IP Library Granted Patent US 7,322,688
Granted Patent B2
US 7,322,688 · App. 11/058,777 · Granted Jan 29, 2008

Jettable ink

Assignee: Markem Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,322,688
App. No.
11/058,777
Granted
Jan 29, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

A printing method includes printing an ultraviolet light curable jettable ink including a colorant, a photoinitiating system, and cationic reagent onto a substrate provide a marking, and exposing the marking to ultraviolet radiation after at least two second. The ultraviolet light curable inkjet ink having Brookfield viscosity of between about 1 and 50 centipoise at printing temperature, and between about 170 and 500 centipoise at a shear rate of 20 S −1 and at a temperature of about 20° C.

Claims (52)

1. A method of ink jet printing comprising:

jetting from an ink jet printer an ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink onto a substrate to apply a marking, the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink having a Brookfield viscosity of between about 1 centipoise and about 50 centipoise at printing temperature, and between about 170 centipoise and about 500 centipoise at a shear rate of 20 s −1 and at a temperature of about 20° C., the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink comprising a colorant, a photoinitiating system, and a cationic reagent, wherein the cationic reagent is a chemical, which upon exposure to a UV irradiated cationic photoinitiating system, polymerizes;

waiting at least two seconds after applying the marking; and then

exposing the marking to ultraviolet radiation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate is a printed circuit board.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the marking is not exposed to ultraviolet radiation for at least 30 seconds after application.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the marking is cured as part of a batch curing process involving a plurality of the substrates.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the cationic reagent is an epoxy reagent.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink further includes a second epoxy cationic reagent.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the epoxy reagent is a monomer selected from the group consisting of bis-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)adipate, 1,4-butanediol diglycidylether, and neopentyl glycol diglycidylether.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink further comprises a rheology modifying additive including a hydroxy moiety.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the rheology modifying additive is selected from the group consisting of stearyl alcohol and glyceryl behenate.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the rheology modifying additive is a diol.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the diol is selected from the group consisting of 1,12-stearyldiol, 1,10-decanediol, and a tallow glyceride.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the photoinitiating system comprises an initiator and a UV sensitizer.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink has a Brookfield viscosity of between about 5 and about 45 centipoise at the printing temperature.

14. An ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink, the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink having a Brookfield viscosity of between about 1 centipoise and about 50 centipoise at printing temperature, and between about 170 centipoise and about 500 centipoise at a shear rate of 20 s −1 and at a temperature of about 20° C., the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink comprising a colorant, a photoinitiating system, and a cationic reagent, wherein the cationic reagent is a chemical, which upon exposure to a UV irradiated cationic photoinitiating system, polymerizes, wherein the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink, when cured, has an ASTN 3363 pencil hardness test value of at least 2H.

15. The ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink of claim 14 wherein the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink has an ASTN 3363 pencil hardness test value of at least 4H.

16. The ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink of claim 14 wherein the cationic reagent is an epoxy reagent.

17. The ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink of claim 16 wherein the epoxy reagent is a monomer selected from the group consisting of bis-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)adipate, 1,4-butanediol diglycidylether, and neopentyl glycol diglycidylether.

18. The ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink of claim 16 wherein the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink further includes a second epoxy cationic reagent.

19. The ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink of claim 14 wherein the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink further comprises a rheology modifying additive including a hydroxy moiety.

20. The ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink of claim 19 wherein the rheology modifying additive is selected from the group consisting of stearyl alcohol and glyceryl behenate.

21. The ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink of claim 19 wherein the hydroxy moiety is a diol.

22. The ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink of claim 14 wherein the photoinitiating system comprises an initiator and a UV sensitizer.

23. The ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink of claim 14 comprising;

about 60% to about 90% by weight of cationic reagent;

about 3% to about 5% by weight of hydroxy containing rheology modifying additive; and

about 10% to about 20% by weight of colorant.

24. The ultraviolet light ink jet ink of claim 14 , wherein the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink has a Brookfield viscosity of between about 5 and about 45 centipoise at the printing temperature.

25. A method of printing comprising:

printing an ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink onto a substrate to provide a marking, the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink having a Brookfield viscosity of between about 1 centipoise and about 50 centipoise at printing temperature, and between about 170 centipoise and about 500 centipoise at a shear rate of 20 s −1 and at a temperature of about 20° C., the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink comprising a colorant, a photoinitiating system, and a cationic reagent, wherein the cationic reagent is a chemical, which upon exposure to a UV irradiated cationic photoinitiating system, polymerizes, and wherein the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink, when cured, has an ASTN 3363 pencil hardness test value of at least 4H; and then

exposing the marking to ultraviolet radiation to cure the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink in the marking.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the substrate is a printed circuit board.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink is not exposed to ultraviolet radiation for at least 2 seconds.

28. The method of claim 25 , wherein the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink has a Brookfield viscosity of between about 5 and about 45 centipoise at the printing temperature.

29. An ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink composition, the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink composition having a Brookfield viscosity of between about 1 centipoise and about 50 centipoise at printing temperature, and between about 170 centipoise and about 500 centipoise at a shear rate of 20 s −1 and at a temperature of about 20° C., the ultraviolet light ink jet ink composition comprising a colorant, a cationic reagent, wherein the cationic reagent is a chemical, which upon exposure to a UV irradiated cationic photoinitiating system, polymerizes, a photoinitiating system, and a rheology modifier comprising a hydroxy moiety.

30. The ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink composition of claim 29 wherein the cationic reagent is an epoxy reagent.

31. The ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink composition of claim 30 wherein the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink composition further includes a second epoxy cationic reagent.

32. The ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink composition of claim 29 wherein the hydroxy moiety is selected from the group consisting of stearyl alcohol and glyceryl behenate.

33. The ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink composition of claim 29 wherein the hydroxy moiety is a diol.

34. The ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink composition of claim 29 comprising;

about 60% to about 90% by weight of cationic reagent;

about 3% to about 5% by weight of hydroxy containing rheology modifying additive; and

about 10% to about 20% by weight of colorant.

35. The ultraviolet light ink jet ink composition of claim 29 , wherein the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink has a Brookfield viscosity of between about 5 and about 45 centipoise at the printing temperature.

36. A method of printing comprising:

printing an ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink onto a substrate to provide a marking, the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink having a Brookfield viscosity of between about 1 centipoise and about 50 centipoise at printing temperature, and between about 170 centipoise and about 500 centipoise at a shear rate of 20 s −1 and at a temperature of about 20° C., the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink comprising a colorant, a photoinitiating system, a cationic reagent, wherein the cationic reagent is a chemical, which upon exposure to a UV irradiated cationic photoinitiating system, polymerizes, and a rheology modifying additive comprising a hydroxy moiety; and then

exposing the marking to ultraviolet radiation to cure the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink in the marking.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the substrate is a printed circuit board.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink is not exposed to ultraviolet radiation for at least 2 seconds.

39. The method of claim 36 , wherein the ultraviolet light curable ink jet ink has a Brookfield viscosity of between about 5 and about 45 centipoise at the printing temperature.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 29, 2009
From: MARKEM CORPORATION
To: MARKEM-IMAJE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 023015/0230 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 12, 2005
From: WOUDENBERG, RICHARD C.
To: MARKEM CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 016057/0578 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 6054964500 · Mar 3, 2004
Related Publication 20050195265A1 · Sep 8, 2005