THERMOCHROMIC COLOR-MEMORY COMPOSITION AND THERMOCHROMIC COLOR-MEMORY MICROCAPSULE PIGMENT ENCAPSULATING SAME

• US 20160130455A1
• Filed: 06/12/2014
• Published: 05/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Pilot Ink Co. Ltd (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated), Kabushiki Kaisha Pilot Corporation
• Original Assignee: The Pilot Ink Co. Ltd (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: ONO, Yoshiaki
• Granted Patent: US 9,695,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/305 with reversible electron-donor electron-acceptor compositions
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/3275 Fluoran compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/3375 Non-macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 7/005 Pen barrels
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 8/02 with writing-points comprising fibres, felt, or similar porous or capillary material B43K8/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B43L 19/0025 Eraser or rubber material, e.g. comprising hard particles
• CPC Class Codes: C09B 11/24 Phthaleins containing amino groups ; Phthalanes; Fluoranes; Phthalides; Rhodamine dyes; Phthaleins having heterocyclic aryl rings; Lactone or lactame forms of triarylmethane dyes
• CPC Class Codes: C09B 67/009 polymeric dispersing agent
• CPC Class Codes: C09B 67/0097 Dye preparations of special physical nature; Tablets, films, extrusion, microcapsules, sheets, pads, bags with dyes
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/037 characterised by the pigment
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/17 characterised by colouring agents
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/18 specially adapted for ball-point writing instruments
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/50 Sympathetic, colour changing or similar inks
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 9/02 Organic tenebrescent materials

Abstract

[Problems] An object of the present invention is to provide: thermochromic color-memory composition which effectively expresses a property of being capable of interchangeably memorizing and retaining colors and is thus applicable to various fields; and thermochromic memory microcapsule pigment encapsulating the same.

[Means for Solution] Provided are thermochromic color-memory composition and thermochromic color-memory microcapsule pigment encapsulating the same, the thermochromic color-memory composition comprising: (a) a component composed of an electron-donating color-developing organic compound; (b) a component composed of an electron-accepting compound; and (c) a reaction medium which comprises an ester compound represented by the following Formula (1) and controls color reaction between the components (a) and (b):

• • (wherein, R represents an alkyl group having 4 to 22 carbon atoms, a cycloalkylalkyl group having 5 to 12 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl group having 4 to 8 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 4 to 22 carbon atoms; X represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a halogen atom; and n represents 0 or 1).

Claims

1. Thermochromic color-memory composition comprising:

(a) a component composed of an electron-donating color-developing organic compound;

(b) a component composed of an electron-accepting compound; and

(c) a reaction medium which comprises an ester compound represented by the following Formula (1) and controls color reaction between said components (a) and (b);

2. The thermochromic color-memory composition according to claim 1, wherein said electron-donating color-developing organic compound is a compound selected from the group consisting of phthalide compounds, fluoran compounds, styrynoquinoline compounds, diazarhodamine lactone compounds, pyridine compounds, quinazoline compounds and bisquinazoline compounds.

3. The thermochromic color-memory composition according to claim 1, wherein said electron-accepting compound is a group of compounds selected from active proton-containing compounds, pseudo-acidic compounds and electron hole-containing compounds.

4. The thermochromic color-memory composition according to claim 1, wherein said ester compound represented by said Formula (1) is a compound represented by the following Formula (2) or (3):

5. The thermochromic color-memory composition according to claim 1, wherein said R is selected from the group consisting of alkyl groups having 7 to 18 carbon atoms, cycloalkylalkyl groups having 5 to 11 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl groups having 5 to 8 carbon atoms and alkenyl groups having 7 to 18 carbon atoms.

6. The thermochromic color-memory composition according to claim 1, comprising said components (a), (b) and (c) at a ratio of, with respect to 1 part by mass of said component (a), 0.1 to 50 parts by mass, preferably 0.5 to 20 parts by mass, more preferably 2 to 20 parts by mass of said component (b) and 1 to 800 parts by mass, preferably 5 to 200 parts by mass, more preferably 10 to 200 parts by mass of said component (c).

7. Thermochromic color-memory microcapsule pigment comprising the thermochromic color-memory composition according to claim 1.

8. An ink composition comprising the thermochromic color-memory microcapsule pigment according to claim 7.

9. The ink composition according to claim 8, comprising said thermochromic color-memory microcapsule pigment in an amount of 5 to 40% by mass, preferably 10 to 40% by mass, more preferably 10 to 30% by mass, with respect to the total mass of said ink composition.

10. A writing instrument comprising:

an axial barrel which stores the ink composition according to claim 8; and

a pen body which delivers said ink composition stored in said axial barrel.

11. The writing instrument according to claim 10, wherein said pen body is a ballpoint pen body or a marking pen body.

12. The writing instrument according to claim 10, further comprising a friction member.

13. A writing instrument set comprising:

the writing instrument according to claim 10; and

a friction body.