JP6307970B2 - Liquid discharge recording apparatus and liquid recovery method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid discharge recording apparatus and a liquid recovery method.

  Conventionally, a volatile organic solvent has been used as a solvent for water-based ink for ink-jet recording (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “water-based ink” or “ink”) (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In recent years, in the water-based ink, from the viewpoint of protecting the global environment, it has been required to reduce the generation of VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds). As countermeasures, it has been proposed to reduce the generation of VOCs by reducing the content of volatile organic solvents or by using non-volatile water-soluble organic solvents for aqueous inks (patents). Reference 2).

JP 2003-147243 A JP 2003-128969 A

  Incidentally, in recent years, with the consumption of ink due to an increase in recording speed, there has been a demand for further reduction in the occurrence of VOC. On the other hand, when a non-volatile organic solvent is added to the water-based ink as a measure against VOC, the quick-drying at the time of recording and the spread to the recording medium such as recording paper are not sufficient, and the performance as the water-based ink corresponding to the high speed is satisfied It was difficult to make. Under the circumstances as described above, there is a demand for a liquid discharge recording apparatus such as an ink jet recording apparatus that can reduce the occurrence of VOC more than ever while supporting high speed.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a liquid discharge recording apparatus and a liquid recovery method that can reduce the occurrence of VOCs.

In order to achieve the above object, the liquid discharge recording apparatus of the present invention comprises:
A liquid discharge head for discharging a liquid containing a volatile organic compound ;
A liquid discharge recording apparatus including an absorber that absorbs the liquid discharged from the liquid discharge head;
The absorber includes an unsaturated fatty acid having a specific gravity smaller than that of the liquid.

The liquid recovery method of the present invention includes:
A liquid discharge head for discharging a liquid containing a volatile organic compound ;
In a liquid ejection recording apparatus including an absorber that absorbs the liquid ejected from the liquid ejection head, a liquid recovery method for recovering the liquid ejected from the liquid ejection head,
The liquid discharged from the liquid discharge head is collected by absorbing the liquid discharged from the liquid discharge head by the absorber containing unsaturated fatty acid having a specific gravity smaller than that of the liquid.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce volatilization of VOC contained in the liquid by causing the absorber containing the unsaturated fatty acid having a specific gravity smaller than that of the liquid to absorb the liquid exiting from the liquid ejection head. .

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of an example of a liquid discharge recording apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view in a vertical plane including the scanning direction of the waste liquid tank during the liquid recovery of the liquid ejection device shown in FIG.

Examples of the liquid used in the liquid discharge recording apparatus of the present invention include water-based ink for ink-jet recording and a treatment liquid used for ink-jet recording. The treatment liquid is a liquid that is discharged onto a recording medium prior to ink discharge or after ink discharge for the purpose of improving image quality. The liquid is not limited to those used for ink jet recording, and examples thereof include a storage liquid (shipment liquid), an introduction liquid, a test liquid, and the like. The storage liquid is a liquid for filling the flow path of the liquid discharge recording apparatus in a state where it is shipped from a factory and maintaining the state in the flow path. The storage liquid also plays a role of promoting the introduction of ink into the flow path when the user introduces the ink into the flow path of the liquid discharge recording apparatus after the liquid discharge recording apparatus is shipped. The introduction liquid is a liquid that is previously filled in the flow path so that the ink is easily introduced into the flow path when the ink is introduced into the flow path after manufacturing the head in the factory. The inspection liquid is a liquid used for inspecting the discharge of the liquid discharge head in a factory.

In the present invention, an unsaturated fatty acid having a specific gravity smaller than that of the liquid is contained in the absorber, so that the liquid that has penetrated the absorber is covered with an oil film of the unsaturated fatty acid, and is contained in the liquid. This is based on the idea of reducing VOC volatilization. This idea was first obtained by the present inventors. Based on this idea, the present inventors can actually reduce volatilization of VOC contained in the liquid by discharging the liquid from the liquid discharge head to an absorber containing unsaturated fatty acid having a specific gravity smaller than that of the liquid. I found out. In addition, the unsaturated fatty acid used in this embodiment is easier to form an oil film than the saturated fatty acid. Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a liquid discharge recording apparatus and a liquid recovery method capable of reducing VOC volatilization. Further, according to the present invention, the liquid having a specific gravity greater than that of the unsaturated fatty acid permeates below the unsaturated fatty acid in the absorber, so that the accumulation of the liquid on the surface of the absorber is suppressed. In addition, there can be obtained a secondary effect that mixing of the liquid on the liquid discharge surface of the liquid discharge head, which will be described later, clogging of the liquid discharge head, and contamination of the recording medium such as recording paper are suppressed.

