from 1-100 nanometer - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES - C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C} - C01P: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO STRUCTURAL AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF SOLID INORGANIC COMPOUNDS ## Abstract The present invention provides an image forming method and an ink composition whereby deterioration of a head plate, which is formed of silicon, is suppressed, and an image with higher precision is formed stably, the ink composition including an inorganic silicate compound and being ejected to form an image from an ink-jet head having a nozzle plate where a C8F17C2H4SiCl3 film (fluorocarbon film) is provided on the surface thereof at a side toward the ink ejection direction of a nozzle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming method comprising: ejecting an ink composition onto a recording medium to form an image, wherein the ink composition comprises an inorganic silicate compound, the ink composition is ejected from an inkjet head having a nozzle plate, the nozzle plate comprises a liquid repellent film, the liquid repellent film comprises a fluoroalkylsilane moiety, at least a part of the nozzle plate comprises silicon, and a pH of the ink composition is in a range of from 7.5 to 10.0 at a temperature of 25° C. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid repellent film comprising a fluoroalkylsilane moiety is formed by using a compound represented by the following Formula (1): CnF2n+1—CmH2m—Si—X3 Formula (1) wherein, in Formula (I), n represents an integer of 1 or more; m represents an integer of 0 or more; X represents an alkoxy group, an amino group, or a halogen atom; and a part of X may be substituted with an alkyl group. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image forming method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid repellent film is formed by chemical vapor deposition. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image forming method according to claim 1, wherein a content of the inorganic silicate compound in the ink composition is in a range of from 0.0005% by mass to 0.5% by mass with respect to a total mass of the ink composition. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image forming method according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle plate further comprises a film which comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a metal oxide, a metal nitride and a metal other than silicon. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The image forming method according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the nozzle plate is provided with a film which comprises SiO2 or tantalum oxide. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image forming method according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle plate has plural ejection ports which eject the ink composition, the inkjet head further comprises plural pressure chambers respectively communicating with the plural ejection ports of the nozzle plate, plural ink supply flow paths respectively supplying the ink composition to the plural pressure chambers, a common liquid chamber supplying the ink composition to the plural ink supply flow paths, and plural pressure generation units respectively deforming the plural pressure chambers, and an amount of change in volume within each pressure chamber is controlled by driving the respective pressure generation unit to eject the ink composition. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The image forming method according to claim 7, wherein the pressure generation units are piezo elements. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The image forming method according to claim 7, wherein the plural ejection ports are arranged two-dimensionally in a matrix form. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The image forming method according to claim 9, wherein the inkjet head forms an image at a drawing resolution of 1200 dpi or higher with a single pulse ejection from the nozzle plate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The image forming method according to claim 7, wherein the inkjet head further comprises electrical wiring which is arranged so as to penetrate the common liquid chamber and supplies driving signals to the pressure generation units. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The image forming method according to claim 11, wherein the pressure generation units are disposed on the opposite side of the pressure chamber from a side thereof where the nozzle plate is arranged, and the common liquid chamber is disposed on the opposite side of the pressure generation units from a side thereof where the pressure chambers are arranged. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The image forming method according to claim 1, wherein the ink composition further comprises a pigment, a water-soluble organic solvent, and resin particles. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The image forming method according to claim 13, wherein the resin particles are self-dispersing polymer particles. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The image forming method according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic silicate compound is colloidal silica. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) An ink composition comprising an inorganic silicate compound and being used for the image forming method according to claim 1.