Method and system for magnetic actuated milling for pigment dispersions

• US 9,234,090 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2013
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Liu, Yu, Zhou, Ke, Lee, Frank Ping-Hay, Wang, Yulin
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, Mark
• Application Number:
  US13/860,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20140305340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 241/184
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 17/005 the charge being turned over by magnetic forces
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 17/20 Disintegrating members
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/62 Submicrometer sized, i.e. from 0.1-1 micrometer
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/84 one phase coated with the other
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2006/40 Electric properties
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2006/42 Magnetic properties
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/56 Organo-metallic compounds, i.e. organic compounds containing a metal-to-carbon bond
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 1/36 Compounds of titanium C09C1/0009, C09C1/0015, C09C1/0078 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 1/3623 Grinding
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 1/48 Carbon black
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 3/063 Coating
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0804 whereby the components are brought together in a liquid dispersing medium
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0812 Pretreatment of components
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0835 Magnetic parameters of the magnetic components
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0837 Structural characteristics of the magnetic components, e.g. shape, crystallographic structure
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0838 Size of magnetic components
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0839 Treatment of the magnetic components; Combination of the magnetic components with non-magnetic materials G03G9/0834 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0902 Inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0904 Carbon black
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0906 Organic dyes

Abstract

A method for preparing a pigment dispersion includes a) adding a pigment, a surfactant, and a solvent into a vessel, b) adding magnetic particles into the vessel; and c) applying a varying magnetic field to move the magnetic particles to mill down pigment particle size. A system for preparing a pigment dispersion includes a) a vessel for holding a solution comprising pigment particles, a surfactant and a solvent, b) magnetic particles added to the solution, c) a source for applying a varying magnetic field to move the magnetic particles to mill down pigment particle size, and d) a collector for collecting the magnetic particles for re-using at a later time.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a pigment dispersion, comprising:

a) adding a pigment, a surfactant, and a solvent into an impellerless vessel;

b) adding magnetic particles into the impellerless vessel; and

c) applying a varying magnetic field in a circular motion on a micro or nano scale to move the magnetic particles to mill down pigment particle size, in the impellerless vessel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pigment is selected from the group consisting of titanium oxide, rouge, chromium oxide, Prussian blue, ultramarine blue, molybdate orange, chrome yellow, and combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the pigment is selected from the group consisting of carbon black, titanium dioxide, Pigment Yellow 180, Pigment Yellow 12, Pigment Yellow 13, Pigment Yellow 17, Pigment Blue 15, Pigment Blue 15:

3, Pigment Red 81;

1, Pigment Red 81;

2, Pigment Red 81;

3, Pigment Yellow 74, Pigment Yellow 14, Pigment Yellow 83, Pigment Orange 34, Pigment Red 238, Pigment Red 122, Pigment Red 48;

1, Pigment Red 269, Pigment Red 53;

1, Pigment Red 57;

1, Pigment Red 83;

1, Pigment Violet 23, Pigment Green 7, and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the pigment is selected from the group consisting of a phthalocyanine-based pigment, an insoluble azo-based pigment, an azo lake-based pigment, an anthraquinone-based pigment, a quinacridone-based pigment, a dioxazine-based pigment, a diketopyrrolopyrrol-based pigment, an anthrapyrimidine-based pigment, an anthanethrone-based pigment, an indanthrone-based pigment, a flavanthrone-based pigment, a perinone-based pigment, a perylene-based pigment, a thioindigo-based pigment, a quinophthalone-based pigment, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of water, organic solvent, and mixtures thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the surfactant is selected from the group consisting of anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, and combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting the magnetic particles for re-using at a later time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the magnetic particles are comprised of a, paramagnetic, ferrimagnetic, ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic material.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the magnetic particles have a non-magnetic coating.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the magnetic particles have a particle diameter size of from about 5 nm to about 50 microns.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the magnetic field has a strength of from about 500 Gauss to about 20,000 Gauss.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the magnetic field is applied through one or more electromagnets.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the magnetic field is applied in a circular, an up and down, a right and left motion, triangular motion, and mixtures thereof.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein a reduced size of the pigment particle is from about 5 nm to about 300 nm.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the varying magnetic field is applied by moving a permanent magnet.

16. A system for preparing a pigment dispersion, comprising:

a) a vessel for holding a solution comprising pigment particles, a surfactant and a solvent;

b) magnetic particles added to the solution;

c) a source for applying a varying magnetic field in a circular motion on a micro or nano scale to move the magnetic particles to mill down pigment particle size; and

d) a collector for collecting the magnetic particles for re-using at a later time;

wherein the system lacks an impeller thereby allowing the vessel to take on any geometric design.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the source for applying the magnetic field is one or more electromagnets.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the magnetic particles are selected from a group of, paramagnetic, ferrimagnetic, ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic material.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the magnetic particles have a particle diameter size of from about 5 nm to about 50 μ

m.