Characterization of pigments in coating formulations for high-end ink-jet papers

The effect of the two inorganic pigments widely used for coating of high-end ink-jet papers-amorphous silica and precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC)-and poly(vinyl alcohol) binder on ink-jet paper and print quality was studied. Multivariate analysis of results revealed that the type and the proportion of the pigments significantly influences several paper and print characteristics as determined by wicking, mottling, striking through, ink absorption and electrical surface resistance. Water absorption characteristics of paper are not related to ink-jet print quality but rather to the hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity of base paper sheet. The effect of the coat weight on the printed paper performance is considerable only in cases where 100% silica or silica-PCC combinations were applied. In coatings with 100% PCC, this effect is much smaller in comparison to that of the pigment itself. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.