Stable Emissive Toner Composition System and Method

• US 20090059252A1
• Filed: 08/20/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Angstrom Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Angstrom Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Coyle, William, Stramondo, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,535,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.900
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0821 characterised by physical parameters magnetic parameters G03G9/083
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/08704 Polyalkenes
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/08711 with esters of acrylic or methacrylic acid
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0926 characterised by physical or chemical properties
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0928 Compounds capable to generate colouring agents by chemical reaction
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/09733 Organic compounds G03G9/08782 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/16 Developers not provided for in groups G03G9/06 - G03G9/135, e.g. solutions, aerosols

Abstract

An emissive toner composition for producing an emissive image component of an image indicia on a substrate. The emissive toner composition includes a photoluminescent agent, a charge control agent, and one or more additives, each selected and present in an amount such that when the toner composition is printed to produce an image component on a substrate, the toner composition has stable spectral characteristics. In one embodiment, the emission spectra of the image component printed on the substrate, for irradiation with an excitation energy includes only dominant emission peaks corresponding to one or more emission peaks of the photoluminescent agent. In another embodiment, the image component has a photoluminescent toner stability factor of about greater than or equal to 25.

Claims

1. An emissive toner composition for producing an emissive image component of an image indicia on a substrate, the composition comprising:

a photoluminescent agent that emits light having one or more emission peaks in a first emission spectral region, each of said one or more emission peaks centered at a corresponding emission wavelength, when irradiated with a first excitation energy;

a charge control agent; and

one or more additives,

said photoluminescent agent, charge control agent, and one or more additives being selected and present in an amount in the toner composition such that when the toner composition is printed to produce an image component on a substrate, the emission spectra of the image component for irradiation with said first excitation energy includes only dominant emission peaks in said first emission spectral region corresponding to said one or more emission peaks of said photoluminescent agent.

2. A toner composition according to claim 1, wherein said first emission spectral region is a spectral region selected from the group consisting of a visible spectral region, an infrared spectral region, an ultraviolet spectral region, and any combinations thereof.

3. A toner composition according to claim 1, wherein said first emission spectral region is the visible spectral region.

4. A toner composition according to claim 1, wherein said first emission spectral region is the ultraviolet spectral region.

5. A toner composition according to claim 1, wherein said first emission spectral region is the infrared spectral region.

6. A toner composition according to claim 1, wherein said one or more emission peaks include only a single dominant emission peak.

7. A toner composition according to claim 1, wherein said photoluminescent agent does not emit light in the visible spectrum when irradiated with visible light.

8. A toner composition according to claim 1, wherein said photoluminescent agent, charge control agent, and one or more additives are selected and present in an amount in the toner composition such that when the toner composition is printed to produce an image component on a substrate, the image component is reflectively visible.

9. A toner composition according to claim 1, wherein said photoluminescent agent, charge control agent, and one or more additives are selected and present in an amount in the toner composition such that when the toner composition is printed to produce an image component on a substrate, the image component is reflectively invisible.

10. A toner composition according to claim 9, wherein said photoluminescent agent includes a benzoxazole.

11. A toner composition according to claim 9, wherein said photoluminescent agent includes a benzothiazole.

12. A toner composition according to claim 1, wherein said charge control agent does not emit light in the visible spectrum when irradiated with visible light.

13. A toner composition according to claim 1, wherein said charge control agent is present in a charge control effective amount and said charge control agent in said charge control effective amount is reflectively invisible.

14. A toner composition according to claim 1, wherein said charge control agent includes a charge control agent selected from the group consisting of:

a calixerene compound that does not emit light in the visible spectrum when irradiated with visible light and does not emit light in the first emission spectral region when irradiated with said first excitation energy;

a modified layered silicate that does not emit light in the visible spectrum when irradiated with visible light and does not emit light in the first emission spectral region when irradiated with said first excitation energy;

a hydrophobically modified metal oxide that does not emit light in the visible spectrum when irradiated with visible light and does not emit light in the first emission spectral region when irradiated with said first excitation energy.

15. A toner composition according to claim 1, wherein said charge control agent includes a calixerene compound that does not emit light in the visible spectrum when irradiated with visible light and does not emit light in the visible spectrum when irradiated with said first excitation energy.

16. A toner composition according to claim 1, wherein said one or more additives includes a polystyrene butyl acrylate binder.

17. A toner composition according to claim 1, wherein when the toner composition is printed to produce an image component on a substrate, the image component has a photoluminescent toner stability factor of about greater than or equal to 25.

18. A toner composition according to claim 1, wherein when the toner composition is printed to produce an image component on a substrate, the image component has a photoluminescent toner stability factor of about greater than or equal to 35.

19. A toner composition according to claim 1, wherein when the toner composition is printed to produce an image component on a substrate, the image component has a photoluminescent toner stability factor of about greater than or equal to 40.

