Transfer member for printing systems

• US 10,606,191 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2019
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Landa Labs (2012) Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Landa Labs (2012) Ltd.
• Inventors: Landa, Benzion, Abramovich, Sagi, Haviv, Amit
• Primary Examiner(s): Hyder, G. M. A
• Application Number:
  US16/424,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20190302655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 307 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/20 Arrangements of several outlets along elongated bodies, e.g. perforated pipes or troughs, e.g. spray booms spray booms for agricultural uses A01M7/0071; spray bars for treating roads E01C19/176; Outlet elements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/0207 the work being an elongated body, e.g. wire or pipe B05B13/0436, B05B13/0463 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/0228 the movement of the objects being rotative B05B13/0242 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 14/30 comprising enclosures close to, or in contact with, the object to be sprayed and surrounding or confining the discharged spray or jet but not the object to be sprayed
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0024 using conduction means, e.g. by using a heated platen
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0057 where an intermediate transfer member receives the ink before transferring it on the printing material
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/447 using arrays of radiation sources B41J2/475 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/45 using light-emitting diode [LED] or laser arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 2205/06 relating to melt (thermal) mass transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 2205/10 Post-imaging transfer of imaged layer; transfer of the whole imaged layer
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/025 by transferring ink from the master sheet
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0256 the transferable ink pattern being obtained by means of a computer driven printer, e.g. an ink jet or laser printer, or by electrographic means
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/03 by pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/38221 Apparatus features
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/52 Macromolecular coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/04 obtained by TEM, STEM, STM or AFM
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/50 Agglomerated particles
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/61 Micrometer sized, i.e. from 1-100 micrometer
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/62 Submicrometer sized, i.e. from 0.1-1 micrometer
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2006/12 Surface area
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2006/19 : Oil-absorption capacity, e.g. DBP values
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 77/04 : Polysiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 2201/005 : Additives being defined by their particle size in general
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/04 : Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/36 : Silica
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/5419 : containing at least one Si—C bond
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/544 : containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 83/04 : Polysiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 1/56 : Treatment of carbon black ; Purification
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 3/10 : Treatment with macromolecular organic compounds C09C3/006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/66 : characterised by particle size
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/162 : details of the the intermediate support, e.g. chemical composition
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/326 : by application of light, e.g. using a LED array
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/342 : by forming a uniform powder layer and then removing the non-image areas
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/10 : Greenhouse gas [GHG] capture, material saving, heat recovery or other energy efficient measures, e.g. motor control, characterised by manufacturing processes, e.g. for rolling metal or metal working

Abstract

There is disclosed a layered article that can be used in indirect printing, in analog or digital processes. The layered article, when configured as a transfer member, may serve to receive an ink in any form, allow the ink to be treated so as to form an ink image, and permit the application of the ink image on a substrate. The transfer member comprises a support layer and an imaging layer, which may be formed of a silicon matrix including dispersed carbon black particles. Methods for preparing the same are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A transfer member for receiving ink and transferring an ink image to a substrate, the transfer member comprising:

a) a support layer; and

b) an imaging layer, disposed on the support layer, the imaging layer comprising;

i) a cured hydrophobic silicone matrix comprising hydrophilic carbon black particles non-covalently dispersed therein; and

ii) a release surface distal to the support layer.

2. The transfer member according to claim 1, wherein the release surface is integral to the imaging layer.

3. The transfer member according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic silicone matrix of the imaging layer is a layer formed from silicone pre-polymers selected from liquid silicone resins (LSR), room temperature vulcanization (RTV) silicones, polydialkyl siloxanes (PDAS) or polydimethyl siloxanes (PDMS) silicones, and functionalised versions thereof, provided that the silicone pre-polymer is not a fluorosilicone.