In the liquid discharge recording apparatus of the present invention, the unsaturated fatty acid can be appropriately selected according to the specific gravity of the liquid. The degree of unsaturation of the unsaturated fatty acid is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1 to 3. By setting the degree of unsaturation within the above range, the effect of reducing volatilization of VOC contained in the liquid and the effect of suppressing the deposition of the liquid on the absorber surface can be further enhanced. The specific gravity of the unsaturated fatty acid is not particularly limited as long as it is smaller than the specific gravity of the liquid, but is preferably 0.850 g / cm ^{3 to} 0.915 g / cm ³ . By setting the specific gravity of the unsaturated fatty acid within the above range, it is possible to further enhance the effect of reducing volatilization of VOC contained in the liquid and the effect of suppressing the deposition of the liquid on the absorber surface. Specific examples of the unsaturated fatty acid include erucic acid (unsaturation degree 1, specific gravity 0.880 g / cm ³ ), oleic acid (unsaturation degree 1, specific gravity 0.898 g / cm ³ ), linoleic acid (unsaturation). Saturation degree 2, specific gravity 0.902 g / cm ³ ), linolenic acid (unsaturation degree 3, specific gravity 0.914 g / cm ³ ), arachidonic acid (unsaturation degree 4, specific gravity 0.919 g / cm ³ ) and the like. .

In the liquid discharge recording apparatus of the present embodiment, the absorber that absorbs the liquid discharged from the liquid discharge head may be any one that can absorb the liquid, for example, melanin foam, urethane foam, polyethylene foam, silicon Foam, acrylic foam, chloroprene rubber (CR) sponge, natural rubber (NR) sponge, nitrile rubber (NBR) sponge, ethylene / propylene / diene rubber (EPDM) sponge, felt foam, needle felt, etc. preferable.

From the viewpoint of preventing dripping from the absorber, the absorber 1 mm ³ The amount of the unsaturated fatty acid contained per unit is 0.91 μg / mm ³ Or less, preferably 0.7 μg / mm ³ The following is more preferable. Further, from the viewpoint of sufficiently suppressing the volatilization of the liquid, the absorber 1 mm ³ The amount of the unsaturated fatty acid contained per unit is 0.1 μg / mm ³ Preferably, it is 0.2 μg / mm ³ More preferably. The amount of the unsaturated fatty acid contained in the absorber may be determined in consideration of the lifetime of the liquid discharge recording apparatus. For example, the absorber is a flushing absorber of the liquid discharge recording apparatus described later. In some cases, the amount of the unsaturated fatty acid contained in the flushing absorber is preferably 0.10 g or more, more preferably 0.18 g or more, preferably 0.81 g or less, more preferably 0.63 g or less. is there.

When the liquid is a water-based ink, the water-based ink includes a colorant, water, and a water-soluble organic solvent. The colorant may be at least one of a dye and a pigment, but is preferably a pigment. Furthermore, the water-based ink does not contain a dye and may substantially contain only a pigment as a colorant. When the colorant is a pigment, when water-based ink is ejected onto the surface of the absorber, the pigment may be deposited on the surface of the absorber. Deposition can be suppressed. The blending amount of the colorant with respect to the total amount of the water-based ink is not particularly limited, and can be appropriately determined according to, for example, a desired optical density or color, and is, for example, 0.2 wt% to 20 wt%, preferably 2 % By weight to 10% by weight.

The water contained in the water-based ink is preferably ion exchange water or pure water. The blending amount (water ratio) of the water with respect to the total amount of the water-based ink is, for example, 10% by weight to 90% by weight, and preferably 40% by weight to 80% by weight. The said water ratio is good also as the remainder of another component, for example.

