Recording medium and ink-jet recording process employing the same

Claim 2

A recording medium comprising a substrate and an ink-receiving layer provided on said substrate, wherein said ink-receiving layer contains in combination, solvent-soluble resin (A) that is capable of absorbing water in an amount of at least 0.5 times as much as its own weight and is substantially water-insoluble, and particles of solvent-insoluble resin (B) that is capable of absorbing water in an amount of at least 50 times as much as its own weight, wherein said resin (A) is selected from the group consisting of (a) a polymer complex comprising a basic polymer and an acidic polymer; (b) a resin containing a repeating unit wherein a side chain having a hydroxyl group has a molecular weight of at least 74; and (c) any of an ethylene oxide polymer having an average molecular weight of at least 100,000, a copolymer mainly comprising ethylene oxide, or a less water-soluble product of at least one of said ethylene oxide polymer or copolymer with monoisocyanate or polyisocyanate; and wherein said resin (B) is a resin selected from the group consisting of sodium polyacrylate, vinyl alcohol/acrylamide polymer, sodium acrylate/acrylamide copolymer, carboxymethyl polymers and graft polymers, and hydrolysates of acrylonitrile or acrylic acid grafted compounds.

Claim 3

The recording medium of claim 1, wherein said resin (A) and resin (B) are mixed in the proportion ranging between 1:10 and 15:1 in weight ratio of resin (A) to resin (B).

Claim 4

The recording medium of claim 1, wherein said resin (A) is a polymer complex comprising a basic polymer and an acidic polymer.

Claim 5

The recording medium of claim 1, wherein said resin (A) is a resin containing a repeating unit of which a side chain having a hydroxyl group has a molecular weight of at least 74.

Claim 6

The recording medium of claim 1, wherein said particles of resin (B) are particles of a resin formed by three-dimensional cross-linking of highly water-soluble or hydrophilic resins.

Claim 7

The recording medium of claim 1, wherein the surface of said ink-receiving layer has a 45° specular gloss of at least 30% or more according to JIS Z8741.

Claim 8

The recording medium of claim 1, wherein said ink-receiving layer has a thickness ranging between 1 and 200 μm.

Claim 9

The recording medium of claim 1, wherein said particles of resin (B) have a particle size ranging between 0.5 and 30 μm.

Claim 10

The recording medium of claim 1, wherein said particles of resin (B) have a particle size ranging between 0.5 and 20 μm.

Claim 11

The recording medium of claim 1, wherein said ink-receiving layer is non-porous.

Claim 12

A light-transmissive recording medium comprising a light-transmissive substrate and an ink-receiving layer provided on said substrate, wherein said ink-receiving layer contains in combination, solvent-soluble resin (A) that is capable of absorbing water in an amount of at least 05 times as much as its own weight and is substantially water-insoluble, and particles of solvent-insoluble resin (B) that is capable of absorbing water in an amount of at least 50 times as much as its own weight, wherein said resin (A) is selected from the group consisting of (a) a polymer complex comprising a basic polymer and an acidic polymer; (b) a resin containing a repeating unit wherein a side chain having a hydroxyl group has a molecular weight of at least 74; and (c) any of an ethylene oxide polymer having an average molecular weight of at least 100,000, a copolymer mainly comprising ethylene oxide, or a less water-soluble product of at least one of said ethylene oxide polymer or copolymer with monoisocyanate or polyisocyante; and wherein said resin (B) is a resin selected from the group consisting of sodium polyacrylate, vinyl alcohol/acrylamide polymer, sodium acrylate/acrylamide copolymer, carboxymethyl polymers and graft polymers, and hydrolysates of acrylonitrile or acrylic acid grafted compounds.

Claim 13

A light-transmissive recording medium comprising a light-transmissive substrate and an ink-receiving layer provided on said substrate, wherein said ink-receiving layer contains in combination, solvent-soluble resin (A) that is capable of absorbing water in an amount of at least 05 times as much as its own weight and is substantially water-insoluble, and particles of solvent-insoluble resin (B) that is capable of absorbing water in an amount of at least 50 times as much as its own weight, wherein said resin (A) is selected from the group consisting of (a) a polymer complex comprising a basic polymer and an acidic polymer; (b) a resin containing a repeating unit wherein a side chain having a hydroxyl group has a molecular weight of at least 74; and (c) any of an ethylene oxide polymer having an average molecular weight of at least 100,000, a copolymer mainly comprising ethylene oxide, or a less water-soluble product of at least one of said ethylene oxide polymer or copolymer with monoisocyanate or polyisocyante; and wherein said resin (B) is a resin selected from the group consisting of sodium polyacrylate, vinyl alcohol/acrylamide polymer, sodium acrylate/acrylamide copolymer, carboxymethyl polymers and graft polymers, and hydrolysates of acrylonitrile or acrylic acid grafted compounds.

Claim 14

The recording medium of claim 1, wherein said recording medium has a linear transmittance of at least 2%.

Claim 15

The recording medium of claim 1, wherein said recording medium has a linear transmittance of at least 10%.

Claim 16

The recording medium of claim 11, wherein said resin (A) and resin (B) are mixed in the proportion ranging between 1:10 and 15:1 in weight ratio of resin (A) to resin (B).

Claim 17

The recording medium of claim 11, wherein said resin (A) is a polymer complex comprising a basic polymer and an acidic polymer.

