Granted Patent B2

US 8,507,584 · App. 12/765,138 · Granted Aug 13, 2013

Abstract

Claims (41)

1. A phase change ink comprising a colorant, an initiator, and a phase change ink carrier, said carrier comprising at least one radically curable monomer compound and a compound of the formula

wherein R 1 and R 1′ can be the same or different, and wherein R 1 and R 1′ each, independently of the other is selected from the group consisting of (i) an alkyl group having at least one ethylenic unsaturation therein, (ii) an arylalkyl group having at least one ethylenic unsaturation therein, (iii) an alkylaryl group having at least one ethylenic unsaturation therein, and (iv) an aromatic group,

provided that at least one of R 1 and R 1′ is an aromatic group; and provided that neither of R 1 or R 1′ is a photoinitiator group;

wherein R 2 and R 2′ are the same or different, and wherein R 2 and R 2′ are each independently selected from (i) alkylene groups, (ii) arylene groups, (iii) arylalkylene groups, and (iv) alkylarylene groups; and

wherein R 3 is an alkylene group, an arylene group, (iii) an arylalkylene group, or (iv) an alkylarylene group.

2. The ink of claim 1 , wherein one of R 1 or R 1′ is of the formula

wherein represents the point of attachment of the R 1 and R 1′ group to the compound.

3. The ink of claim 1 , wherein one of R 1 or R 1′ is of the formula

wherein m is an integer representing the number of repeating (O—(CH 2 ) 2 units.

4. The ink of claim 1 , wherein R 2 and R 2′ include isomers of the formula

—C 34 H 56+a —

and are branched alkylene groups which may include unsaturations and cyclic groups, and wherein a is an integer of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12.

5. The ink of claim 1 , wherein R 2 and R 2′ include isomers of the formula

6. The ink of claim 1 , wherein R 3 is a —CH 2 CH 2 — group.

7. The ink of claim 1 , containing a compound of the formula

8. The ink of claim 1 , wherein the radically curable monomer compound is propoxylated neopentyl diacrylate, isobornyl acrylate, isobornyl methacrylate, lauryl acrylate, lauryl methacrylate, isodecylacrylate, isodecylmethacrylate, caprolactone acrylate, 2-phenoxyethyl acrylate, isooctylacrylate, isooctylmethacrylate, butyl acrylate, or mixtures thereof; and

wherein the carrier optionally further contains a multifunctional acrylate or methacrylate compound.

9. A phase change ink comprising a colorant, an initiator, and a phase change ink carrier, said carrier comprising at least one radically curable monomer compound and a compound of the formula

wherein R 1 and R 1′ are the same, and wherein R 1 and R 1′ are each an aromatic group;

wherein R 2 and R 2′ are the same or different, and wherein R 2 and R 2′ are each independently selected from the group consisting of (i) alkylene groups, (iii) arylalkylene groups, and (iv) alkylarylene groups; and

wherein R 3 is an alkylene group, an arylene group, an arylalkylene group, or an alkylarylene group.

10. The ink of claim 9 , wherein R 1 and R 1′ are each of the formula

wherein represents the point of attachment of the R 1 and R 1′ group to the compound.

11. The ink of claim 9 , wherein R 2 and R 2′ are each groups of the formula

—C 34 H 56+a —

and are branched alkylene groups which may include unsaturations and cyclic groups, and wherein a is an integer of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12.

12. The ink of claim 9 , wherein R 2 and R 2′ include isomers of the formula

13. The ink of claim 9 , wherein R 3 is a —CH 2 CH 2 — group.

14. The ink of claim 9 , containing a compound of the formula

15. The ink of claim 9 , wherein the radically curable monomer compound is propoxylated neopentyl diacrylate, isobornyl acrylate, isobornyl methacrylate, lauryl acrylate, lauryl methacrylate, isodecylacrylate, isodecylmethacrylate, caprolactone acrylate, 2-phenoxyethyl acrylate, isooctylacrylate, isooctylmethacrylate, butyl acrylate, or mixtures thereof; and

wherein the carrier optionally further contains a multifunctional acrylate or methacrylate compound.

16. A process which comprises:

(I) incorporating into an ink jet printing apparatus a phase change ink composition comprising a colorant, an initiator, and an ink vehicle, said ink vehicle comprising (a) at least one radically curable monomer compound, and (b) a compound of the formula

wherein R 1 and R 1′ are the same, and wherein R 1 and R 1′ are each an aromatic group; or

wherein R 1 and R 1′ are the same or different, and wherein R 1 and R 1′ each, independently of the other is selected from the group consisting of (i) an alkyl group having a least one ethylenic unsaturation therein (ii) an arylalkyl group having at least one ethylenic unsaturation therein, (iii) an alkylaryl group having at least one ethylenic unsaturation therein, and (iv) an aromatic group,

provided that at least one of R 1 and R 1′ is an aromatic group; and provided that neither of R 1 or R 1′ is a photoinitiator group;

wherein R 2 and R 2′ are the same or different, and wherein R 2 and R 2′ are each independently selected from the group consisting of (i) alkylene groups, arylalkylene groups, and alkylarylene groups; and

wherein R 3 is an alkylene group, an arylene group, an arylalkylene group, or an alkylarylene group;

(II) melting the ink;

(III) causing droplets of the melted ink to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto a substrate; and

(IV) exposing the imagewise pattern to ultraviolet radiation.

Assignments (10)