Liquid crystalline ink compositions
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An ink composition which comprises water, an oil-soluble or alcohol-soluble dye, and a surfactant, said ink exhibiting a liquid microemulsion phase at a first temperature and, at a second temperature higher than the first temperature, separating into a mixture of an aqueous liquid phase and a liquid crystalline gel phase.
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Abstract
Disclosed is an ink composition which comprises water, an oil-soluble or alcohol-soluble dye, and a surfactant, said ink exhibiting a liquid microemulsion phase at a first temperature and, at a second temperature higher than the first temperature, separating into a mixture of an aqueous liquid phase and a liquid crystalline gel phase.
119 Citations
23 Claims
- 1. An ink composition which comprises water, an oil-soluble or alcohol-soluble dye, and a surfactant, said ink exhibiting a liquid microemulsion phase at a first temperature and, at a second temperature higher than the first temperature, separating into a mixture of an aqueous liquid phase and a liquid crystalline gel phase.
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14. An ink composition which comprises water, an oil-soluble or alcohol-soluble dye, and a surfactant, said ink exhibiting a liquid microemulsion phase at a first temperature and, at a second temperature higher than the first temperature, separating into a mixture of an aqueous liquid phase and a liquid crystalline gel phase, wherein the surfactant is selected from the group consisting of oligoethyleneglycol alkyl ethers, oligoethyleneglycol fluorinated alkyl ethers, and mixtures thereof.
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15. An ink composition which comprises water, an oil-soluble or alcohol-soluble dye, and a surfactant, said ink exhibiting a liquid microemulsion phase at a first temperature and, at a second temperature higher than the first temperature, separating into a mixture of an aqueous liquid phase and a liquid crystalline gel phase, wherein the surfactant is selected from the group consisting of (a) those of the general formula ##STR8## wherein n is an integer of from about 5 to about 20 and x is an integer of from about 5 to about 30, (b) those of the general formula R(OCH2 CH2)n OH wherein R is a linear hydrocarbon chain or fluorinated hydrocarbon chain with from about 6 to about 20 carbon atoms and n represents the number of repeating units and is an integer of from about 5 to about 30, and (c) mixtures thereof.
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16. An ink composition which comprises water, an oil-soluble or alcohol-soluble dye, and a surfactant, said ink exhibiting a liquid microemulsion phase at a first temperature and, at a second temperature higher than the first temperature, separating into a mixture of an aqueous liquid phase and a liquid crystalline gel phase, wherein the surfactant is selected from the group consisting of ##STR9## wherein n is 8 or 9, ##STR10## wherein x is 7 or 8, ##STR11## polyoxyethylene (20) stearyl ether, polyoxyethylene (20) cetyl ether, polyoxyethylene (10) oleyl ether, polyoxyethylene (20) oleyl ether, polyoxyethylene (23) lauryl ether, C15 H31 O(CH2 CH2 O)9 H, C15 H31 O(CH2 CH2 O)15 H, C15 H31 O(CH2 CH2 O)20 H, and mixtures thereof.
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21. A printing process which comprises (a) incorporating into an ink jet printer an ink composition which comprises water, an oil-soluble or alcohol-soluble dye, and a surfactant, said ink exhibiting a liquid microemulsion phase at a first temperature and, at a second temperature higher than the first temperature, separating into a mixture of an aqueous liquid phase and a liquid crystalline gel phase;
- and (b) causing droplets of the ink to be ejected in imagewise pattern onto a substrate which has been heated to a temperature at which the liquid crystalline gel phase forms in the ink.
- View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A process which comprises (a) providing an acoustic ink printer having a pool of liquid ink with a free surface, and a printhead including at least one droplet ejector for radiating the free surface of said ink with focused acoustic radiation to eject individual droplets of ink therefrom on demand, said radiation being brought to focus with a finite waist diameter in a focal plane, said ink comprising water, an oil-soluble or alcohol-soluble dye, and a surfactant, said ink exhibiting a liquid microemulsion phase at a first temperature and, at a second temperature higher than the first temperature, separating into a mixture of an aqueous liquid phase and a liquid crystalline gel phase;
- and (b) causing droplets of said ink to be ejected onto a recording sheet in an imagewise pattern.
Specification