Phase change ink components and methods of making the same

• US 9,051,486 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2013
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Belelie, Jennifer L., Morimitsu, Kentaro, Chopra, Naveen, Tracy, Corey, Drappel, Stephan V., Odell, Peter G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Qian, Yun
• Application Number:
  US14/057,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20140041546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/34 Hot-melt inks
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/38 characterised by non-macromolecular additives other than solvents, pigments or dyes

Abstract

A solid ink composition comprising an amorphous component, a crystalline material, and optionally, a colorant, which are suitable for ink jet printing, including printing on coated paper substrates, and methods for making the same. In embodiments, the crystalline and amorphous components are synthesized from an esterification reaction of tartaric acid with an alcohol.

Claims

1. A phase change ink comprising:

a crystalline material of an ester of tartaric acid having a formula of

2. The phase change ink of claim 1, wherein the crystalline material selected from the group consisting of dibenzyl L-tartrate, diphenethyl L-tartrate, bis(3-phenyl-1-propyl) L-tartrate, bis(2-phenoxyethyl) L-tartrate, diphenyl L-tartrate, bis(4-methylphenyl) L-tartrate, bis(4-methoxylphenyl) L-tartrate, bis(4-methylbenzyl) L-tartrate, bis(4-methoxyl benzyl) L-tartrate, dicyclohexyl L-tartrate, bis(4-tert-butylcyclohexyl) L-tartrate, and any stereoisomers and mixtures thereof.

3. The phase change ink of claim 2, wherein the crystalline material comprises diphenethyl L-tartrate.

4. The phase change ink of claim 1, wherein the amorphous material selected from the group consisting of di-L-menthyl L-tartrate, di-DL-menthyl L-tartrate, di-L-menthyl DL-tartrate, di-DL-menthyl DL-tartrate, and any stereoisomers and mixtures thereof.

5. The phase change ink of claim 4, wherein the amorphous material comprises di-L-menthyl DL-tartrate.

6. The phase change ink of claim 1, wherein the amorphous material having a viscosity of from 5 to 95 cps at a temperature of 140°

C.

7. The phase change ink of claim 1, wherein the amorphous material having a viscosity of at least 10⁵ cps at room temperature.

8. The phase change ink of claim 7, wherein the amorphous material having a viscosity of at least 10⁶ cps at room temperature.

9. The phase change ink of claim 1, wherein the crystalline material is present in the ink in an amount of from 60 percent to 95 percent by weight of the total weight of the ink.

10. The phase change ink of claim 1, wherein the amorphous material is present in the ink in an amount of from 5 percent to 40 percent by weight of the total weight of the ink.

11. The phase change ink of claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of the crystalline to amorphous material is from 50:

50 to 95;

5.

12. The phase change ink of claim 1 further comprising a colorant.

13. The phase change ink of claim 1 having a viscosity of from 1 to 14 cps at a temperature of 140°

C.

14. A phase change ink comprising:

a crystalline material selected from the group consisting of dibenzyl L-tartrate, diphenethyl L-tartrate, bis(3-phenyl-1-propyl) L-tartrate, bis(2-phenoxyethyl) L-tartrate, diphenyl L-tartrate, bis(4-methylphenyl) L-tartrate, bis(4-methoxylphenyl) L-tartrate, bis(4-methylbenzyl) L-tartrate, bis(4-methoxylbenzyl) L-tartrate, dicyclohexyl L-tartrate, bis(4-tert-butylcyclohexyl) L-tartrate, and any stereoisomers and mixtures thereof; and

an amorphous material selected from the group consisting of di-L-menthyl L-tartrate, di-DL-menthyl L-tartrate, di-L-menthyl DL-tartrate, di-DL-menthyl DL-tartrate, and any stereoisomers and mixtures thereof, and further wherein the crystalline material has a viscosity of from 1 to 10 cps at a temperature of 140°

C. and the amorphous material has a viscosity of from 1 to 100 cps at a temperature of 140°

C.

15. The phase change ink of claim 14, wherein the crystalline material is present in the ink in an amount of from 60 percent to 95 percent by weight of the total weight of the ink.

16. The phase change ink of claim 14, wherein the amorphous material is present in the ink in an amount of from 5 percent to 40 percent by weight of the total weight of the ink.