Examples of the water-soluble organic solvent include a wetting agent that prevents drying of the water-based ink at the nozzle tip of the ink jet head and / or a penetrating agent that adjusts the drying speed on the recording medium. The blending amount (humectant ratio) of the wetting agent with respect to the total amount of the water-based ink is, for example, 0% to 95% by weight, preferably 5% to 80% by weight, and more preferably 5% by weight. ~ 50% by weight. In particular, the humectant preferably contains 5% to 40% by weight of glycerin, and more preferably contains 10% to 30% by weight. The blending amount (permeating agent ratio) of the penetrant with respect to the total amount of the water-based ink is, for example, 0 wt% to 20 wt%. By setting the penetrant ratio in the above range, the penetrability of the water-based ink into the recording medium can be made more suitable. The penetrant ratio is preferably 0.1% by weight to 15% by weight, and more preferably 0.5% by weight to 10% by weight.

When the liquid is a storage liquid (shipping liquid), the composition can be the same as that of the water-based ink except for the content of the colorant, and can be prepared by the same method. Since the storage liquid is a liquid for filling the flow path of the liquid discharge recording apparatus and maintaining the state in the flow path, it does not need to contain a colorant, and the presence of the storage liquid can be visually confirmed. A colorant may also be included. When the preservation solution contains a colorant, the blending amount of the colorant in the preservation solution is preferably 0.5% by weight or less.

  The liquid discharge recording apparatus and the liquid recovery method of the present invention will be specifically described. The liquid discharge recording apparatus of the present invention includes a liquid discharge head that discharges liquid and an absorber that absorbs the liquid that has come out of the liquid discharge head. The absorber is preferably at least one of a flushing absorber and a waste liquid absorber. In the liquid ejection recording apparatus of the present invention, the configuration other than the absorber can be the same as that of a liquid ejection recording apparatus such as a conventional ink jet recording apparatus. The liquid recovery method of the present invention is carried out using the liquid discharge recording apparatus of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration of an example of a liquid discharge recording apparatus of the present invention. As illustrated, the liquid discharge recording apparatus 1 includes a platen 2, a carriage 3, an ink jet head (liquid discharge head) 4, a transport mechanism 5, and a maintenance unit 6 as main components.

  A recording medium (for example, recording paper) P supplied from a paper feeding mechanism (not shown) is placed on the upper surface of the platen 2. Two guide rails 10 and 11 extending in parallel with the scanning direction (left and right direction in FIG. 1) are provided above the platen 2. The carriage 3 can reciprocate in the scanning direction along the two guide rails 10 and 11 in a region facing the platen 2.

  The two guide rails 10 and 11 further protrude from the left and right ends of the platen 2 and extend in the scanning direction. The carriage 3 is movable from an area (recording area) facing the recording paper P on the platen 2 to a position away from the left and right ends of the platen 2, which is a non-recording area. An endless belt 14 wound between two pulleys 12 and 13 is connected to the carriage 3. When the endless belt 14 travels and is driven by the carriage drive motor 15, the carriage 3 moves in the scanning direction as the endless belt 14 travels.

  The inkjet head 4 is mounted on the lower part of the carriage 3. The lower surface of the inkjet head 4 is parallel to the upper surface of the platen 2 and is a liquid ejection surface 4a (see FIG. 2) where a plurality of nozzles 16 are opened. The liquid is ejected and recorded on the recording paper P placed on the platen 2 from the plurality of nozzles 16 on the liquid ejection surface 4a.

  Four ink supply ports (not shown) corresponding to the respective colors of black, yellow, cyan, and magenta are provided on the upper surface of the inkjet head 4, and one end of four tubes 17 is connected to the four ink supply ports. Each is connected. The other end of each of the four tubes 17 is connected to a cartridge mounting portion 9 in which four ink cartridges 8 containing inks of various colors are detachable. As a result, the ink of each color is supplied from the four ink cartridges 8 mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 9 to the inkjet head 4 via the four tubes 17.

  The transport mechanism 5 has two transport rollers 18 and 19 arranged so as to sandwich the platen 2 along the transport direction (the direction from the top to the bottom in FIG. 1). The two transport rollers 18 and 19 transport the recording paper P placed on the platen 2 in the transport direction.