Claim 18

The recording medium of claim 11, wherein said resin (A) is a resin containing a repeating unit of which a side chain having a hydroxyl group has a molecular weight of at least 74.

Claim 19

The recording medium of claim 11, wherein said particles of resin (B) are particles of a resin formed by three-dimensional cross-linking of highly water-soluble or hydrophilic resins.

Claim 20

The recording medium of claim 11, wherein said ink-receiving layer has a thickness ranging between 1 and 200 μm.

Claim 21

The recording medium of claim 11, wherein said particles of resin (B) have a particle size ranging between 0.5 and 30 μm.

Claim 22

The recording medium of claim 11, wherein said particles of resin (B) have a particle size ranging between 0.5 and 20 μm.

Claim 23

The recording medium of claim 11, wherein said ink-receiving layer is non-porous.

Claim 24

An ink-jet recording process comprising impinging droplets of a recording solution containing a water-soluble dye on a recording medium having an ink-receiving layer, wherein said ink-receiving layer contains in combination, solvent-soluble resin (A) that is capable of absorbing water in an amount of at least 0.5 times as much as its own weight and is substantially water-insoluble, and particles of solvent-insoluble resin (B) that is capable of absorbing water in an amount of at least 50 times as much as its own weight, wherein said resin (A) is selected from the group consisting of (a) a polymer complex comprising a basic polymer and an acidic polymer; (b) a resin containing a repeating unit wherein a side chain having a hydroxyl group has a molecular weight of at least 74; and (c) any of an ethylene oxide polymer having an average molecular weight of at least 100,000, a copolymer mainly comprising ethylene oxide, or a less water-soluble product of at least one of said ethylene oxide polymer or copolymer with monoisocyanate or polyisocyanate; and wherein said resin (B) is a resin selected from the group consisting of sodium polyacrylate, vinyl alcohol/acrylamide polymer, sodium acrylate/acrylamide copolymer, carboxymethyl polymers and graft polymers, and hydrolysates of acrylonitrile or acrylic acid grafted compounds.

Claim 25

An ink-jet recording process comprising impinging droplets of a recording solution containing a water-soluble dye on a recording medium having an ink-receiving layer, wherein said ink-receiving layer contains in combination, solvent-soluble resin (A) that is capable of absorbing water in an amount of at least 0.5 times as much as its own weight and is substantially water-insoluble, and particles of solvent-insoluble resin (B) that is capable of absorbing water in an amount of at least 50 times as much as its own weight, wherein said resin (A) is selected from the group consisting of (a) a polymer complex comprising a basic polymer and an acidic polymer; (b) a resin containing a repeating unit wherein a side chain having a hydroxyl group has a molecular weight of at least 74; and (c) any of an ethylene oxide polymer having an average molecular weight of at least 100,000, a copolymer mainly comprising ethylene oxide, or a less water-soluble product of at least one of said ethylene oxide polymer or copolymer with monoisocyanate or polyisocyanate; and wherein said resin (B) is a resin selected from the group consisting of sodium polyacrylate, vinyl alcohol/acrylamide polymer, sodium acrylate/acrylamide copolymer, carboxymethyl polymers and graft polymers, and hydrolysates of acrylonitrile or acrylic acid grafted compounds.

Claim 26

The recording process of claim 22, wherein said resin (A) and resin (B) are mixed in the proportion ranging between 1:10 and 15:1 in weight ratio of resin (A) to resin (B).

Claim 27

The recording process of claim 22, wherein said resin (A) is a polymer complex comprising a basic polymer and an acidic polymer.

Claim 28

The recording process of claim 22, wherein said resin (A) is a resin containing a repeating unit of which a side chain having a hydroxyl group has a molecular weight of at least 74.

Claim 29

The recording process of claim 22, wherein said particles of resin (B) are particles of a resin formed by three-dimensional cross-linking of highly water-soluble or hydrophilic resins.

Claim 30

The recording process of claim 22, wherein said ink-receiving layer has a thickness ranging between 1 and 200 μm.

Claim 31

The recording process of claim 22, wherein said particles of resin B have a particle size ranging between 0.5 and 30 μm.

Claim 32

The recording process of claim 22, wherein said particles of resin B have a particle size ranging between 0.5 and 20 μm.

Claim 33

The recording process of claim 22, wherein said ink-receiving layer is non-porous.

Claim 34

The recording process of claim 22, wherein said recording medium has a linear transmittance of at least 2%.

Claim 35

The recording process of claim 22, wherein said recording medium has a linear transmittance of at least 10%.

Claim 36

The recording process of claim 22, whereinthe surface of said ink-receiving layer has a 45° specular gloss of at least 30% according to JIS Z8741.

Claim 37

The recording medium of claim 1, wherein said resin (A) and resin (B) are mixed in a proportion ranging between 1:5 and 10:1 in weight ratio of resin (A) to resin (B).

Claim 38

The recording medium of claim 11, wherein said resin (A) and resin (B) are mixed in a proportion ranging from between 1:5 to 10:1 in weight ratio of resin (A) to resin (B).

Claim 39

The recording process of claim 22, wherein said resin (A) and resin (B) are mixed in a proportion ranging between 1:5 to 10:1 in weight ratio of resin (A) to resin (B).