Curable solid inks containing cyclohexyl-based crystalline gellants
View Patent ↗Disclosed herein are curable solid inks which are solid at room temperature and molten at an elevated temperature at which the molten ink is applied to a substrate. In particular, the curable solid ink of the present embodiments comprises a cyclohexyl-based crystalline gellant that impart self-leveling capabilities to the inks, where the cyclohexyl-based crystalline gellant have a structure of Formula I: wherein each X, Y, p, q, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are as defined herein.
1. A self-leveling curable solid ink comprising:
a curable wax;
a cyclohexyl-based crystalline gellant having the following formula:
wherein each X and Y is independently CH 2 or O; each p and q is independently from about 8 to about 20; each R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 is independently H or lower alkyl;
wherein the cyclohexyl-based crystalline gellant has a tan δ above about 0.08, and a melting point of above about 90° C.
2. The self-leveling curable solid ink of claim 1 , wherein the cyclohexyl-based crystalline gellant having a tan δ of from about 0.8 to about 2.
3. The self-leveling curable solid ink of claim 1 , wherein the cyclohexyl-based crystalline gellant having a melting point of from about 90° C. to about 150° C.
4. The self-leveling curable solid ink of claim 1 , wherein the cyclohexyl-based crystalline gellant has a G′ at room temperature of from about 1 Pa to about 100 Pa and a G″ at room temperature of from about 1 Pa to about 100 Pa.
5. The self-leveling curable solid ink of claim 1 , wherein the cyclohexyl-based crystalline gellant has a melting temperature of from about 90° C. to about 150° C.
6. The self-leveling curable solid ink of claim 1 , wherein the self-leveling curable solid ink having a gel point of from about 35° C. to about 70° C.
7. The self-leveling curable solid ink of claim 1 , wherein the cyclohexyl-based crystalline gellant is present in the curable solid ink in an amount of from about 1 percent to about 50 percent.
8. The self-leveling curable solid ink of claim 1 , wherein the cyclohexyl-based crystalline gellant is present in the curable solid ink in an amount of from about 5 percent to about 10 percent.
9. The self-leveling curable solid ink of claim 1 , wherein both X and Y are CH 2 .
10. The self-leveling curable solid ink of claim 1 , wherein p is from about 10 to about 18.
11. The self-leveling curable solid ink of claim 1 , wherein q is from about 10 to about 18.
12. The self-leveling curable solid ink of claim 1 , wherein both R 3 and R 4 are methyl.
13. The self-leveling curable solid ink of claim 1 , wherein each one of R 1 and each one of R 2 is H.
14. A self-leveling curable solid ink comprising
a curable wax;
a cyclohexyl-based crystalline gellant; and
a photoinitiator;
wherein the cyclohexyl-based crystalline gellant has the following formula:
wherein each X and Y is independently CH 2 or O; each p and q is independently from about 8 to about 20; each R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 is independently H or lower alkyl; and
wherein the cyclohexyl-based crystalline gellant has a tan δ above about 0.08, and a melting point of above about 90° C.
15. The self-leveling curable solid ink of claim 14 , wherein the cyclohexyl-based crystalline gellant has a melting point of from about 90° C. to about 150° C.
16. The self-leveling curable solid ink of claim 14 , wherein the cyclohexyl-based crystalline gellant has a tan δ of from about 0.8 to about 2.
17. The self-leveling curable solid ink of claim 14 , wherein the cyclohexyl-based crystalline has a G′ at room temperature of from about 1 Pa to about 100 Pa and a G″ at room temperature of from about 1 Pa to about 100 Pa.
18. A self-leveling curable solid ink comprising
a curable wax; and
a cyclohexyl-based crystalline gellant;
wherein the cyclohexyl-based crystalline gellant has the following formula:
19. The self-leveling curable solid ink of claim 18 , wherein the cyclohexyl-based crystalline gellant has the following formula: