Abstract: The invention provides an ink jet ink including a coloring material, a polymer particle, a crosslinking agent and an aqueous medium. The polymer particle has a unit derived from a compound represented by the following general formula (1) and a glass transition temperature of 25° C. or less. The crosslinking agent has a functional group capable of forming a crosslinked structure with a ketone group derived from the compound represented by the general formula (1) by a dehydration reaction. The mass ratio of a content (% by mass) of the coloring material based on the total mass of the ink to a content (% by mass) of the polymer particle based on the total mass of the ink is 0.2 times or more and 2.5 times or less.

Abstract: An ink jet printing ink for use in an ink jet printing method. The ink is ejected from a print head by the action of thermal energy and includes water, a self-dispersing pigment, and at least two types of resin particles. One of the at least two types of resin particles (resin particle A) and another of the at least two types of resin particles (resin particle B) have an average particle size of 80 nm or more but 220 nm or less and an acid value of 25 mgKOH/g or more but 150 mgKOH/g or less. The resin particle A has a glass transition temperature of 25 degrees Celsius or less. The resin particle B has a glass transition temperature of 25 degrees Celsius or more. A difference in glass transition temperature between the resin particle A and the resin particle B is 10 degrees Celsius or more.

Abstract: An ink for ink jet recording, the ink being used in an ink jet recording method that includes ejecting an ink from a recording head by the action of thermal energy, includes water, a self-dispersing pigment, and polymer particles, in which the polymer particles have a glass transition temperature of 25 degrees (Celsius) or lower, an average particle size of 80 nm to 220 nm, and an acid value of 25 mgKOH/g to 150 mgKOH/g.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention provide an ink-jet recording method including the step of applying an ink to a recording medium by discharging the ink from a recording head by action of thermal energy and the step of fixing the ink to the recording medium by heating the ink applied to the recording medium. The ink contains water, a self-dispersing pigment, and resin particles. The resin particles have a glass transition temperature of not less than 25° C., an average particle diameter of 70 nm or more and 220 nm or less, and an acid value of 25 mg KOH/g or more and 150 mg KOH/g or less.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an aqueous ink having a surface tension of 34 mN/m or less including a self-dispersion pigment and water. In the aqueous ink, the self-dispersion pigment has a plurality of pKa values that are 8.0 or less. Assuming that the lowest pKa value among the plurality of pKa values is pKa1 and the highest pKa value among the plurality of pKa values is pKa2, pKa1 and pKa2 satisfy Mathematical formula (1), and the pH value of the aqueous ink satisfies Mathematical formula (2).

Abstract: The invention provides an ink jet recording ink containing a self-dispersion pigment to a surface of which an anionic functional group represented by the following general formula (1) is bonded directly or through another atomic group, an ammonium salt of an organic carboxylic acid, water, and a water-soluble compound having a hydrophilicity-hydrophobicity coefficient of 0.

Abstract: A novel liquid composition set is provided for forming an image or pattern by functional substances such as a colorant without causing blurring. Each of the liquid compositions of the set includes a functional substance, an amphiphilic block copolyrner or graft copolymer having an organic acid group, and a liquid medium, wherein the organic acid groups of the copolymers are different in pKa, and the amphiphilic polymer contained in the first liquid composition becomes viscous by pH change on contact with the second liquid composition different in pH from the first liquid composition.

Abstract: To provide a method for producing composite particles small in particle size, excellent in mono-dispersibility, high in magnetic-substance content per particle, large in saturation magnetization, excellent in dispersion stability and having non-specific adsorption suppressibility. The method includes (1) mixing a first liquid and particles to prepare a mixture solution;(2) mixing the mixture solution and a second liquid to prepare an emulsion containing a dispersoid formed of the first liquid and the particles; (3) mixing a polymer compound with the emulsion; and (4) fractionating the emulsion to extract the first liquid from the dispersoid to produce the composite particles each containing the particles and the polymer compound, characterized in that the dispersoid has a single-peak particle size distribution and a dispersity index (Dhw/Dhn) calculated from a number-average hydrodynamic particle size (Dhn) and a weight-average hydrodynamic particle size (Dhw) is 1.5 or less.

Abstract: Polyalkenyl ether is produced by polymerizing alkenyl ether represented by the following general formula (I): CHR1?CH(OR2)??(I) wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R2 represents a monovalent organic group, and R2 contains a silicon atom or at least one atom selected from the group consisting of elements from group 15 to group 17, in the presence of a halide of an element other than Al, or an organometallic compound of an element other than Al, and a nonionic oxygen-containing or nonionic nitrogen-containing organic compound.

