Effects of Viscosity and Surface Tension of a Reactive Dye Ink on Droplet Formation

Abstract

In textile inkjet printing, understanding the effect of viscosity and surface tension of a reactive dye ink on droplet formation is of great significance. As an organic ecofriendly solvent, polyethylene glycol with a molecular weight of −400 g/mol (PEG400) was used to prepare reactive dye inks with or without Surfynol 465 (S465) to explain separately how viscosity and surface tension affect the droplet formation of a reactive dye ink. The intermolecular interactions in the ink and physical properties of the ink were investigated by measuring the visible absorption spectra, hydrodynamic radius, viscosity, and surface tension. Droplet formation under a single variable influence of viscosity or surface tension was observed by taking photographs using a high-speed camera. Results show that a high ink viscosity condition generates no satellite droplet formation and a slower droplet velocity, and a higher surface tension tends to cause ligament rupture from the nozzle tip and the droplet. Moreover, a twill cotton fabric printed using the PEG-S465-dye ink at a 30% PEG400 concentration showed higher ink penetration, dye fixation rate, ideal color strength, and rubbing fastness.

Insights into Influences of Dye Hydrophobicity on Cleanliness and Resolution of Fabric Ink-Jet Printing

“…As shown in Figure , the Z value varied according to the density, surface tension, and viscosity. The viscosity of solution increased with the enhancement of DEG concentration, leading to the filamentous part of a droplet occurring larger during jetting and the droplets becoming more stable. − The decreased surface tension resulted in the appearance of satellite ink drops because of the reduction in force toward the fluid interior. , Increasing the concentration of DEG caused the density to be larger, which led to the droplet falling faster.…”

Inkjet-Printed Electron Transport Layers for Perovskite Solar Cells

“…Therefore, the selection of solvents for the solutions, and especially for nanoparticle dispersions, is crucial. The emphasis was focused on the physicochemical properties of the solvents, such as the viscosity and surface tension [66,67], which control the ink printability, film formation, and clogging mitigation of the nozzles within the printhead. A cosolvent system is widely used to control the morphology because of the inward Marangoni flow induced by the surface-tension gradients [53,54].…”

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