Abstract: A method for producing a surface-treated carbon black particle aqueous dispersion that exhibits excellent blackness and dispersibility, exhibits excellent storage stability, suppresses feathering, exhibits an excellent discharge capability and rubfastness (quick-drying capability), and suppresses metal corrosion when used in an aqueous black pigment (colorant) ink, is disclosed. The method for producing a surface-treated carbon black particle aqueous dispersion includes providing an aqueous dispersion of oxidized carbon black particles obtained by forming acidic hydroxyl groups on a surface of carbon black particles having a DBP absorption of 120 cm3/100 g or more, neutralizing 5% or more and less than 50% of the acidic hydroxyl groups with a polyvalent cation, and neutralizing the remainder of the acidic hydroxyl groups with a monovalent cation.

Abstract: A method for producing a surface-treated carbon black particle aqueous dispersion that exhibits excellent blackness and dispersibility, exhibits excellent storage stability, suppresses feathering, exhibits an excellent discharge capability and rubfastness (quick-drying capability), and suppresses metal corrosion when used in an aqueous black pigment(colorant) ink, is disclosed. The method for producing a surface-treated carbon black particle aqueous dispersion includes providing an aqueous dispersion of oxidized carbon black particles obtained by forming acidic hydroxyl groups on a surface of carbon black particles having a DBP absorption of 120 cm3/100 g or more, neutralizing 5% or more and less than 50% of the acidic hydroxyl groups with a polyvalent cation, and neutralizing the remainder of the acidic hydroxyl groups with a monovalent cation.

Abstract: A method of producing a polyurethane resin-bonded pigment aqueous dispersion includes causing (I) a pigment having a surface acidic group to come in contact with (II) a basic compound having two or more amino groups selected from a primary amino group and a secondary amino group in its molecule in an aqueous medium so that the pigment has an unreacted surface amino group, and causing the pigment to come in contact and react with (III) a polyurethane resin having an isocyanate end group. A polyurethane resin-bonded pigment aqueous dispersion produced by the method exhibits excellent image density, dispersibility, and storage stability.

Abstract: A method of producing a polyurethane resin-bonded pigment aqueous dispersion includes causing (I) a pigment having a surface acidic group to come in contact with (II) a basic compound having two or more amino groups selected from a primary amino group and a secondary amino group in its molecule in an aqueous medium so that the pigment has an unreacted surface amino group, and causing the pigment to come in contact and react with (III) a polyurethane resin having an isocyanate end group. A polyurethane resin-bonded pigment aqueous dispersion produced by the method exhibits excellent image density, dispersibility, and storage stability.

Abstract: A carbon black aqueous dispersion that is suitable as an aqueous black ink for inkjet printers, and a method of producing the same are disclosed. A surface-treated carbon black aqueous dispersion includes an aqueous medium and surface-treated carbon black that is dispersed in the aqueous medium, the surface-treated carbon black having been chemically modified by causing a hydrophilic surface functional group of the carbon black and an amino group-containing compound to undergo a dehydration-condensation reaction in the presence of a triazine condensing agent to form an amide bond.

Abstract: Dispersible surface-modified carbon black that is surface-modified by causing a functional group on the surface of the carbon black to be bonded to a diol-modified end-containing polymer through a triisocyanate compound exhibits excellent dispersibility in a non-polar solvent, a low-polar solvent, and a resin. The dispersible surface-modified carbon black is characterized in that a surface functional group of the carbon black is bonded to one isocyanate end group of a triisocyanate compound having three isocyanate end groups, and the remaining two isocyanate end groups are respectively bonded to hydroxyl groups of a diol-modified end-containing polymer.

Abstract: A carbon black aqueous dispersion which has excellent dispersibility in an aqueous medium and is suitable as an aqueous black ink, such as an inkjet printer ink and a method of producing the same. The carbon black aqueous dispersion includes an aqueous medium and a carbon black pigment dispersed in the aqueous medium, wherein some or all of the hydrogen atoms of the acidic groups produced by liquid-phase oxidation of the carbon black are replaced with a basic amino acid salt group by neutralization with a basic amino acid. The method of producing a carbon black aqueous dispersion includes subjecting carbon black to liquid-phase oxidation, removing reduced salts from the resulting slurry, neutralizing the slurry with a basic amino acid to replace some or all of the hydrogen atoms of the acidic groups with a basic amino acid salt group to form a basic amino acid salt compound, and purifying the resulting product.

Abstract: A carbon black aqueous dispersion that is suitable as an aqueous black ink for inkjet printers, and a method of producing the same are disclosed. A surface-treated carbon black aqueous dispersion includes an aqueous medium and surface-treated carbon black that is dispersed in the aqueous medium, the surface-treated carbon black having been chemically modified by causing a hydrophilic surface functional group of the carbon black and an amino group-containing compound to undergo a dehydration-condensation reaction in the presence of a triazine condensing agent to form an amide bond.

Abstract: Dispersible surface-modified carbon black that is surface-modified by causing a functional group on the surface of the carbon black to be bonded to a diol-modified end-containing polymer through a triisocyanate compound exhibits excellent dispersibility in a non-polar solvent, a low-polar solvent, and a resin. The dispersible surface-modified carbon black is characterized in that a surface functional group of the carbon black is bonded to one isocyanate end group of a triisocyanate compound having three isocyanate end groups, and the remaining two isocyanate end groups are respectively bonded to hydroxyl groups of a diol-modified end-containing polymer.