Abstract: A composition comprises a solvent, and an electroconductive substance and an amphiphilic block copolymers having a polyalkenyl ether repeating-unit structure, or a block copolymer enclosing an electroconductive substance. A black ink composition comprises a fine particulate metal having an average particle diameter of not more than 20 nm, an amphiphilic block copolymer, and a solvent. A method for forming an electroconductive pattern by applying the composition. A method for forming an electroconductive pattern by applying a composition comprises a block copolymer enclosing an electroconductive substance, system to form an electroconductive pattern on the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a stimulus responsive composition, which includes a polymer complex that a polymer including repeated units of polyvinyl ether structure is chemically bonded to a functional substance, and a solvent. It is desirable that a solvent is water and that the polymer in the composition contains a polyvinyl ether structure. The present invention also relates to an ink composition including the above composition, an image forming method and image forming device using the above composition, and recording medium contains a stimulating material or composition which stimulates the above composition.

Abstract: The invention provides a block polymer compound enabling satisfactory dispersion of a colorant in a solvent, and an ink composition containing such block polymer compound. The block polymer compound of the invention is a block polymer compound having at least three block segments, comprising block segments A, B and C arranged in succession, wherein the block segment C is most solvent attractive while the block segment A is most solvent repulsive, and at least either one of the block segments includes an ionic group or an acidic group.

Abstract: An amphiphilic block copolymer having an ionic functional group, wherein the ratio (N10/N5) of a rotational viscosity (N10) of a 10% by mass solution of the copolymer in purified water to a rotational viscosity (N5) of a 5% by mass solution of the copolymer in purified water is 2.5 or lower.

Abstract: There is provided a polymer compound including a repetitive unit structure represented by the following general formula (2): General formula (2): (where X? represents a polyalkenyl group; A represents a linear or branched alkylene group having a carbon atom number of 1 to 15, which may be substituted; m represents an integer of 0 to 30; B represents a single bond or an alkylene group which may be substituted; D represents an aromatic ring structure which may be substituted; n represents an integer of 0 to 10; and R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group which may be substituted, or an aromatic ring structure which may be substituted). The polymer compound is suitable for improving dispersibility of a coloring material or solid material in an ink composition or toner composition.

Abstract: A block polymer compound containing block segments, characterized in that at least one hydrophilic segment among the block segments is a copolymer segment composed of an ionic or hydrophilic repeating unit structure and a hydrophobic repeating unit structure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a stimuli-responsive composition that comprises a polymer, a solvent and a substance having a predetermined function. One embodiment of the present invention is a composition comprising a block polymer, a solvent and a substance having a predetermined function. The present invention also relates to an ink composition containing the composition, an image-forming method and an image-forming apparatus using the composition, and a recording medium applying the composition. Further, the present invention relates to an ABC type block polymer compound wherein the polymer is an ABC type triblock polymer, and wherein at least one of the blocks in the triblock polymer changes in nature from solvophilic to solvophobic or from solvophobic to solvophilic in response to stimuli, and more preferably, the A component, then the B component, and finally the C component respond to the stimuli.

Abstract: A polymer compound of a block polymer containing at least three block segments each having a repeating unit structure comprising a polyalkenyl ether structure comprises a repeating unit structure having a silyl ether side chain represented by the formula (1) in at least one block segment of the block polymer and a repeating unit structure containing one kind or two or more kinds of either a side chain having an ionic functional group represented by the formula (2) or an ester-type functional group obtained by esterifying the ionic functional group in at least one other block segment.

Abstract: An image forming method which imparts two or more kinds of liquid compositions onto a recording medium to form an image thereon, the image forming method comprising the steps of: preparing plural liquid compositions including a first liquid composition containing a functional substance, an anionic amphiphilic polymer, and a liquid medium, and a second liquid composition containing a functional substance, a polyvalent cation, an anionic amphiphilic polymer, and a liquid medium, at least one of the polymer in the first composition and the polymer in the second composition being a block polymer or a graft polymer, and imparting the first and second compositions onto the medium to bring the first and second compositions into contact with each other to cause at least one to thicken.

Abstract: A block polymer comprised of a polyalkenyl ether main chain comprises a first block segment having hydrophobicity; a second block segment having an upper limit hydration temperature exceeding 70° C.; and a third block segment having an ionic property. A polymer-containing composition comprises the block polymer, a solvent or a dispersing medium, and a functional substance. An ink composition comprises the polymer-containing composition wherein the functional substance is colorant. A liquid application method comprises the steps of preparing the polymer-containing composition; and applying the polymer-containing composition to a medium. A liquid application apparatus comprises a liquid application means which makes energy act on the polymer-containing composition to apply the composition; and a drive means which drives the liquid application means. The polymer compound is capable of satisfactorily dispersing a functional substance in a solvent.

Abstract: A functional-substance-including structured material having good dispersion stability, and an ink composition, which inhibits aggregation by interaction between particles, and has stable dispersibility in a solvent and good coloring ability and fixing ability. The functional-substance-including structured material comprises a plurality of functional substances different from each other physically included in a block polymer or graft polymer. The ink composition comprises the functional-substance-including structured material, and a solvent or dispersing medium.