Phase change inks containing borate esters

• US 6,585,816 B1
• Filed: 11/09/2001
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Ahuja, Suresh K., Smith, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, Mark L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FAISON GEE, VERONICA FAYE
• Application Number:
  US10/040,464
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 106/31.29, 106/31.61, 106/31.58, 106/31.86
• US Class Current: 106/31.29
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/34 Hot-melt inks

Abstract

Disclosed is a phase change ink composition comprising a colorant and an ink vehicle, said ink being a solid at temperatures less than about 50° C., wherein the ink vehicle comprises a borate ester.

Claims

1. A phase change ink composition comprising a colorant and an ink vehicle, said ink being a solid at temperatures less than about 50°

C., wherein the ink vehicle comprises a borate ester.

2. An ink according to claim 1 wherein the borate ester is monomeric.

3. An ink according to claim 1 wherein the borate ester is a polymer having at least some repeat monomer units derived from one or more monomeric borate esters.

4. An ink according to claim 1 wherein the borate ester is of the general formula

wherein R₁, R₂, and R₃ each, independently of the others, is an alkyl group, an aryl group, an arylalkyl group, an alkylaryl group, an alkoxy group, or a polyalkyleneoxy group.

5. An ink according to claim 1 wherein the borate ester is one of the general formulae

wherein R₄ and R₅ each, independently of the other, is an alkyl group, an aryl group, an arylalkyl group, an alkylaryl group, an alkoxy group, a polyalkyleneoxy group, wherein R₄ and R₅ can be joined together to form a ring, R₆, R₇, R₈, R₉, R₁₀, and R₁₁ each, independently of the other, is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an arylalkyl group, an alkylaryl group, an alkoxy group, a polyalkyleneoxy group, a hydroxy group, an amine group, an ammonium group, a cyano group, a pyridine group, a pyridinium group, an ether group, an aldehyde group, a ketone group, an ester group, an amide group, a carbonyl group, a sulfide group, a sulfoxide group, a phosphine group, a phosphonium group, a nitrile group, a mercapto group, a nitroso group, a halogen atom, a nitro group, a sulfone group, or an acyl group, wherein one or more of R₆, R₇, R₈, R₉, R₁₀, and R₁₁ can be absent if a ring carbon atom has a double bond or a triple bond to another R group or to another ring carbon atom, and R₁₂ and R₁₃ each, independently of the other, is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an arylalkyl group, an alkylaryl group, an alkoxy group, or a polyalkyleneoxy group, wherein R₆, R₇, R₈, R₉, R₁₀, R₁₁, R₁₂, and/or R₁₃ can be joined together to form a ring.

6. An ink according to claim 1 wherein the borate ester is disorbitan borate, disorbitol borate, a borate ester of glycerin monoethoxylate, diglycerol borate, N,N-dibutylethanolamine glycerol borate, a glycerol borate monoester, sorbitol glycerol borate, bis-neopentylglycol borate, trimethylene borate, glycerol salicylamide borate, a borate ester of polyethylene glycol methyl ether, triethylene glycol monomethyl ether borate, salicylamide borate, N,N-dibutylethanolamine sorbitol borate, salicylamide sorbitol borate, N,N-dibutylethanolamine/triethylene glycol monobutyl ether borate, N,N-dibutylethanolamine/poly(propylene glycol) monobutyl ether borate, glycerol borate laurate, sorbitan glycerol borate, or a mixture thereof.

7. An ink according to claim 1 wherein the borate ester is present in the ink in an amount of at least about 20 percent by weight of the ink.

8. An ink according to claim 1 wherein the borate ester is present in the ink in an amount of at least about 50 percent by weight of the ink.

9. An ink according to claim 1 wherein the borate ester is present in the ink in an amount of at least about 70 percent by weight of the ink.

10. An ink according to claim 1 wherein the colorant is present in the ink in an amount of at least about 0.5 percent by weight of the ink.

11. An ink according to claim 1 wherein the ink is solid at temperatures of about 70°

C. and lower.

12. An ink according to claim 1 wherein the ink is solid at temperatures of about 80°

C. and lower.

13. A process which comprises incorporating into an ink jet printing apparatus a phase change ink composition comprising a colorant and an ink vehicle, said ink being a solid at temperatures less than about 50°

C., wherein the ink vehicle comprises a borate ester, melting the ink, and causing droplets of the melted ink to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto a substrate.

14. A process according to claim 13 wherein the printing apparatus employs a piezoelectric printing process wherein droplets of the ink are caused to be ejected in imagewise pattern by oscillations of piezoelectric vibrating elements.

15. A process according to claim 13 wherein the ink has a viscosity of no more than about 30 centipoise at jetting temperatures.

16. A process according to claim 13 wherein the ink has a viscosity of no more than about 20 centipoise at jetting temperatures.

17. A process according to claim 13 wherein the ink has a viscosity of no more than about 15 centipoise at jetting temperatures.

18. A process according to claim 13 wherein the substrate is a final recording sheet and droplets of the melted ink are ejected in an imagewise pattern directly onto the final recording sheet.

19. A process according to claim 13 wherein the substrate is an intermediate transfer member and droplets of the melted ink are ejected in an imagewise pattern onto the intermediate transfer member followed by transfer of the imagewise pattern from the intermediate transfer member to a final recording sheet.

20. A process according to claim 19 wherein the intermediate transfer member is heated to a temperature above that of the final recording sheet and below that of the melted ink in the printing apparatus.