Additive composition for water-based inks

Abstract

An aqueous dispersion useful in formulating water based printing inks is provided. The dispersion contains water, an alkoxylated primary linear polymeric alcohol dispersant and a finely divided mostly linear aliphatic hydrocarbon having a molecular weight of about 300-3,000 and/or a finely divided chemically modified mostly linear aliphatic hydrocarbon having a molecular weight of about 300-3,000.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. .[.A water based ink containing a pigment and an effective amount of a formulation aid comprising in an.]. .Iadd.An .Iaddend.aqueous dispersion .Iadd.comprising.Iaddend.: (a) water;   (b) a dispersant represented by the formula: ##STR3## wherein R and R 1  are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C 1  -C 10  alkyl; R 2  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and methyl and x is about 8 to about 75 and n is about 2 to about 65; and   (c) a finely divided mostly linear aliphatic hydrocarbon .[.and/or.]. or modified hydrocarbon .Iadd.or mixtures thereof .Iaddend.having a molecular weight of from about 300-3,000 .[.and an average particle size of less than about 20 microns..]..Iadd.selected from the group consisting of (i) a copolymer of ethylene and either propylene, butylene, vinyl acetate or acrylic acid; (ii) Fischer-Tropsch waxes; (iii) natural wax; (iv) petroleum-derived waxes; and (v) partially oxidized polyethylenes, polymethylenes and petroleum-derived waxes. .Iaddend.   
     
     
       2. The .[.ink.]. .Iadd.dispersion .Iaddend.of claim 1 .[.wherein the dispersion.]. .Iadd.which .Iaddend.contains: (a) about 20-92% by weight of water; (b) about 2-40% by weight of .Iadd.said .Iaddend.dispersant; and (c) about 1-60% by weight of said mostly linear aliphatic .Iadd.and/or modified .Iaddend.hydrocarbon.   
     
     
       3. The .[.ink.]. .Iadd.dispersion .Iaddend.of claim 2 wherein said mostly linear aliphatic hydrocarbon and/or modified hydrocarbon is a .[.mixture of unoxidized polyethylene and.]. .Iadd.partially .Iaddend.oxidized polyethylene, .Iadd.polymethylene or petroleum-derived wax.Iaddend.. 
     
     
       4. The .[.ink.]. .Iadd.dispersion .Iaddend.of claim .[.3.]. .Iadd.28 .Iaddend.wherein the oxidized polyethylene comprises about 55-95% by weight of the .Iadd.hydrocarbon .Iaddend.mixture. 
     
     
       5. The .[.ink.]. .Iadd.dispersion .Iaddend.of claim 4 wherein the oxidized polyethylene has an acid number of at least about 5. 
     
     
       6. The .[.ink.]. .Iadd.dispersion .Iaddend.of claim .[.2.]. .Iadd.1 .Iaddend.wherein the hydrocarbon .[.contains.]. .Iadd.is .Iaddend.a petroleum-derived wax. 
     
     
       7. The .[.ink.]. .Iadd.dispersion .Iaddend.of claim 2 wherein the hydrocarbon .[.contains.]. .Iadd.is .Iaddend.a polymethylene. 
     
     
       8. The .[.ink.]. .Iadd.dispersion .Iaddend.of claim .[.2.]. .Iadd.6 .Iaddend.wherein the .[.hydrocarbon.]. .Iadd.petroleum-derived wax .Iaddend.is .[.a mixture of.]. paraffin wax .[.and polyethylene.].. 
     
     
       9. .[.A water based pigmented ink containing an effective amount of a formulation aid comprising in an.]. .Iadd.An.Iaddend.aqueous dispersion .Iadd.which when added to an ink improves adhesion, gloss, and slip properties of the ink, which comprises.Iaddend.: (a) water;   (b) a dispersant represented by the formula: ##STR4## wherein R and R 1  are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C 1  -C 10  alkyl; R 2  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and methyl and x is about 8-75 and n averages .Badd..[.4-50.]..Baddend. .Iadd.2-65.Iaddend.; and   (c) a mixture of: (1) a finely divided unoxidized polyethylene of a molecular weight of about .Badd..[.700.]..Baddend. .Iadd.300 .Iaddend.to about 3,000;   (2) a finely divided oxidized polyethylene of a molecular weight of about .Badd..[.700.]..Baddend. .Iadd.300 .Iaddend.to about 3,000.     
     