20. A toner composition according to claim 1, wherein when the toner composition is printed to produce an image component on a substrate, the image component has a photoluminescent toner stability factor of about greater than or equal to 48.

21. An emissive toner composition for producing an emissive image component of an image indicia on a substrate, the composition comprising:

a photoluminescent agent comprising a benzothiazole and/or a benzoxazole, the photoluminescent agent emitting light having one or more dominant emission peaks in a first emission spectral region, each of said one or more dominant emission peaks centered at a corresponding emission wavelength, when irradiated with a first excitation energy;

a charge control agent; and

one or more additives,

said photoluminescent agent, charge control agent, and one or more additives being selected and present in an amount in the toner composition such that when the toner composition is printed to produce an image component on a substrate, the emission spectra of the image component for irradiation with said first excitation energy includes only dominant emission peaks in said first emission spectral region corresponding to said one or more dominant emission peaks of said photoluminescent agent.

23. A system according to claim 21, wherein the plurality of image components are combinable in at least a portion of the emissive image on the substrate to produce an emission spectra that appears to the unaided human eye as the color brown.

24. A system according to claim 23, wherein said color brown has an RGB colorspace of about (150, 75, 0).

25. A system according to claim 23, wherein said color brown has an RGB colorspace of about (164, 84, 30).

26. A system according to claim 21, further comprising an emissively black toner composition that when printed to produce an emissively black image component on a substrate, the emission spectra of said emissively black image component for irradiation with said first excitation energy includes no dominant emission peaks in the first emission spectral region.

27. A system according to claim 26, wherein said emissively black toner composition comprises:

an emissively black agent that absorbs said first excitation energy and provides no emission of energy in the first emission spectral region when irradiated with said first excitation energy;

a charge control agent; and

one or more additives.

28. A system according to claim 27, wherein said emissively black agent, charge control agent, and one or more additives are selected and present in an amount in the emissively black toner composition such that when the emissively black toner composition is printed to produce an emissively black image component on a substrate, the emissively black image component is reflectively visible.

29. A system according to claim 27, wherein said emissively black agent, charge control agent, and one or more additives are selected and present in an amount in the emissively black toner composition such that when the emissively black toner composition is printed to produce an emissively black image component on a substrate, the emissively black image component is reflectively invisible.

30. A system according to claim 26, wherein said emissively black toner composition comprises:

a charge control agent having substantially no emission in the first emission spectral region when irradiated with said first excitation energy; and

one or more additives,

wherein the emissively black toner composition does not include an emissively black agent or other pigment.

31. A system according to claim 21, wherein said plurality of color toner compositions comprise:

a first color toner having a first invisibly emissive effective amount of a first photoluminescent agent that does not emit light in the visible spectrum when irradiated with visible light and emits light having a first dominant emission peak at a first emission wavelength when irradiated with a first non-visible excitation wavelength of light and a first emissively invisible charge control agent;

a second color toner having a second invisibly emissive effective amount of a second photoluminescent agent that does not emit light in the visible spectrum when irradiated with visible light and emits light having a second dominant emission peak at a second emission wavelength when irradiated with a second non-visible excitation wavelength of light and a second emissively invisible charge control agent; and

a third color toner having a third invisibly emissive effective amount of a third photoluminescent agent that does not emit light in the visible spectrum when irradiated with visible light and emits light having a third dominant emission peak at a third emission wavelength when irradiated with a third non-visible excitation wavelength of light and a third emissively invisible charge control agent.

22. A system for full-color emissive image production on a substrate, the image including a plurality of image components representing image indicia, the system comprising:

a plurality of color toner compositions, each of said plurality of color toner compositions including;

a photoluminescent agent that emits light having one or more dominant emission peaks in a first emission spectral region, each of said one or more dominant emission peaks centered at a corresponding emission wavelength, when irradiated with a first excitation energy;

a charge control agent; and

one or more additives,

said photoluminescent agent, charge control agent, and one or more additives being selected and present in an amount in the toner composition such that when the toner composition is printed to produce an image component on a substrate, the emission spectra of the image component for irradiation with said first excitation energy includes only dominant emission peaks in said first emission spectral region corresponding to said one or more dominant emission maxima of said photoluminescent agent.

