Color changing compositions

• US 5,326,388 A
• Filed: 07/16/1993
• Issued: 07/05/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Crayola LLC (Hallmark Cards Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Binney & Smith Inc.
• Inventors: Couch, Charlene R., Miller, Richard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): KLEMANSKI, HELENE G
• Application Number:
  US08/089,503
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: 106/19 A, 106/20 A, 106/21 A, 106/22 B
• US Class Current: 106/31.32
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/36 Successively applying liquids or other fluent materials, e.g. without intermediate treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 2401/20 Aqueous dispersion or solution
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 2451/00 Type of carrier, type of coating (Multilayers)
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 7/54 No clear coat specified
• CPC Class Codes: B44D 2/00 Special techniques in artistic painting or drawing, e.g. oil painting, water painting, pastel painting, relief painting
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/50 Sympathetic, colour changing or similar inks
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/00 Features of coating compositions, not provided for in group C09D5/00 driers C09F9/00; Processes for incorporating ingredients in coating compositions

Abstract

A multiple coloring composition system is disclosed whose coloring effect is changed upon treatment with a second coloring composition, once the second coloring composition has been deposited over the undercolor coloring composition. The multiple ink system comprises:

(a) an undercolor aqueous coloring composition comprising an undercolor dye whose coloring ability is destroyed in the presence of a pH of about 10 or greater and/or by a reducing agent; and

(b) an overcolor aqueous coloring composition comprising a colorant capable of maintaining its characteristic color in the presence of a pH of about 10 or greater and/or a reducing agent, a base in an amount sufficient to yield a pH of the overcolor composition of about 10 or greater, and/or a reducing agent.

Claims

1. A multiple coloring composition system comprising:

(a) an undercolor aqueous coloring composition comprising an undercolor dye whose coloring ability is destroyed in the presence of a pH of about 10 or greater; and

(b) an overcolor aqueous coloring composition comprising a colorant capable of maintaining its characteristic color in the presence of a pH of about 10 or greater and an effective amount of a base sufficient to yield a pH of said overcolor aqueous coloring composition of about 10 or greater.

2. The multiple coloring composition system of claim 1, said base being present in an amount sufficient to yield a pH of said overcolor aqueous coloring composition of from about 10 to about 12.

3. The multiple coloring composition system of claim 2, said base added in an amount of from about 0.5% to about 8% by weight of said overcolor aqueous coloring composition.

4. The multiple coloring composition system of claim 1, wherein said undercolor dye of said undercolor coloring composition is selected from the group consisting of polymethine dyes, triphenylmethane dyes, and azo dyes which are unstable in the presence of a pH of about 10 or greater.

5. The multiple coloring composition system of claim 4, wherein said undercolor dye of said undercolor coloring composition is selected from the group consisting of Astrazon Blue FRR, Astrazon Brilliant Red 4G, Astrazon Pink FBB, Acid Green 3, Acid Violet 19 and mixtures thereof.

6. The multiple coloring composition system of claim 1, wherein said colorant of said overcolor coloring composition is selected from the group consisting of pigments, xanthene dyes, pthalocyanine dyes, and azo dyes which are stable in the presence of a pH of about 10 or greater.

7. The multiple coloring composition system of claim 1, wherein said colorant of said overcolor coloring composition is selected from the group consisting of Pyranine 120, Acid Red 52, Acid Red 87, Acid Red 92, Acid Red 388, Food Red 14, Basantol Green 910, Solvent Green 7, Direct Blue 199, pigments, and mixtures thereof.

8. The multiple coloring composition system of claim 1, wherein said overcolor aqueous coloring composition further comprises a reducing agent.

9. The multiple coloring composition system of claim 8, wherein said reducing agent is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen sulfide, sodium sulfite, sodium hypochlorite and hydrogen peroxide.

10. The multiple coloring composition system of claim 1, wherein said base is selected from the group consisting of ammonium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate.

11. The multiple coloring composition system of claim 1, wherein said undercolor and said overcolor coloring compositions further comprise a humectant in an amount of from about 0% to about 30% by weight.

12. The multiple coloring composition system of claim 1, wherein said undercolor and said overcolor coloring compositions further comprise a drying agent in an amount of from about 5% to about 30% by weight.

13. The multiple coloring composition system of claim 1, wherein said colorant of said overcolor aqueous coloring composition is present in an amount of from about 0.1% to about 12% by weight.

14. The multiple coloring composition system of claim 1, wherein said undercolor and said overcolor coloring compositions further comprise a preservative.

15. The multiple coloring composition system of claim 14, wherein said preservative is present in said undercolor and said overcolor coloring compositions in an amount of from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight.

