Inkjet Ink Characterisation
Viscosity, dispersions, jetting & surfaces
Thursday 28 - Friday 29 January 2021
Online course
COURSE FOCUS
Development of high quality inks and fluids for inkjet applications requires state-of-the-art characterisation equipment and techniques. From fundamental ink properties such as viscosity and surface tension, which have a crucial impact on jetting performance, through analysis of particulates dispersed within the ink, understanding these properties is key to getting the best out of an ink development project. In addition, it is vital to understand how the developed ink actually behaves, both on ejection from the printhead and when landing onto the substrate of choice.
The Inkjet Ink Characterisation course gives an excellent introduction to these essential areas of study, presented by industry experts from leading suppliers and institutions in the field. The course will give you the basic foundations as well as a more detailed understanding of the vital equipment and techniques.
COURSE OUTLINE
Thursday 28 January 2021
13:20 - 13:30 Registration
13:30 Course begins
Monitoring and controlling pigment particle size
Dr John Ddungu, Malvern Panalytical
Understanding the links between particle size and ink performance
Overview of light scattering techniques for measuring particle size
Pros and cons of different measurement techniques and approaches
Practical examples
Evaluating and improving dispersion stability Dr Diogo Fernandes, Malvern Panalytical
Understanding stability mechanisms for ink dispersions
Factors controlling stability – particle size, steric effects, zeta potential and viscosity
How to make stable dispersions – selecting the right approach for your ink
Practical examples
Assessing the impact of polymer structure on ink performance
Dr Stefan Cairns, Malvern Panalytical
Understanding the role of polymers for inkjet applications
Correlating polymer properties with polymer solution behaviour including viscosity
Measuring molecular weight, molecular structure and intrinsic viscosity
Practical examples
17:00 Session ends
Friday 29 January 2021
09:00 Session begins
Optimising ink rheology for printing applications
Dr Carlos Gracia Fernández, TA Instruments
Understanding the importance of fluid rheology for inkjet printing
Basic rheology theory - viscosity and viscoelasticity
Rheological test methods for inkjet inks and processes
Practical examples
Basic property measurements - surface tension
Dr Thomas Willers, KRÜSS
Surface tension - introduction
Relevance to droplet formation and spreading in inkjet printing
Interplay of surface tension and viscosity in drop formation
Impacts on wetting
How to optimise ink-substrate adhesion and spreading
Interfacial rheology and its relevance to drying
Theories and methods of measurement - compared and contrasted
Application examples from inkjet industry
12:30- 13:30 Lunch break
13:30 Session begins
Jetting and print quality analysis
Kyle Pucci, ImageXpert
Introduction to drop analysis
How is in-flight analysis used?
Drop formation
Reliability
Misting
Nozzle-to-nozzle consistency
Drop measurement
Simple application examples
Overview of techniques
Fundamental measurements
Practical demonstration
Introduction to print quality analysis
How is print quality analysis used?
Dot properties
Line properties
Solid area quality
Colour registration
Ink interaction
Overview of techniques
Practical examples
17:00 Course ends
COURSE LEADERS
Dr Stefan Cairns, Product Technical Specialist – Separations
Malvern Panalytical, UK
Dr Stefan Cairns is a Product Technical Specialist for GPC/SEC at Malvern Panalytical. He completed a PhD at the University of Edinburgh, specialising in ring opening polymerisation, where he became an expert in monomer, polymer and catalyst synthesis, and characterisation. He has a first-class honours degree in Chemistry from University College Dublin and previous industrial experience working at Akzo Nobel.
Dr Diogo Fernandes, Product Technical Specialist
Malvern Panalytical
Dr Diogo Fernandes has been awarded a Forensic Chemistry BSc degree from ISCSEM, Portugal, in 2013, and a doctoral degree in Materials Science from the University of Central Lancashire in 2017, where he explored different methods to synthesize and characterize novel types carbogenic nanoparticles. He has acquired knowledge and experience in dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering not only during his PhD degree but also since he joined Malvern Panalytical in 2017. As a Product Technical Specialist for Nanomaterials Characterization, his role is to provide global technical support to customers and collaborators on the Zetasizer range of products, as well as supporting the sales and marketing teams.
Dr John Ddungu, Product Technical Specialist – Laser Diffraction
Malvern Panalytical, UK
Dr John Ddungu is a Product Technical Specialist for Laser Diffraction at Malvern Panalytical. He obtained an integrated master’s degree in Chemistry at the University of Birmingham, UK followed by a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Strasbourg, France. Here he explored the synthesis and characterisation of silicon-based nanoparticles for medical diagnostic applications. John then joined Malvern Panalytical in October 2019, where he currently provides technical support for the Mastersizer and Spraytec instruments in industries such as paints and pigments, food, pharmaceuticals, minerals, and advanced materials.
Dr Carlos Gracia Fernández, Responsible for Applications: Rheology and Thermal Analysis
TA Instruments, Spain
Carlos graduated in Physics from Santiago de Compostela University, Spain in 2000. He then completed Master’s degrees in Applied and Condensed Matter Physics, and a PhD in Applied Physics. From 2005 to 2007 he was a Post Doc in rheology and thermal analysis in the food department of University of Santiago de Compostela. Since 2007 he has been a senior scientific support specialist in rheology, thermal analysis and thermophysical properties at TA Instruments.
Dr Thomas Willers, Head of Applications & Science
KRÜSS, Germany
Dr Thomas Willers studied physics in Cologne and Barcelona. He received his PhD degree in experimental physics at the University of Cologne. In 2012 he joined KRÜSS GmbH at its headquarters in Hamburg where he is now head of the department for Applications & Science. He is responsible for the KRÜSS Application Labs as well as teaching activities and now has more than five years’ experience in teaching surface science.
Kyle Pucci, Applications Engineering Manager
ImageXpert, USA
Kyle is Applications Engineering Manager at ImageXpert Inc. and lives in Nashua, NH USA. He graduated in 2014 from Villanova University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. He specialises in integrating controllers and hardware with the JetXpert dropwatcher and offering support, installation, and training.