Effects of surfactant, propylene glycol, and incorporation sequence on the properties of eco-friendly aqueous sublimation transfer inkjet inks

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Printing Science and Technology, Institute for Color Science and Technology, P. O. Box: 16765-654, Tehran‎‏,‏ Iran

2 Department of Printing Science and Technology, Institute for Color Science and Technology, P. O. Box: 16765-654, Tehran‎‏,‏ Iran.

3 Department of Environmental Research‏,‏ Institute for Color Science and Technology, P. O. Box: 16765-654, Tehran‎‏,‏ Iran

Abstract

The effects of a nonionic surfactant, propylene glycol, and surfactant incorporation sequence on the dispersion behavior, stability, and rheological properties of aqueous sublimation transfer inkjet inks were systematically investigated. Dispersion evolution during jar milling was monitored by turbidity measurements and validated by dynamic light scattering and UV–visible spectroscopy. Surfactant and humectant accelerated the initial stage of particle size reduction, whereas the formulation containing neither additive ultimately achieved the smallest particle size after prolonged milling (151 vs. 317 nm). This behavior indicates that improved wetting dominates the early stage of milling, whereas the final particle size is governed by the balance between wetting, capillary-assisted agglomerate fracture, and Ostwald ripening. Formulations containing propylene glycol also exhibited inferior ultimate dispersion efficiency. Freeze–thaw testing revealed that the combined presence of surfactant and propylene glycol reduced dispersion stability, particularly when the surfactant was added after milling, highlighting the destabilizing role of non-adsorbed surfactant. All formulations followed the Ostwald–de Waele power-law model (R² > 0.99), while the additive-free formulation exhibited the strongest shear-thinning behavior (n = 0.785 versus 0.90 ± 0.075). These findings demonstrate that under the investigated formulation conditions, surfactant incorporation sequence is an important processing variable affecting milling efficiency, dispersion stability, and rheological performance.

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Main Subjects

Progress in Color, Colorants and Coatings

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 11 September 2026

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