Digital textile printing offers interesting advantages compared to analog printing, such as the possibility of customization with greater sustainability at high speed and low cost.
In this context, the role of pigmented inks in the printing process is important to highlight. They are considered more sustainable because they do not require a post-wash like reactive inks and do not need to be printed on paper before transferring the ink to the final textile material, as is the case with sublimation inks.
However, one of the main technical challenges of pigmented inks is achieving durability similar to other digital technologies, where pigments interact directly with the fibers. To address this challenge, research is being conducted on the use of aqueous polyurethane dispersions as durable binders for digital textile printing.
UBE has conducted a case study analyzing aqueous polyurethane dispersions based on polycarbonate diols as binders for digital printing. Among other properties, these dispersions are characterized by their low viscosity, narrow particle size distribution, excellent filterability, dispersion stability, and high adhesion to different textile substrates.
It is also important to note that these aqueous polyurethane dispersions ensure superior durability compared to other aqueous polyurethane dispersions based on benchmark polyester or polyether diols. Additionally, they exhibit outstanding properties such as long-term stability, and excellent printability.
The results show significant improvements in the softness and resistance to washing and rubbing of digital coatings applied with these binders, suggesting they are a promising solution for enhancing the durability of digital textile printing with pigmented inks.
In conclusion, polycarbonate-based PUDs presented in the study enable the production of highly stable digital pigmented textile inks, with improved durability against washing and rubbing. Want to learn more? Download our case study!
