Synthesising polymeric dispersants to apply to carbon black pigmented mill bases for use in ink‐jet inks

Dyes are an important component of drop‐on‐demand ink‐jet inks and are commonly used in desktop printers. While they offer bright, vivid colour, these dyes exhibit poor light and water fastness. To combat this, researchers have started using pigmented ink‐jet inks instead of dye‐based inks to improve light and water fastness, but the pigments are insoluble in ink vehicles. To use pigments, dispersants must be applied; however, this is a delicate process because the properties of the dispersant substantially affect how the pigmented mill base must be prepared. In this study, polymeric dispersants are synthesised based on the properties and ratios of monomers and the molecular weights of polymers. In total, 14 types of polymeric dispersants are synthesised and examined, with special attention paid to the dispersing properties of particle size reduction and the stability of the pigmented mill base used to prepare drop‐on‐demand ink‐jet inks. This study describes the synthesis of the dispersants in terms of their suitability for commercial application.