Hot melt flexographic inks and method of preparing same
First Claim
1. A solvent-free, flexographic printing ink which is solid at room temperature, the ink consisting essentially of:
- (A) a pigment;
(B) a thermoplastic binder selected from the group consisting of an ethylene copolymer, a hydrocarbon resin, and a combination thereof;
(C) a wax selected from the group consisting of a highly branched hydrocarbon wax, a polyethylene homopolymer wax, an oxidized polyethylene wax, an animal wax, a vegetable wax and combinations thereof;
(D) a solid linear alcohol at room temperature; and
, (E) a dispersing agent; and
, optionally, (F) a solid plasticizer;
wherein, the ink has a melting point of about 75°
C. or greater, and when heated to a temperature between about 90°
C. and about 135°
C., forms a molten ink which has a viscosity between about 100 cps and about 1200 cps.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Solid, solvent-free inks are provided for use in hot melt flexographic printing. The ink is composed of a pigment; a thermoplastic binder which is an ethylene copolymer, a hydrocarbon resin, or a combination thereof; a wax which is a highly branched hydrocarbon wax, a polyethylene homopolymer wax, an oxidized polyethylene wax, an animal wax, a vegetable wax or combinations thereof; a solid linear alcohol; and, a dispersing agent. The ink may also contain a solid plasticizer. The solid ink has a melting point of about 75° C. or greater, and when heated to a temperature between about 90° C. and about 135° C., a molten ink is formed which has a viscosity between about 100 cps and about 1200 cps. The solid inks are used in melt flexographic printing by heating the ink to a temperature greater than about 90° C. to form a molten ink which has a viscosity between about 100 cps and about 1200 cps; applying the molten ink to the surface of a heated anilox roller in operational contact with a heated flexographic printing plate; and printing the applied molten ink from the printing plate onto a substrate such as conventional print stock, polymeric films, metal sheets, etc.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A solvent-free, flexographic printing ink which is solid at room temperature, the ink consisting essentially of:
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(A) a pigment;
(B) a thermoplastic binder selected from the group consisting of an ethylene copolymer, a hydrocarbon resin, and a combination thereof;
(C) a wax selected from the group consisting of a highly branched hydrocarbon wax, a polyethylene homopolymer wax, an oxidized polyethylene wax, an animal wax, a vegetable wax and combinations thereof;
(D) a solid linear alcohol at room temperature; and
,(E) a dispersing agent; and
, optionally,(F) a solid plasticizer;
wherein, the ink has a melting point of about 75°
C. or greater, and when heated to a temperature between about 90°
C. and about 135°
C., forms a molten ink which has a viscosity between about 100 cps and about 1200 cps. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A solvent-free, flexographic printing ink which is solid at room temperature, the ink comprising:
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(A) a pigment;
(B) an ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer;
(C) a highly branched hydrocarbon wax;
(D) a solid linear alcohol at room temperature;
(E) one or more hyperdispersant(s); and
,(F) a dicyclohexylphthalate;
wherein, the ink has a melting point of about 75°
C. or greater, and when heated to a temperature between about 90°
C. and about 135°
C., forms a molten ink which has a viscosity between about 100 cps and about 1200 cps. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A solvent-free, flexographic printing ink which is solid at room temperature, the ink comprising:
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(A) a pigment;
(B) an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer;
(C) a polyethylene homopolymer wax;
(D) a solid linear alcohol at room temperature;
(E) one or more hyperdispersant(s); and
,(F) a dicyclohexylphthalate;
wherein, the ink has a melting point of about 75°
C. or greater, and when heated to a temperature between about 90°
C. and about 135°
C., forms a molten ink which has a viscosity between about 100 cps and about 1200 cps. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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28. A method of melt flexographic printing comprising:
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(I) providing an ink which is solid at room temperature, the ink consisting essentially of;
(A) a pigment;
(B) a thermoplastic binder selected from the group consisting of an ethylene copolymer, a hydrocarbon resin, and a combination thereof;
(C) a wax selected from the group consisting of a highly branched hydrocarbon wax, a polyethylene homopolymer wax, an oxidized polyethylene wax, an animal wax, a vegetable wax and combinations thereof;
(D) a solid linear alcohol at room temperature; and
,(E) a dispersing agent; and
, optionally,(F) a solid plasticizer;
(II) heating the ink to a temperature between about 90°
C. and about 135°
C. to form a molten ink which has a viscosity between about 100 cps and about 1200 cps;
(III) applying the molten ink to a heated anilox roller in operational contact with a surface of a heated flexographic printing plate; and
(IV) printing the applied molten ink onto a substrate. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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32. A method for preparing a flexographic printing ink for hot melt flexographic printing comprising:
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(I) preparing a molten pigment dispersion from a component mixture in a mixer/grinder which is heated to a temperature above the melting point of the component mixture, wherein the component mixture consists essentially of;
(A) a pigment;
(B) a solid linear alcohol at room temperature; and
,(C) a dispersing agent; and
, optionally,(D) a solid plasticizer;
(II) preparing a molten varnish from a second component mixture in a second mixer which is heated to a temperature above the melting point of the second component mixture, wherein the second component mixture consists essentially of;
(E) a thermoplastic binder selected from the group consisting of an ethylene copolymer, a hydrocarbon resin, and a combination thereof; and
,(F) a wax selected from the group consisting of a highly branched hydrocarbon wax, a polyethylene homopolymer wax, an oxidized polyethylene wax, an animal wax, a vegetable wax and combinations thereof; and
(III) adding the pigment dispersion to the molten varnish and mixing in the second mixer to form a homogeneous molten ink which has a viscosity between about 100 cps and about 1200 cps at a temperature between about 90°
C. and about 135°
C. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification