Classifications

• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06Q—DECORATING TEXTILES
  • D06Q1/00—Decorating textiles
  • D06Q1/12—Decorating textiles by transferring a chemical agent or a metallic or non-metallic material in particulate or other form, from a solid temporary carrier to the textile
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
  • B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
  • B41M5/025—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein by transferring ink from the master sheet
  • B41M5/035—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein by transferring ink from the master sheet by sublimation or volatilisation of pre-printed design, e.g. sublistatic
  • B41M5/0356—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein by transferring ink from the master sheet by sublimation or volatilisation of pre-printed design, e.g. sublistatic characterised by the inks used for printing the pattern on the temporary support or additives therefor, e.g. dyes, transferable compounds, binders or transfer promoting additives
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06P—DYEING OR PRINTING TEXTILES; DYEING LEATHER, FURS OR SOLID MACROMOLECULAR SUBSTANCES IN ANY FORM
  • D06P5/00—Other features in dyeing or printing textiles, or dyeing leather, furs, or solid macromolecular substances in any form
  • D06P5/003—Transfer printing
  • D06P5/007—Transfer printing using non-subliming dyes
  • D06P5/009—Non-migrating dyes

Definitions

• the present invention concerns printing compositions for the production of heat transferable designs on textiles by heat transfer printing.
• Heat transfer printing utilizes a temporary support sheet, usually a coated paper, for example a siliconized parchment paper, with a design screen printed thereon. After drying the ink, the temporary support sheet is placed in direct contact with the textile article to be decorated, and transfer is effected using a heat transfer press. Predetermined heat and pressure are applied by this process, and the article plus support sheet is withdrawn after a preselected dwell time. Finally, the temporary support is peeled away, the design having been transferred to the article.
• a temporary support sheet usually a coated paper, for example a siliconized parchment paper
• Sublimation transfers are not generally suitable for wool or cellulosic materials such as cotton, due to inadequate fastness properties. Futhermore, it may not be suitable for additional heat treatment processess such as ironing or pleating, as further dye-sublimation may occur.
• Resistance to abrasion due to wear, washing, ironing, dry cleaning etc. can be achieved using inks based on a polymer which is inert to heat and hydrolysis, and which is insoluble in solvents encountered in dry cleaning processes.
• Polymers exhibiting such resistance properties are generally of high molecular weight and high melting point, and are insoluble, or only partially soluble, in the common organic solvents used in printing inks.
• Heat transfers produced using polymers of this type do not penetrate into the fabric because of their high melt viscosity at transfer temperatures. Designs produced using high molecular weight polymers in heat transfer generally produce non-penetrative labels when transferred, and these generally interfere with the natural texture of the material and in extreme cases, being on the surface of the fabric, they may crack as the textile is flexed.
• a printing composition for producing a heat transferable design on a textile or fabric comprising a thermoflowable polymer and a blocked isocyanate crosslinking agent flowable at temperatures at which the polymer flows, the blocking of the agent being removable by heating the agent at a temperature at which the polymer flows to produce a crosslinking agent for crosslinking the polymer, the composition being substantially tack free at ambient temperatures.
• the invention further provides a transfer for producing a design on a textile or fabric, the transfer comprising a temporary support member, and a heat transferable design thereon, the design being substantially tack free at ambient temperatures and being formed from an ink composition comprising a thermoflowable polymer and a thermoflowable blocked isocyanate crosslinking agent capable of flowing and being unblocked at a temperature at which the polymer flows, the unblocked agent being capable of crosslinking said polymer.
• a clear varnish of similar composition may also be employed as a primer coat to ease transfer or adhesive layer applied after the design layer.
• the invention still further provides a method of producing a design on a fabric or textile, the method comprising applying a printing composition according to the invention to the fabric or textile and heating the composition so that the polymer and the blocked crosslinking agent flow, the blocked isocyanate crosslinking agent is unblocked, and the polymer and unblocked crosslinking agent react to produce a crosslinked polymer.
• compositions in accordance with the present invention can for example be in the form of an ink suitable for screen printing.
• Designs produced using printing compositions of the invention can be applied to synthetic or natural fabrics.
• the present invention allows heat transfers to be produced which penetrate into the fabric but which also have good resistance properties. This is achieved by the combination of a heat softenable polymer having chemically reactive sites and a heat softenable isocyanate cross linking agent which reacts with functional groups of the heat softenable polymers under the conditions of heat transfer.
• Heat transfers of the type produced using the present invention are generally referred to as 'filmless' or 'low feel' as the transferred ink film allows the material to which the designs are applied to retain its natural texture, i.e. 'drape' and 'handle'.
• the combination of polymer and crosslinker should have sufficiently low melting characteristics to allow penetration of the heat softened composition into the fibres of the material.
• thermoflowable polymer -
• Crosslinking agents which can be used include blocked polyisocyanates which are preferably solids with relatively low melting and unblocking temperatures. Melting point is preferably in the range from 80-120°C with unbocking temperatures preferably 100-200°C, and more preferably 115-170°C. The use of a polyisocyanate with a low unblocking temperature is particularly preferred so that the isocyanate moeity is unblocked under transfer conditions, the blocking agent then being vaporised and hence lost from the ink film during transfer. Dimethylpyrazole and butanediol are examples of blocking agents which can be used.
• the melting ranges of the preferred blocked polyisocyanates are similar to those of the preferred polymers thereby assisting the latter to penetrate into the material.
• the preferred solid form of the blocked crosslinking agent is soluble in organic solvents which are commonly encountered in screen printing compositions, e.g. aromatic hydrocarbons, glycol ethers, etc.
• a catalyst will usually be included.
• dibutyl-tin-­dilaurate is used as a catalyst.
• Examples 1 and 3 are of clear compositions used as the release layer. This layer is printed first onto a temporary backing sheet and it facilitates release of the design. It also gives additional protective properties to the design once transferred onto the material.
• the design can be one or more layers of ink manufactured by the incorporation of one or more pigments into a varnish such as in Examples 2 or 4.
• the so-produced inks and varnish are capable of being both printed and dried under normal procedures encountered in a printshop, for example existing printing machinery and jet driers.
• the clear composition can be applied after the design layer.
• the resulting transfers are then transferred onto natural and synthetic fabrics at 180-­190°C for 15-20 seconds.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Polyurethanes Or Polyureas (AREA)
• Inks, Pencil-Leads, Or Crayons (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=10597019

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (9)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 1986
  • 1986-04-29 GB GB868610429A patent/GB8610429D0/en active Pending
• 1987
  • 1987-04-27 EP EP87303687A patent/EP0244181A3/fr not_active Withdrawn

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