Abstract: A carbon black aqueous dispersion which has excellent dispersibility in an aqueous medium and is suitable as an aqueous black ink such as an inkjet printer ink, and a method of producing the same. The carbon black aqueous dispersion includes an aqueous medium and a carbon black pigment dispersed in the aqueous medium, wherein some or all of hydrogen atoms of acidic groups produced by liquid-phase oxidation of the carbon black are replaced with a basic amino acid salt group by neutralization with a basic amino acid. The method of producing a carbon black aqueous dispersion includes subjecting carbon black to liquid-phase oxidation, removing reduced salts from the resulting slurry, neutralizing the slurry with a basic amino acid to replace some or all of hydrogen atoms of acidic groups with a basic amino acid salt group to form a basic amino acid salt compound, and purifying the resulting product.

Abstract: An aqueous carbon black pigment that is suitable for an inkjet printer ink and the like and ensures that a printed article exhibits excellent water resistance and fixability, and an aqueous dispersion of the aqueous carbon black pigment are disclosed. The aqueous carbon black pigment includes oxidized carbon black, a water-soluble resin, and an aqueous medium, the oxidized carbon black and the water-soluble resin being crosslinked in the aqueous medium using a water-dispersible crosslinking agent. The water-soluble resin is preferably a resin that contains acrylic acid and/or an acrylic acid derivative as a monomer unit, a resin that contains a maleic acid and/or a maleic acid derivative as a monomer unit, a resin that contains a styrene-acrylic acid copolymer as a main component, a resin that contains a styrene-maleic acid copolymer or a styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer as a main component, or the like. The water-dispersible crosslinking agent is preferably an isocyanate compound.

Abstract: Surface-modified carbon black which exhibits excellent dispersibility in a silicone oil (non-polar medium) and a dispersion of the surface-modified carbon black are disclosed. The surface-modified carbon black includes an isocyanate compound having isocyanate groups on both ends and chemically bonded to a functional group on the surface of the carbon black, the isocyanate compound being chemically bonded to a reactive silicone polymer. The surface-modified carbon black dispersion is produced by dissolving an isocyanate compound having isocyanate groups on both ends in a solvent, adding carbon black to the solution, mixing the components so that one of the isocyanate groups is bonded to the surface of the carbon black via a urethane bond, removing an unreacted isocyanate compound, dispersing the carbon black in a silicone oil, and adding a reactive silicone polymer to the dispersion, followed by mixing and deaeration.

Abstract: A thermal transfer image receiving material including a substrate, an intermediate layer which includes hollow particles and a binder resin and which is formed overlying the substrate, and an image receiving layer which includes a resin and which is formed overlying the intermediate layer and on which an image is to be formed, wherein each of the hollow particles in the intermediate layer has a particle diameter not greater than about 35 &mgr;m.

Abstract: A sublimation thermal transfer recording material which includes a substrate and an ink layer formed on the substrate for forming a color image, the ink layer including a plurality of sublimable dye groups each of which has different hue and each of which includes one or more sublimable dyes, wherein, provided that weighted average values of solubility of each dye to toluene in each sublimable dye group are values D1, D2, D3, . . . , and Dn, and a maximum value thereof is Dh, each of the values Dn other than the maximum value Dh is greater than about 0.5×Dh, and/or wherein, provided that weighted average values of a product of solubility of each dye to toluene and an extinction coefficient of the dye in each sublimable dye group are values E1, E2, E3, . . . , and En, and a maximum value thereof is Eh, each of the values En other than the maximum value Eh is greater than about 0.5×Eh.

Abstract: A sublimation thermal image transfer recording method for thermally forming images on an image receiving sheet prepared by forming a dye-receiving layer on a substrate, includes the steps of superimposing a sublimation thermal image transfer recording sheet which has a substrate and at least one recording layer formed thereon containing a sublimable dye, on the image receiving sheet in such a manner that the recording layer of the recording sheet comes into contact with the dye-receiving layer of the image receiving sheet, recording images on the dye-receiving layer of the image receiving sheet by applying thermal energy Ei imagewise to the recording sheet from the substrate side thereof using a thermal head, and subjecting the image-bearing image receiving sheet to heat treatment by applying thermal energy Eb to the image receiving sheet using the thermal head through a sheet member for heat treatment, the thermal energy Eb being smaller than the thermal energy Ei.

Abstract: A sublimation thermal transfer recording material which includes a substrate and an ink layer formed on the substrate for forming a color image, the ink layer including a plurality of sublimable dye groups each of which has different hue and each of which includes one or more sublimable dyes, wherein, provided that weighted average values of solubility of each dye to toluene in each sublimable dye group are values D1, D2, D3, . . . , and Dn, and a maximum value thereof is Dh, each of the values Dn other than the maximum value Dh is greater than about 0.5.times.Dh, and/or wherein, provided that weighted average values of a product of solubility of each dye to toluene and an extinction coefficient of the dye in each sublimable dye group are values E1, E2, E3, . . . , and En, and a maximum value thereof is Eh, each of the values En other than the maximum value Eh is greater than about 0.5.times.Eh.

Abstract: A sublimation thermal transfer receiving material having an image receiving layer is provided for sublimation thermal transfer recording, wherein the image receiving layer including a resin having activated hydrogen, an isocyanate compound and a catalyst promoting the crosslinking reaction of said resin and said isocyanate compound, and wherein a degree of gelation of the image receiving layer is about 70 to 99% and the isocyanate compound includes one of a xylylene diisocyanate compound and an aliphatic isocyanate compound excepting an adduct of hexamethylene diisocyanate. The receiving material is preferably subjected to a heat treatment after being formed an image thereon.