     
       10. .[.A water-based pigmented ink containing an effective amount of a formulation aid comprising in an.]. .Iadd.An .Iaddend.aqueous dispersion .Iadd.which when added to an ink improves adhesion, gloss, and slip properties of the ink, which comprises.Iaddend.: (a) about 30-92% by weight of water;   (b) about 2-40% by weight of a dispersant represented by the formula: ##STR5## wherein R and R 1  are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C 1  -C 10  alkyl; R 2  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and methyl and x is about 8-75 and n averages about .Badd..[.4-5.]..Baddend. .Iadd.2-65.Iaddend.; and   (c) about 1-60% by weight of a mixture of: (1) a finely divided unoxidized polyethylene o a molecular weight of about .Badd..[.700.]..Baddend. .Iadd.300 .Iaddend.to about 3,000; and   (2) a finely divided oxidized polyethylene of a molecular weight of about .Badd..[.700.]..Baddend..Iadd.300 .Iaddend.to about 3,000.     
     
     
       11. The .[.ink.]. .Iadd.dispersion .Iaddend.of claim 10 wherein the oxidized polyethylene comprises about 55-95% by weight of the mixture. 
     
     
       12. The .[.ink.]. .Iadd.dispersion .Iaddend.of claim 11 wherein the oxidized polyethylene has an acid number of at least about 5. 
     
     
       13. A water-based ink .Iadd.which contains the dispersion .Iaddend.of claim .[.12 containing about 0.5 to about 10% by weight of the formulation aid.]. .Iadd.1.Iaddend.. 
     
     
       14. A water-based ink .Iadd.which contains the dispersion .Iaddend.of claim .[.3 containing about 0.5 to about 10% by weight of the formulation aid.]. .Iadd.28.Iaddend.. 
     
     
       15. A water-based ink .Iadd.which contains the dispersion .Iaddend.of claim 4 .[.containing about 0.5 to about 10% by weight of the formulation aid.].. 
     
     
       16. A water-based ink .Iadd.which contains the dispersion .Iaddend.of claim .[.5 containing about 0.5 to about 10% by weight of the formulation aid.]. .Iadd.23.Iaddend.. 
     
     
       17. A water-based ink .Iadd.which contains the dispersion .Iaddend.of claim .[.6 containing about 0.5 to about 10% by weight of the formulation aid.]. .Iadd.31.Iaddend.. 
     
     
       18. A water-based ink .Iadd.which contains the dispersion .Iaddend.of claim .[.7 containing about 0.5 to about 10% by weight of the formulation aid.]. .Iadd.30.Iaddend.. 
     
     
       19. A water-based ink .Iadd.which contains the dispersion .Iaddend.of claim 8 .Iadd.containing about 0.5 to about 10% by weight of the formulation aid.]..Iaddend.. 
     
     
       20. A water-based ink .Iadd.which contains the dispersion of .Iaddend.claim 9 .[.containing about 0.5 to about 10% by weight of the formulation aid.].. 
     
     
       21. A water-based ink .Iadd.which contains the dispersion .Iaddend.of claim 10 .[.containing about 0.5 to about 10% by weight of the formulation aid.].. 
     
     
       22. A water-based ink .Iadd.which contains the dispersion .Iaddend.of claim 11 .[.containing about 0.5 to about 10% by weight of the formulation aid.].. .Iadd.23. The dispersion of claim 6 wherein the petroleum-derived 
     
     
        wax is a microcrystalline wax. .Iaddend..Iadd. 24. The dispersion of claim 8 further containing polyethylene. .Iaddend..Iadd.25. The dispersion of claim 8 wherein the paraffin wax has between about 20 to about 36 carbon atoms. .Iaddend. .Iadd.26. The dispersion of claim 8 wherein the paraffin wax has a molecular weight between about 280 to about 500. .Iaddend. .Iadd.27. The dispersion of claim 23 wherein the microcrystalline wax has 
     
     
        a molecular weight between about 500 to about 700. .Iaddend. .Iadd.28. The dispersion of claim 3 wherein the hydrocarbon further contains 
     
     
        unoxidized polyethylene. .Iaddend. .Iadd.29.  The dispersion of claim 3 wherein the hydrocarbon contains at least one carboxylic acid, ketone, 
     
     
        alcohol or ester group. .Iaddend. .Iadd.30.  The dispersion of claim 1 wherein the hydrocarbon is a natural wax. .Iaddend. .Iadd.31. The dispersion of claim 30 wherein the natural wax is beeswax, carnauba or candelila wax. .Iaddend. .Iadd.32. The dispersion of claim 1 wherein the hydrocarbon has an average particle size less than 20 microns. .Iaddend. 
     
     
        .Iadd.33.  The dispersion of claim 29 wherein the average particle size of the hydrocarbon is between about 1 to about 15 microns. .Iaddend.