4. The transfer member according to claim 1, wherein the silicone matrix is an addition-cured silicone matrix.

5. The transfer member according to claim 1, the hydrophilic carbon black particles having one or more properties selected from the list consisting of:

a) an I_D/I_G ratio of at least 0.8, or at least 1.0, or at least 1.2, wherein I_D and I_G represent the peak intensity maxima of D-band and G-band, respectively, as determined by Raman spectroscopy;

b) an average primary particle size (Dv50) of at most 100 nm;

c) a predominant secondary particle size (Dv90) of at most 5 μ

m, at most 4 μ

m, at most 3 μ

m, at most 2 μ

m or at most 1.5 μ

m;

d) a predominant secondary particle size (Dv90) of at most 1000 nm, at most 500 nm, at most 400 nm, at most 300 nm, at most 200 nm or at most 100 nm; and

e) contains at least one type of functional group selected from the group consisting of epoxy, hydroxy and carboxylic moieties, as detected by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.

6. The transfer member according to claim 1, wherein the concentration of carbon black in the silicone matrix on a weight per weight basis is at least 0.1% and at most 30%, at least 5% and at most 30%, at least 7.5% and at most 27.5%, at least 10% and at most 25%, at least 12.5% and at most 25%, at least 15% and at most 25%, or at least 15% and at most 20%.

7. The transfer member according to claim 1, wherein the silicone matrix further comprises a dispersant having at least one carbon-black-affinic moiety.

8. The transfer member according to claim 7, wherein said dispersant is miscible with the silicone matrix and has a branched molecule structure, the branched molecule having a backbone and at least one branching unit, wherein one of said backbone and branching unit is siloxane-based, or contains at least one siloxane unit.

9. The transfer member of claim 7, wherein the dispersant is selected from the group consisting of:

an amino-silicone dispersant, an epoxy-silicone dispersant and a silicone-acrylate dispersant.

10. The transfer member according to claim 1, wherein the transfer member is opaque.

11. The transfer member according to claim 1, wherein the transfer member or the support layer is substantially transparent.

12. The transfer member according to claim 1, wherein the support layer is substantially transparent.

13. The transfer member according to claim 1, wherein the support layer is flexible, so that the transfer member is suitable to form a blanket or an endless belt.

14. The transfer member according to claim 13, further comprising, along lateral edges of the transfer member, protruding formations which are capable of engaging with lateral tracks in a printing system so as to (a) constrain the transfer member to follow a printing path in at least a segment of the path and/or to (b) place the transfer member under lateral tension, in at least a segment of the path.

15. The transfer member according to claim 1, wherein the transfer member is a seamless transfer member.

16. The transfer member according to claim 1, wherein at least 80% of the carbon black particles, are disposed at a distance of at least 0.01 μ

m, at least 0.02 μ

m, at least 0.03 μ

m, at least 0.04 μ

m, at least 0.05 μ

m, at least 0.1 μ

m, at least 0.2 μ

m, at least 0.3 μ

m, at least 0.5 μ

m, or at least 1.0 μ

m, from the release surface.

17. The transfer member according to claim 1, dimensioned and configured for use in indirect printing, wherein the indirect printing is selected from offset printing, thermal printing, electrophotographic printing and radiation printing.

18. A transfer member for receiving ink and transferring an ink image to a substrate, the transfer member comprising:

a) a support layer; and

b) an imaging layer, disposed on the support layer, the imaging layer comprising;

i) a cured hydrophobic silicone matrix comprising dispersant-laden hydrophilic carbon black particles non-covalently dispersed therein; and

ii) a release surface distal to the support layer

wherein a dispersant of the dispersant-laden hydrophilic carbon black particles has at least one carbon-black-affinic moiety selected from an amino-moiety, an acrylate-moiety and an epoxy-moiety.

19. A method for preparing a transfer member, the transfer member comprising on a first side a release surface for receiving ink and transferring an ink image to a substrate, the method comprising:

a) providing a support layer adapted to form a rear side of the transfer member, the rear side being opposite the first side;

b) providing an imaging layer, the imaging layer including a hydrophobic silicone matrix comprising hydrophilic carbon black particles non-covalently dispersed therein;

c) optionally providing a release layer able to form the release surface;

d) contacting the support layer, the imaging layer and the optional release layer, when at least one of any two adjacent said layers is at least partially cured; and

e) fully curing the transfer member including said layers so that the surface distal to the support layer forms the release surface, said surface being part of the imaging layer or of the release layer.