Digital BW, The Print

Bill,


> This is an ink patent by HP ...
> 
> http://images2.freshpatents.com/pdf/US20100292372A1.pdf


That URL is not working for me.

 
> If you use Pauls base you will see some of the same chemicals ...


There is a reason I call my blend a "generic" base.  These things have a lot in common.  The surfactant mix is a major area where there is variability and where there might be room for improvement.



> Photo Flow is about 1/3 propylene glycol and 5 to 10% of an Ethoxyethyl Linear Alcohol


And both are active ingredients.


> Ethoxyethyl Linear Alcohols are ...


A huge class of chemicals.  The trick is to find the "cocktail" that works the best and is easily available in small quantities.


 
> usually catorgized by the number of carbon atoms usually from 6 to the mid 20's for inks a lower number is better as a surficant and a number of around 12 as a suspension aid. It looks like inkjet inks work better when there are two of these working together.


Yes, there are multiple uses and needs for these chemicals.  They line up on different types of surfaces and are more than just wetting agents.


A surfactant is a long molecule with one end that has an affinity for water (hydrophilic) and one end that hates water (hydrophobic).  (I sometimes think of them as like tadpoles that are trying to get out of the water.)  Different types line up against different types of surfaces.  So, for example, some line up at the water-air surface.  Some line up at water-metal surfaces, some at water-pigment surfaces, etc.  So, there are all sorts of these with differing characteristics, and different blends (or "cocktails" as I sometimes call them) will lead to different performances of the inks.

 
> I use an Ethoxylated Linear Alcohol "Surf AC-280" to mix with farm chemicals ... $14 a gallon ...


One reason I used the Photo Flo and Edwal is that they were readily available in small quantities and the darkroom types I expected to become ink mixers were familiar with them.  Additionally, they've been used for years, and I expect potential negatives associated with their use would have been fairly well known and documented.  

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com