  The liquid discharge recording apparatus 1 discharges liquid from the ink jet head 4 mounted on the carriage 3 to the recording paper P placed on the platen 2 and discharges the recording paper P by two transport rollers 18 and 19. A desired image and characters are recorded on the recording paper P by being conveyed in the conveying direction.

  Next, the maintenance unit 6 will be described. The maintenance unit 6 includes a purge unit and a flushing unit. The purge unit includes a waste liquid absorber 22, a suction cap 21, and a suction pump 23 that are disposed on one side (right side in FIG. 1) in the scanning direction with respect to the platen 2. The flushing unit is disposed on the other side (left side in FIG. 1) in the scanning direction with respect to the platen 2, and includes the first flushing absorber 53, the second flushing absorber 54, the waste liquid tank 50, and the liquid receiving member 51. Include as a major component.

  The suction cap 21 is driven up and down by a cap drive mechanism (not shown) including drive means such as a motor, and is in contact with and separated from the liquid ejection surface 4a. The suction pump 23 is connected to the suction cap 21. The suction cap 21 covers the openings of the plurality of nozzles 16 when coming into contact with the liquid ejection surface 4a. In this way, when the suction cap 21 is in the capping state, the suction pump 23 is driven to suck and reduce the pressure in the suction cap 21, so that the liquid is discharged from all the nozzles 16 covered by the suction cap 21. Drain (suction purge). The suction pump 23 is connected to the waste liquid absorber 22, and the liquid sucked and discharged by the suction purge is absorbed by the waste liquid absorber 22 through the suction pump 23. Although not shown, the waste liquid absorber 22 is accommodated in a box opened upward. The waste liquid absorber 22 may be anything as long as it can absorb liquid, and examples thereof include melamine foam.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the waste liquid tank 50 has a box shape opened upward, and a first flushing absorber 53 is accommodated therein. The liquid receiving member 51 is disposed above the first flushing absorber 53. The liquid receiving member 51 has a box shape opened upward, and a second flushing absorber 54 is disposed therein. A discharge port 51a is formed on one side (right side in FIG. 2) of the bottom surface of the liquid receiving member 51 in the scanning direction. The outlet 51 a is connected to the other end of the tube 55 whose one end is in contact with the upper surface of the first flushing absorber 53. Thereby, the liquid absorbed on the upper surface of the second flushing absorber 54 moves downward and is discharged to the first flushing absorber 53 through the tube 55 from the discharge port 51a. The first flushing absorber 53 and the second flushing absorber 54 may be anything as long as they can absorb liquid, and examples thereof include melamine foam. In this embodiment, the purge unit sucks the liquid from the nozzle 16 by the suction pump 23, but the so-called “push purge” in which pressure is applied to the liquid in the inkjet head 4 and the liquid is discharged from the nozzle 16. May be used. That is, the liquid absorbed by the absorber of the present invention may be liquid that is positively discharged from the nozzle, or may be liquid that forcibly exits from the nozzle, such as suction purge. . Moreover, the aspect which receives what was directly discharged to the absorber may be sufficient as the liquid to absorb, and the aspect which is sent indirectly with a suction pump etc. may be sufficient as it.

  The first flushing absorber 53, the second flushing absorber 54, and the waste liquid absorber 22 contain unsaturated fatty acids having a specific gravity smaller than that of the liquid. In the first flushing absorber 53 and the second flushing absorber 54, the unsaturated fatty acid may be included only in a portion that comes into contact with the liquid discharged from the inkjet head 4, or is included in the entirety. Also good.

  The first flushing absorber 53, the second flushing absorber 54, and the waste liquid absorber 22 may further contain an oleophilic solvent as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. Examples of the lipophilic solvent include ethylene glycol diacetate, sorbitan trioleate, sorbitan sesquioleate, and the like. The amount of the unsaturated fatty acid (X) and the lipophilic solvent (Y) added to the absorber is preferably X: Y (volume ratio) = 2: 1, and X: Y (volume ratio) = 4. : 1 is more preferable, and X: Y (volume ratio) = 10: 1 is more preferable.

