Pretreatment formulation and a corresponding ink set

Abstract

A pretreatment formulation is disclosed which includes at least one ink fixation agent and at least one vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer (VAE) and/or a VAE derivative.

1 .- 64 . (canceled) 
     
     
         65 . A pretreatment formulation comprising at least one ink fixation agent and at least one vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer (VAE) and/or a VAE derivative, the formulation being free of a pigment or a dye, wherein VAE is a copolymerization product of vinyl acetate and ethylene, having vinyl acetate content between 60 and 95%, and ethylene content between 5 and 40% (w/w) and wherein the VAE derivative is a modified VAE wherein
 a further monomer is introduced along the VAE chain; or
 at least a portion or all of the vinyl acetate monomers and/or at least a portion or all of the ethylene monomers are chemically functionalized; or 
 at least a portion or all of the vinyl acetate monomers are chemically functionalized, and none of the ethylene monomers are chemically functionalized; or 
 none of the vinyl acetate monomers are chemically functionalized, and a plurality or all of the ethylene monomers are chemically functionalized; or wherein 
 the backbone of a VAE polymer is chemically functionalized. 
   
     
     
         66 . The formulation according to  claim 65 , configured and adapted for use with an ink formulation free of a combination of a fixation agent and at least one vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer (VAE) or a VAE derivative; or for use with an ink formulation that is free of at least one vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer (VAE) or a VAE derivative. 
     
     
         67 . The formulation according to  claim 65 , wherein the VAE derivative is a copolymer of vinyl acetate, ethylene and an N-methylol-based compound. 
     
     
         68 . The formulation according to  claim 67 , wherein the VAE derivative is a self-crosslinkable polymer having one or more crosslinkable functionalities. 
     
     
         69 . The formulation according to  claim 68 , wherein the one or more crosslinkable functionalities are selected to inter-molecularly self-crosslink. 
     
     
         70 . The formulation according to  claim 68 , wherein the one or more crosslinkable functionalities are selected from alcohols, amines, vinyl groups, carboxyl groups, and silanols. 
     
     
         71 . The formulation according to  claim 65 , wherein the VAE derivative is a copolymerization product of vinyl acetate (VA) monomers, ethylene (E) monomers with N-methylol-functionalized ethylene monomers. 
     
     
         72 . The formulation according to  claim 71 , wherein the N-methylol-functionalized ethylene monomer is derived from N-methylol-acrylamide (NMA), N-methylol methacrylamide, N-methylol maleimide, N-methylol maleinamic acid, N-methylol maleinamic acid esters, or N-methylol amide of vinyl aromatic acids. 
     
     
         73 . The formulation according to  claim 72 , wherein the N-methylol-functionalized ethylene monomer is an N-methylol-acrylamide (NMA). 
     
     
         74 . The formulation according to  claim 65 , wherein the VAE derivative is a copolymerization product of ethylene (E) monomers, vinyl acetate (VA) monomers, with N-methylol-functionalized vinyl acetate monomers. 
     
     
         75 . The formulation according to  claim 74 , wherein the N-methylol-functionalized vinyl acetate monomer is derived from N-methylol-acrylamide (NMA), N-methylol methacrylamide, N-methylol maleimide, N-methylol maleinamic acid, N-methylol maleinamic acid esters, or N-methylol amide of vinyl aromatic acids. 
     
     
         76 . The formulation according to  claim 65 , wherein the ink fixation agent is at least one cationic material. 
     
     
         77 . A method of forming an ink pattern on a surface, the method comprising coating a surface region of a substrate (or forming a coat or a film) with a pretreatment formulation according to  claim 65  and patterning an ink formulation on at least one region of the surface region of the substrate coated with the pretreatment formulation, wherein the at least one region coated with the pretreatment formulation is a dry or a wet region. 
     
     
         78 . A method of forming an ink pattern on a dry or wet recipient surface present on a textile substrate, the method comprising obtaining a textile substrate having a part of its surface region or the complete surface region coated with a pretreatment formulation according to  claim 65 , and forming a pattern of an ink formulation on at least a portion of the surface region coated with the pretreatment formulation, wherein optionally prior to the forming of the ink pattern the coated region is dried to obtain a dry recipient surface. 
     
     
         79 . The method according to  claim 78 , wherein the pretreatment formulation comprises at least one metal salt optionally selected from calcium acetate, CaCl 2 , CaF 2 , CaBr 2 , or CaI 2 , wherein the amount of the salt does not exceed 20 wt % or is between 0.1 and 20 wt %; VAE and/or a VAE derivative in an amount ranging between 0.1 and 20 wt %; and an aqueous carrier. 
     
     
         80 . The method according to  claim 78 , wherein the pretreatment formulation is patterned by digital printing, direct to garment (DTG), roll-to-roll, transfer printing processes, flexo, roto gravure, direct to film (DTF), offset, screen printing, brushing or spraying. 
     
     
         81 . A dried or cured pattern or coat or film formed on a substrate, the film being formed of a formulation according to  claim 65 . 
     
     
         82 . The film according to  claim 81 , formed on substrate selected from absorptive or non-absorptive materials, natural or synthetic materials, paper materials, polymeric materials. 
     
     
         83 . A fabric coated with a dry or wet film of a pretreatment formulation according to  claim 65 , the formulation comprising VAE and/or a VAE derivative, and at least one ink fixation agent, wherein:
 when the film is a wet film, the film further comprises water; and   when the film is a dry film, the film is (substantially) free of water.   
     
     
         84 . A fabric coated with a dry film of a pretreatment formulation comprising VAE and/or a VAE derivative, and at least one ink fixation agent, wherein said dry film is overlayed with an ink film or an ink pattern.