16. An ink composition system comprising:

(a) an undercolor aqueous ink comprising an undercolor dye whose coloring ability is destroyed in the presence of a pH of about 10 or greater in an amount of from about 0.1% to about 15% by weight of the undercolor ink; and

(b) an overcolor aqueous ink comprising from about 1% to about 20% by weight of said overcolor ink of a reducing agent;

from about 0.1% to about 10% by weight of said overcolor ink of a base; and

from about 0.1% to about 15% by weight of said overcolor ink of an overcolor colorant which maintains its characteristic color in the presence of a reducing agent and a pH of about 10 or greater.

17. The ink composition according to claim 16, wherein said base is present in an amount of from about 0.5% to about 8% by weight.

18. The ink composition according to claim 16, wherein said undercolor dye and said overcolor colorant are each present in an amount of from about 1% to about 6% by weight.

19. A color changing marking system comprising at least an undercolor marking instrument and an overcolor marking instrument, said undercolor marking instrument containing an undercolor ink composition comprising a dye whose coloring ability is destroyed in the presence of a pH of about 10 or greater, and said overcolor writing instrument containing an overcolor ink, said ink comprising (1) from about 0.1% to about 10% by weight of a base;

and (2) from about 0.1% to about 15% by weight of a colorant which maintains its characteristic color in the presence of a pH of about 10 or greater.

20. The marking system of claim 19, wherein said overcolor ink further comprises a reducing agent.

21. The marking system of claim 20, wherein said reducing agent is sodium sulphite.

22. The marking system of claim 19, wherein said base is sodium hydroxide.

23. The marking system of claim 20, wherein said system further comprises at least a third marking instrument, said third marking instrument containing an undercolor ink composition comprising a dye whose coloring ability is destroyed in the presence of a reducing agent.

24. A paint composition system comprising:

(a) an undercolor aqueous paint comprising an undercolor dye whose coloring ability is destroyed in the presence of a pH of about 10 or greater; and

(b) an overcolor aqueous paint comprising from about 0.5% to about 5% by weight of a base;

from about 0.1% to about 12% by weight of an undercolor dye that maintains its characteristic color in the presence of a pH of about 10 or greater; and

a thickener in an amount of from about 1% to about 10% by weight.

25. A coloring composition comprising (a) from about 0.1% to about 10% by weight of a base;

(b) from about 1% to about 20% by weight of a reducing agent; and

(c) from about 0.1% to about 15% by weight of a colorant which maintains its characteristic color in the presence of both a pH of about 10 or greater and a reducing agent.

26. A multiple coloring composition system comprising:

(a) a first undercolor aqueous coloring composition comprising an undercolor dye whose coloring ability is destroyed in the presence of a pH of about 10 or greater;

(b) a second undercolor aqueous coloring composition comprising an undercolor dye whose coloring ability is destroyed in the presence of a reducing agent; and

(c) an overcolor aqueous coloring composition comprising from about 0.1% to about 12% by weight of a colorant capable of maintaining its characteristic color in the presence of a pH of about 10 or greater, an effective amount of a base sufficient to yield a pH of said overcolor aqueous coloring composition of about 10 or greater, and from about 1% to about 20% by weight of a reducing agent.

27. The multiple coloring composition system of claim 26, said base being present in an amount sufficient to yield a pH of said overcolor aqueous coloring composition of from about 10 to about 12.

28. An ink composition system comprising:

(a) a first undercolor aqueous ink comprising an undercolor dye whose coloring ability is destroyed in the presence of a pH of about 10 or greater in an amount of from about 0.1% to about 15% by weight of the undercolor ink;

(b) a second undercolor aqueous ink comprising an undercolor dye whose coloring ability is destroyed in the presence of a reducing agent; and

(c) an overcolor aqueous ink comprising from about 1% to about 20% by weight of said overcolor ink of a reducing agent;

from about 0.1% to about 10% by weight of said overcolor ink of a base; and

from about 0.1% to about 15% by weight of said overcolor ink of an overcolor colorant which maintains its characteristic color in the presence of a reducing agent and a pH of about 10 or greater.

29. A color changing marking system comprising at least a first undercolor marking instrument and a second undercolor making instrument and at least one overcolor marking instrument, said first undercolor marking instrument containing a first undercolor ink composition comprising a dye whose coloring ability is destroyed in the presence of a pH of about 10 or greater, said second undercolor marking instrument containing a second undercolor ink composition comprising an undercolor dye whose coloring ability is destroyed in the presence of a reducing agent, and said overcolor writing instrument containing an overcolor ink, said overcolor ink comprising (1) from about 0.1% to about 10% by weight of a base;

and (2) from about 0.1% to about 15% by weight of a colorant which maintains its characteristic color in the presence of a pH of about 10 or greater, and from about 1% to about 20% by weight of a reducing agent and wherein said pH of said overcolor ink is about 10 or greater.