  Next, an example of the liquid recovery method of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In this example, the liquid is recovered by directly discharging the liquid from the inkjet head 4 to the flushing absorber. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view in a vertical plane including the scanning direction of the waste liquid tank 50 during the liquid recovery of the liquid discharge recording apparatus 1 shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, 16bk, 16y, 16c, and 16m indicate nozzles 16 for black ink, yellow ink, cyan ink, and magenta ink, respectively. In the liquid discharge recording apparatus 1, the inkjet head 4 may further include a nozzle and a supply port for processing liquid. The liquid discharge recording apparatus 1 may further include a cartridge that stores the processing liquid and a tube for supplying the processing liquid.

  At the time of liquid recovery in this example, the inkjet head 4 is stopped without scanning in the scanning direction, and the ink ejected from the nozzles 16 is ejected immediately below. FIG. 2 shows an example in which liquid recovery from the black ink nozzle 16bk and liquid recovery from the three color ink nozzles 16y, 16c, and 16m of yellow, cyan, and magenta are simultaneously performed.

  In FIG. 2, the black ink nozzles 16 bk are opposed to the first flushing absorber 53 accommodated in the waste liquid tank 50, and the three color ink nozzles 16 y, 16 c and 16 m are accommodated in the liquid receiving member 51. The liquid is recovered by ejecting ink of each color from the nozzles 16bk, 16y, 16c and 16m to the first flushing absorber 53 and the second flushing absorber 54 at a position facing the two flushing absorbers 54. Yes. The liquid recovery from the black ink nozzle 16bk and the liquid recovery from the three color ink nozzles 16y, 16c, and 16m may be performed separately. In the case where the inkjet head 4 has a nozzle for processing liquid, the liquid recovery from the nozzle for processing liquid is also performed so that the nozzle for processing liquid faces the first flushing absorber 53 or the second flushing absorber 54. It can be carried out in the same way by moving it to the position to be performed.

  Since the first flushing absorber 53 and the second flushing absorber 54 contain unsaturated fatty acid having a specific gravity smaller than that of the liquid, the first flushing absorber 53 and the second flushing absorber 54 penetrated into the first flushing absorber 53 and the second flushing absorber 54. The liquid can be covered with an oil film of the unsaturated fatty acid to reduce the volatilization of VOC contained in the liquid. In addition, the liquid having a specific gravity greater than that of the unsaturated fatty acid penetrates under the unsaturated fatty acid in the second flushing absorber 54, so that the deposition of the liquid on the surface of the second flushing absorber 54 is suppressed. Thus, mixing of the liquid, clogging of the inkjet head 4 and contamination of the recording paper P on the liquid ejection surface 4a of the inkjet head 4 are suppressed.

  Next, another example of the liquid recovery method of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. As described above, in the liquid discharge recording apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, the liquid sucked and discharged by the suction purge is absorbed by the waste liquid absorber 22 through the suction pump 23. Since the waste liquid absorber 22 also contains unsaturated fatty acid having a specific gravity smaller than that of the liquid, the liquid that has permeated the waste liquid absorber 22 is covered with an oil film of the unsaturated fatty acid and contained in the liquid. VOC volatilization can be reduced.

In the present embodiment, the first flushing absorber 53, the second flushing absorber 54, and the waste liquid absorber 22 in FIG. 1 are “absorbers that absorb the liquid ejected from the liquid ejection head” in the present embodiment. However, the absorber of the present embodiment is not limited to the present embodiment. For example, a flushing absorber may be provided on the platen 2. By providing the flushing absorber on the platen 2, the moving distance and moving time of the inkjet head 4 can be shortened between the flushing time and the recording time. Further, a platen absorber may be provided in a portion of the platen 2 through which the end of the recording medium (recording paper) P passes. When the marginless recording with no margin is performed on the recording paper P, the ink (liquid) that protrudes from the end of the recording paper P and is ejected onto the platen can be absorbed by the platen absorber. When the platen absorber contains an unsaturated fatty acid having a specific gravity smaller than that of the liquid, volatilization of VOC contained in the liquid can be reduced.

