Bis-ureas as amorphous materials for phase-change ink
View Patent ↗An embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to an amorphous bis-urea compound having a formula 1: where X is a branched alkyl bridge and R′ and R″ are alkyl groups.
1. An amorphous bis-urea compound of formula I:
where
X is a branched alkyl bridge; and
R′ and R″ are alkyl groups.
2. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the branched alkyl bridge includes at least one methyl group.
3. The compound of claim 1 , wherein X is a C 3 to C 15 branched alkyl bridge group.
4. The compound of claim 3 wherein R′ and R″ are C 1 to C 10 alkyls.
5. The compound of claim 4 , wherein R′ and R″ are selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, sec-butyl, tert-butyl, n-amyl, isoamyl, sec-amyl, tert-pentyl, neopentyl, 3-pentyl, n-hexyl, sec-hexyl, isohexyl and tert-hexyl.
6. The compound of claim 4 , wherein the amorphous bis-urea component has a viscosity ranging from 100 cps to 6,000 cps at a temperature of 140° C., wherein the viscosity is measure on a RFS3 controlled strain Rheometer from TA Instruments equipped with a Peltier heating plate and using a 25 mm parallel plate using a temperature sweep from high to low temperatures in temperature decrements of 5° C., a soak equilibration time of 120 seconds between each temperature and at a constant frequency of 1 Hz.
7. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R′ and R″ are C 1 to C 10 alkyls.
8. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the amorphous bis-urea compound is selected from the group consisting of:
where R is a C 1 to C 6 branched or straight chain alkyl.
9. A method comprising:
providing an ink jet printing device including a phase change ink composition, the phase change ink composition being in solid form and comprising (a) a crystalline component, (b) an amorphous bis-urea component, and (c) optionally a colorant, the amorphous bis-urea component being a compound of formula I:
where
X is a branched alkyl bridge; and
R′ and R″ are alkyl groups;
heating the solid phase change ink composition to a temperature above the melting point of the composition to liquefy the ink composition; and
jetting the liquefied ink composition from the ink jet printing device onto a substrate to form an image.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the branched alkyl bridge includes at least one methyl group.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein X is a C 3 to C 15 branched alkyl bridge group.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein R′ and R″ are C 1 to C 10 alkyls.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the amorphous bis-urea component comprises at least one compound selected from the group consisting of:
where R is a C 1 to C 6 branched or straight chain alkyl.
14. The method of claim 9 , wherein R′ and R″ are selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, sec-butyl, tert-butyl, n-amyl, isoamyl, sec-amyl, tert-pentyl, neopentyl, 3-pentyl, n-hexyl, sec-hexyl, isohexyl and tert-hexyl.
15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the ink containing the amorphous bis-urea component has a viscosity less than 15 cps at a temperature of 140° C.
16. A phase change ink composition, comprising:
a crystalline component;
an amorphous bis-urea component having a compound of formula 1:
where
X is a branched alkyl bridge; and
R′ and R″ are alkyl groups; and
optionally a colorant,
wherein the ink containing the amorphous bis-urea component has a viscosity less than 15 cps at a temperature of about 140° C.
17. The composition of claim 16 , wherein the branched alkyl bridge includes at least one methyl group.
18. The composition of claim 16 , wherein X is a C 3 to C 15 branched alkyl bridge group.
19. The composition of claim 16 , wherein R′ and R″ are C 1 to C 10 alkyls.
20. The composition of claim 16 , where the ratio of crystalline component to amorphous bis urea component is 60:40 to 95:5 crystalline:amorphous.