Color-changing marking composition system

• US 5,464,470 A
• Filed: 02/10/1995
• Issued: 11/07/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Crayola LLC (Hallmark Cards Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Binney & Smith Inc.
• Inventors: Allison, Keith, Brachman, Armand
• Primary Examiner(s): KLEMANSKI, HELENE G
• Application Number:
  US08/386,695
• Time in Patent Office: 270 Days
• Field of Search: 106/22 A, 106/22 B, 106/21 R, 106/21 A, 106/19 B
• US Class Current: 106/31.08
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 13/00 Pencil-leads; Crayon compositions; Chalk compositions

Abstract

A color-changing marking composition system, suitable for use in the form of crayons and pencils, comprising a first marking composition comprising wax, a dye, which is other than a Leuco dye and which is capable of changing color upon contact with a color change-inducing compound, and a solvent capable of solubilizing the dye; and a second marking composition comprising wax and a color change-inducing compound, which is capable of inducing a color change in a dye in a marking composition with which it is brought in contact.

Claims

1. A color-changing marking composition system comprising:

(a) a first marking composition comprising a wax, a dye which is other than a Leuco dye and which changes color when contacted with a color change-inducing compound, and a solvent capable of solubilizing the dye; and

(b) a second marking composition comprising a wax and a color change-inducing compound which when contacted with the dye induces a color change in the dye.

2. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 1, wherein said dye in said first marking composition is selected from the group consisting of polymethine dyes, azo dyes, xanthene dyes, sulfonphthalein dyes, phthalide dyes, and mixtures thereof.

3. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 2, wherein said dye in said first marking composition is selected from the group consisting of Basic Blue 69, Basic Red 14, Basic Red 49, Pyranine 120, Acid Green 3, Acid Violet 19, Acid Blue 93, Acid Red 87, Acid Red 92, Food Red 14, Methyl Red, Bromocresol Purple, Bromothymol Blue, Phenol Red, O-Cresolphthalein, phenolphthalein, and mixtures thereof.

4. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 2, wherein said dye in said first marking composition is present in an amount from about 0.1 wt. % to about 5 wt. %.

5. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 4, wherein said dye in said first marking composition is present in an amount from about 0.1 wt. % to about 1 wt. %.

6. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 1, wherein said color change-inducing compound comprises an amine, an hydroxide, a pyrrolidone, or a mixture thereof.

7. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 6, wherein said color change-inducing compound in said second marking composition is selected from the group consisting of potassium hydroxide;

triethanolamine;

potassium hydroxide and triethanolamine combined;

potassium hydroxide and N-methyl pyrrolidone combined;

oleyl amine; and

triethanolamine and oleyl amine combined.

8. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 7, wherein said color change-inducing compound in said marking composition is triethanolamine and oleyl amine combined.

9. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 8, wherein said triethanolamine and oleyl amine are present in a ratio of about 80/20 to about 90/10.

10. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 8, wherein said triethanolamine is present in an amount up to about 9 wt. % and said oleyl amine is present in an amount up to about 3 wt. %.

11. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 10, wherein said triethanolamine is present in an amount up to about 4 wt. % and said oleyl amine is present in an amount up to about 1 wt. %.

12. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 7, wherein said color change-inducing compound in said marking composition is potassium hydroxide and triethanolamine combined.

13. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 1, wherein said wax in said first and second marking compositions is selected from the group consisting of paraffin;

paraffin and stearyl alcohol combined; and

paraffin, stearyl alcohol and stearamide combined.

14. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 1, wherein said wax in said first and second marking compositions additionally comprises a microcrystalline wax.

15. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 13, wherein,

in the first marking composition, paraffin is present in an amount up to about 70 wt. %, stearyl alcohol is present in an amount from about 20 wt. % to about 50 wt. %, and stearamide is present in an amount up to about 40 wt. %;

and

in the second marking composition, paraffin is present in an amount up to about 95 wt. %, stearyl alcohol is present in an amount up to about 75 wt. %, and stearamide is present in an amount up to about 75 wt. %.

16. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 15, wherein,

in the first marking composition, paraffin is present in an amount up to about 25 wt. %, stearyl alcohol is present in an amount from about 35 wt. % to about 50 wt. %, and stearamide is present in an amount up to about 20 wt. %;

and

in the second marking composition, paraffin is present in an amount up to about 65 wt. %, stearyl alcohol is present in an amount up to about 15 wt. %, and stearamide is present in an amount up to about 15 wt. %.

17. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 14, wherein said microcrystalline wax is present in an amount from about 2 wt. % to about 20 wt. %.

18. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 17, wherein said microcrystalline wax is present in an amount from about 5 wt. % to about 15 wt. %.

19. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 1, wherein said solvent in said first marking composition is selected from the group consisting of water, glycerol, N-methyl pyrrolidone, and mixtures thereof.

20. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 19, wherein said solvent is present in an amount from about 0.5 wt. % to about 10 wt. %.

21. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 20, wherein said solvent is present in an amount from about 0.5 wt. % to about 3 wt. %.

22. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 1, wherein said first marking composition additionally comprises a pigment in an amount from about 0.5 wt. % to about 10 wt. %.

23. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 22, wherein said pigment is present in an amount from about 1 wt. % to about 5 wt. %.

24. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 1, wherein said first and second marking compositions additionally comprise one or more of a surfactant and/or a compatibilizer.

25. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 24, wherein said surfactant is a mixture of a low HLB surfactant and a high HLB surfactant and said compatibilizer is selected from the group consisting of dibutyl phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate, N-methyl pyrrolidone, and mixtures thereof.

26. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 25, wherein,

in said first marking composition, said low HLB surfactant and said high HLB surfactant are present in a ratio from about 1:

6 to about 4;

1; and

in said second marking composition, said low HLB surfactant and said high HLB surfactant are present in a ratio of from about 6;

1 to about 1;

2.

27. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 26, wherein,

in said first marking composition, said surfactant is present in an amount from about 1 wt. % to about 7 wt. % and said compatibilizer is present in an amount from about 1 wt. % to about 10 wt. %;

and

in said second marking composition, said surfactant is present in an amount from about 4 wt. % to about 8 wt. % and said compatibilizer is present in an amount from about 2 wt. % to about 4 wt. %.

28. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 27, wherein, in said first marking composition, said surfactant is present in an amount from about 1 wt. % to about 3 wt. % and said compatibilizer is present in an amount from about 4 wt. % to about 6 wt. %.

29. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 1, wherein said second marking composition additionally comprises a polar solvent.

30. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 29, wherein said polar solvent is selected from the group consisting of water, glycerol, N-methyl pyrrolidone, and mixtures thereof.

31. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 30, wherein said water is present in an amount up to about 5 wt. % and said glycerol is present in an amount up to about 6 wt. %.

32. The color-changing marking composition system of claim 1, wherein,

said first marking composition comprises from about 40 wt. % to about 55 wt. % paraffin, from about 30 wt. % to about 50 wt. % stearyl alcohol, from about 4 wt. % to about 6 wt. % butyl benzyl phthalate, from about 2 wt. % to about 20 wt. % microcrystalline wax, from about 1 wt. % to about 7 wt. % surfactant, from about 2 wt. % to about 3 wt. % glycerol, from about 1 wt. % to about 2 wt. % water, and from about 0.1 wt. % to about 0.3 wt. % dye;

and

said second marking composition comprises from about 1.5 wt. % potassium hydroxide, from about 3 wt. % to about 4 wt. % triethanolamine, from about 0.5 wt. % to about 1 wt. % oleyl amine, from about 0.1 wt. % to about 1.0 wt. % water, around 5 wt. % surfactant, from about 60 wt. % to about 65 wt. % paraffin, from about 2 wt. % to about 20 wt. % microcrystalline wax, from about 10 wt. % to about 15 wt. % stearamide, and from about 10 wt. % to about 15 wt. % stearyl alcohol.