Imaging member for offset printing applications
View Patent ↗An imaging member includes a surface layer comprising a fluoroelastomer-perfluoropolyether composite formed from a reaction mixture comprising a fluoroelastomer and a perfluoropolyether compound. Methods of manufacturing the imaging member and processes for variable lithographic printing using the imaging member are also disclosed.
1. An imaging member for digital offset lithographic image forming, comprising:
a substrate;
a reimageable surface layer on and surrounding the substrate that forms an outer surface layer of the imaging member, the reimageable surface layer having a micro-roughened surface and being formed of a fluoroelastomer-perfluoropolyether composite formed from a reaction mixture comprising (1) a fluoroelastomer, (2) a perfluoropolyether compound that includes terminal oxysilane groups, and (3) an oxyaminosilane; and
an infrared-absorbing filler material that is one of carbon nanotubes and graphene.
2. The imaging member of claim 1 , wherein a weight ratio of fluoroelastomer to perfluoropolyether compound is in a range of between 50:40 and 85:5.
3. The imaging member of claim 1 , wherein the oxyaminosilane is an amino-terminated siloxane.
4. The imaging member of claim 3 , wherein the amino-terminated siloxane is an aminopropyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane.
5. The imaging member of claim 3 , wherein the amino-terminated siloxane has a molecular weight in a range between 500 and 1500.
6. The imaging member of claim 1 , wherein a mole ratio of the oxyaminosilane to the perfluoropolyether compound is in a range between 2:1 and 1:10.
7. The imaging member of claim 1 , wherein the filler is present in an amount of from 5 to 20 weight percent of the surface layer.
8. The imaging member of claim 1 , wherein the filler has an average particle size in a range of between 2 nanometers and 10 microns.