Next, examples of the present invention will be described together with comparative examples. In addition, this invention is not limited and restrict | limited by the following Example and comparative example.
[Examples 1-6 and Comparative Examples 1-5]
Melamine foam (surface area 1 cm ² , thickness 5 mm) was placed in a vial for HS-GC / MS measurement. Next, 100 μL of ink was infiltrated into the melamine foam and kept at 60 ° C. for 30 minutes. As the ink, three kinds of inks having the compositions shown in Table 1 were used. After the heat retention, gas was injected into the GC / MS for 0.05 minutes from the vial and measurement was performed, and the total peak area of VOC contained in the ink was calculated. Moreover, melamine foam is put into the vial for HS-GC / MS measurement, and 100 μL of the target unsaturated fatty acid (saturated fatty acid in Comparative Example 1 and hydrophilic solvent in Comparative Examples 3 to 5) is infiltrated. In the same manner, the total peak area of VOCs contained in the ink was calculated. In Example 6, 25 μL of lipophilic solvent (ethylene glycol diacetate) was infiltrated into the melamine foam in addition to 100 μL of the target unsaturated fatty acid (oleic acid). Then, the reduction rate of VOC contained in the ink was calculated by the following formula and evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria. By such a model experiment, the degree of volatilization suppression by the combination of the ink and the unsaturated fatty acid permeated into the melamine foam was confirmed.

Reduction rate (%) = {(X−Y) / X} × 100
X: Total peak area of ink alone Y: Total peak area when the unsaturated fatty acid of interest penetrates melamine foam
Evaluation criteria AA: The reduction rate is 75% or more A: The reduction rate is 25% or more and less than 75% B: The reduction rate is 10% or more and less than 25% C: The reduction rate is less than 10%

  The evaluation results of the examples are shown in Table 2. Table 3 shows the evaluation results of the comparative examples.

  As shown in Table 2, in Examples 1 to 6, volatilization of VOC contained in the ink was reduced. In addition, when the melamine foam in Examples 1 to 6 is used as the second flushing absorber 54 of the liquid discharge recording apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, the ink used in Examples 1 to 6 on the surface of the second flushing absorber 54. It has been confirmed that the deposition of the is suppressed. In Examples 1 to 4 in which unsaturated fatty acids having an unsaturation degree of 1 to 3 and a specific gravity of 0.850 to 0.915 were included in the melamine foam, the VOC volatilization reduction effect and the ink deposition inhibition effect were more it was high.

  On the other hand, as shown in Table 3, VOC contained in the ink was volatilized in Comparative Examples 1 and 3 to 5 in which a saturated fatty acid or a hydrophilic solvent was contained in the melamine foam instead of the unsaturated fatty acid. Further, VOC contained in the ink was volatilized also in Comparative Example 2 in which the unsaturated fatty acid having a specific gravity higher than that of the ink was contained in the melamine foam. Furthermore, when the melamine foam in Comparative Examples 1 to 5 was used as the flushing absorber 54 of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, the ink used in Comparative Examples 1 to 5 was deposited on the surface of the flushing absorber 54.

  As described above, the liquid discharge recording apparatus of the present invention can reduce VOC. The application of the liquid discharge recording apparatus of the present invention is not particularly limited, and can be widely applied to various ink jet recording.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Liquid discharge recording device 3 Carriage 4 Liquid discharge head (inkjet head)
6 Maintenance Unit 21 Suction Cap 22 Waste Liquid Absorber 23 Suction Pump 50 Waste Liquid Tank 51 Liquid Receiving Member 53 First Flushing Absorber 54 Second Flushing Absorber

Claims (4)

A liquid discharge head for discharging a liquid containing a volatile organic compound;
A liquid discharge recording apparatus including an absorber that absorbs the liquid discharged from the liquid discharge head;
Wherein the absorber, a liquid discharge recording apparatus characterized by unsaturated fatty acids is impregnated smaller specific gravity than the liquid.
The liquid discharge recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the unsaturated fatty acid has an unsaturation degree of 1 to 3. 3. The liquid discharge recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the absorber is a flushing absorber that receives the liquid discharged from the liquid discharge head at a position facing the absorber. A liquid discharge head for discharging a liquid containing a volatile organic compound;
In a liquid ejection recording apparatus including an absorber that absorbs the liquid ejected from the liquid ejection head, a liquid recovery method for recovering the liquid ejected from the liquid ejection head,
The liquid discharged from the liquid discharge head is recovered by absorbing the liquid discharged from the liquid discharge head by the absorber impregnated with an unsaturated fatty acid having a specific gravity smaller than that of the liquid. Collection method.

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