32. A system for full-color emissive image production on a substrate, the system comprising:

a first color toner having a first invisibly emissive effective amount of a first photoluminescent agent that does not emit light in the visible spectrum when irradiated with visible light and emits light having one or more emission peaks when irradiated with a first non-visible excitation wavelength of light and a first emissively invisible charge control agent;

a second color toner having a second invisibly emissive effective amount of a second photoluminescent agent that does not emit light in the visible spectrum when irradiated with visible light and emits light having one or more emission peaks when irradiated with a second non-visible excitation wavelength of light and a second emissively invisible charge control agent;

a third color toner having a third invisibly emissive effective amount of a third photoluminescent agent that does not emit light in the visible spectrum when irradiated with visible light and emits light having one or more emission peaks when irradiated with a third non-visible excitation wavelength of light and a third emissively invisible charge control agent;

the first, second, and third toner each producing an image component of the full-color image when printed on the substrate, the emission spectrum corresponding to the image component of said first toner for irradiation with said first non-visible excitation wavelength including only dominant emission peaks corresponding to the one or more emission peaks of the first photoluminescent agent, the emission spectrum corresponding to the image component of said second toner for irradiation with said second non-visible excitation wavelength including only dominant emission peaks corresponding to the one or more emission peaks of the first photoluminescent agent, the emission spectrum corresponding to the image component of said third toner for irradiation with said third non-visible excitation wavelength including only dominant emission peaks corresponding to the one or more emission peaks of the first photoluminescent agent.

33. A system according to claim 32, wherein said first, second, and third non-visible excitation wavelengths are the same wavelengths.

34. A method of marking an article with an image indicia for authentication, information, or decoration, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of color toner compositions, each of the plurality of color toner compositions including;

a photoluminescent agent that emits light having one or more emission peaks in a first emission spectral region, each of said one or more emission peaks centered at a corresponding emission wavelength, when irradiated with a first excitation energy;

a charge control agent; and

one or more additives,

said photoluminescent agent, charge control agent, and one or more additives being selected and present in an amount in the toner composition such that when the toner composition is printed to produce an image component on a substrate, the emission spectra of the image component for irradiation with said first excitation energy includes only dominant emission peaks in said first emission spectral region corresponding to said one or more emission peaks of said photoluminescent agent;

printing a plurality of image components making up at least a portion of the image indicia on a substrate.

35. A method of producing an emissive toner composition for marking an article with an image indicia for authentication, information, or decoration, the method comprising:

selecting a photoluminescent agent that emits light having one or more dominant emission peaks in a first emission spectral region, each of said one or more dominant emission peaks centered at a corresponding emission wavelength, when irradiated with a first excitation energy;

selecting a charge control agent that is chemically compatible with the photoluminescent agent and that does not emit light in the visible spectrum when irradiated with visible light and does not emit light in the first emission spectral region when irradiated with the first excitation energy;

selecting one or more additives that are compatible with the photoluminescent agent and the charge control agent and that do not emit light in the visible spectrum when irradiated with visible light and do not emit light in the first emission spectral region when irradiated with the first excitation energy; and

combining the photoluminescent agent, the charge control agent, and the one or more additives to form an emissive toner composition that when printed to produce an image component on a substrate, the emission spectra of the image component for irradiation with said first excitation energy includes only dominant emission peaks corresponding to said one or more dominant emission peaks of the photoluminescent agent.

36. An emissive toner composition for producing an emissive image component of an image indicia on a substrate, the composition comprising:

a photoluminescent agent that emits light having one or more emission peaks in a first emission spectral region, each of said one or more emission peaks centered at a corresponding emission wavelength, when irradiated with a first excitation energy;

a charge control agent; and

one or more additives,

said photoluminescent agent, charge control agent, and one or more additives being selected and present in an amount in the toner composition such that when the toner composition is printed to produce an image component on a substrate, the image component has a photoluminescent toner stability factor of about greater than or equal to 25.

37. A toner composition according to claim 36, wherein when the toner composition is printed to produce an image component on a substrate, the image component has a photoluminescent toner stability factor of about greater than or equal to 35.

38. A toner composition according to claim 36, wherein when the toner composition is printed to produce an image component on a substrate, the image component has a photoluminescent toner stability factor of about greater than or equal to 40.

39. A toner composition according to claim 36, wherein when the toner composition is printed to produce an image component on a substrate, the image component has a photoluminescent toner stability factor of about greater than or equal to 48.

40. A toner composition according to claim 36, wherein the photoluminescent toner stability factor is calculated according to the following equation:

$P<br><br><br><br>T<br><br><br><br>S<br><br><br><br>F_M=\frac{\mathrm{Lightfastness}}{\mathrm{Color}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{Purity}}\times <br><br>\mathrm{General}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{stability}*100.$

41. A toner composition according to claim 36, wherein the photoluminescent toner stability factor is calculated according to the following equation:

PTSF=((1-ALF-XE)×

ALF-QUV/CP)×

100,

where PTSF is the photoluminescent toner stability factor, ALF-XE is the average loss in photoluminescence of said image component from day 3 to day 7 of a seven day xenon-arc exposure at 0.35 W/m² at 340 nm with said image component distanced from said xenon arc exposure at 10 inches and a temperature of 50 degrees Celcius, ALF-QUV is the average loss in photoluminescence of said image component from day 3 to day 7 of submission of said image component to QUV exposure conditions, and CP is a number of dominant emission peaks in a desired spectral region of an emission spectra for the image component when irradiated with said first excitation energy prior to said xenon-arc exposure and said QUV exposure.