PROTONATABLE INTERMEDIATE TRANSFER MEMBERS FOR USE WITH INDIRECT PRINTING SYSTEMS

1 . An intermediate transfer member for use with a printing system, comprising:

a release layer having an image transfer surface; and

said release layer attached to a body supporting said release layer,

wherein apparent on said image transfer surface are protonatable functional groups having a pKb of not more than about 6.

2 . The intermediate transfer member of claim 1 , said protonatable functional groups having a pKb of not less than about 1.

3 . (canceled)

4 . The intermediate transfer member of claim 1 , said image transfer surface having an apparent contact angle with distilled water, wherein at least one of the following is true: (a) said apparent contact angle is not less than about 90°; (b) said apparent contact angle is not more than about 140°; (c) said apparent contact angle is between about 100° and about 120°.

5 - 7 . (canceled)

8 . The intermediate transfer member of claim 1 , wherein said protonatable functional groups comprise protonatable functional groups selected from the group consisting of primary amines, secondary amines, tertiary amines, indoles, purines, imidazoles, pyridines, purines, guanidines, amides and ureas.

9 . (canceled)

10 . The intermediate transfer member of claim 1 , said release layer fashioned of an elastomer made of a cross-linked curable polymer composition having as a raw ingredient prior to crosslinking:

at least one silicone polymer bearing protonatable functional groups having a pKb of not more than about 6, said at least one silicone polymer bearing said protonatable functional groups making up between about 2% and about 98% by weight of the curable polymer composition, and said protonatable functional groups of said silicone polymers comprising protonatable functional groups selected from the group consisting of primary amines, secondary amines, tertiary amines, indoles, purines, imidazoles, pyridines, purines, guanidines, amides and ureas.

11 - 13 . (canceled)

14 . The intermediate transfer member of claim 10 , at least one said silicone polymer being an amino-functional silicone polymer, such that said protonatable functional groups include amines.

15 . The intermediate transfer member of claim 10 , said curable polymer composition having an amine number of at least about 30.

16 . The intermediate transfer member of claim 14 , at least one said amino-functional silicone polymer selected from the group consisting of:

an amino-functional polydialkysiloxane;

an amino-functional polyalkyarylsiloxane;

an amino-functional polydiarysiloxane;

a copolymer methylaminoalkyl dialkyl polysiloxane;

an amino-functional alkoxy-functional polydialkylsiloxane;

and combinations thereof.

17 . (canceled)

18 . The intermediate transfer member of claim 10 , said curable polymer composition further comprising at least one said reactive silicone polymer selected from the group consisting of:

silanol-functional silicones;

silane-functional silicones;

alkoxy-functional silicones;

amido-functional silicones;

amido-functional alkoxy-functional silicones; and

combinations thereof.

19 . A method of preparing a release layer of an intermediate transfer member for use with a printing system, comprising:

a) forming a layer of a curable polymer composition at a thickness of between about 0.1 μm and about 120 μm, as an incipient release layer; and

b) curing said layer of curable polymer composition,

thereby preparing a release layer of an intermediate transfer member,

wherein said curable polymer composition includes:

at least one silicone polymer bearing protonatable functional groups having a pKb of not more than about 6, said at least one silicone polymer bearing protonatable functional groups making up between about 2% and about 98% by weight of the curable polymer composition.

20 - 21 . (canceled)

22 . The method of claim 19 , wherein said protonatable functional groups comprise protonatable functional groups selected from the group consisting of primary amines, secondary amines, tertiary amines, indoles, purines, imidazoles, pyridines, purines, guanidines, amides and ureas.

23 . The method of claim 19 , wherein at least one of the following is true: (a) at least one said silicone polymer is an amino-functional silicone polymer, such that said protonatable functional groups include amines; (b) said curable polymer composition has an amine number of at least about 30.

24 . (canceled)

25 . The method of claim 23 , at least one said amino-functional silicone polymer selected from the group consisting of:

an amino-functional polydialkysiloxane;

an amino-functional polyalkyarylsiloxane;

an amino-functional polydiarysiloxane;

a copolymer methylaminoalkyl dialkyl polysiloxane;

an amino-functional alkoxy-functional polydialkylsiloxane; and

combinations thereof.

26 . (canceled)

27 . The method of claim 19 , said curable polymer composition further comprising at least one said reactive silicone polymer selected from the group consisting of:

silanol-functional silicones;

silane-functional silicones;

alkoxy-functional silicones;

amido-functional silicones;

amido-functional alkoxy-functional silicones; and

combinations thereof.

28 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

providing a body of an intermediate transfer member having a surface;

forming said layer of curable polymer composition directly on said surface of said body, such

that subsequent to said curing, said release layer is directly attached to said surface of said body, without an adhesive.

29 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

providing a body of an intermediate transfer member having a surface; forming a layer of an adhesive on said surface of said body; and

forming said layer of curable polymer composition on said adhesive layer, such that subsequent to said curing, said release layer is attached to said surface of said body, through an adhesive layer.

30 . An elastomer made of a cross-linked curable polymer composition comprising, as a raw ingredient prior to crosslinking:

at least one silicone polymer bearing protonatable functional groups having a pKb of not more than about 6, said at least one silicone polymer bearing said protonatable functional groups making up between about 2% and about 98% by weight of the curable polymer composition.

31 - 32 . (canceled)

33 . The elastomer of claim 30 , wherein said protonatable functional groups of said silicone polymers comprise protonatable functional groups selected from the group consisting of primary amines, secondary amines, tertiary amines, indoles, purines, imidazoles, pyridines, purines, guanidines, amides and ureas.

34 . The elastomer of claim 30 , at least one said silicone polymer being an amino-functional silicone polymer selected from the group consisting of:

an amino-functional polydialkysiloxane;

an amino-functional polyalkyarylsiloxane;

an amino-functional polydiarysiloxane;

a copolymer methylaminoalkyl dialkyl polysiloxane;

an amino-functional alkoxy-functional polydialkylsiloxane;

and combinations thereof.

35 . (canceled)

36 . The elastomer of claim 30 , wherein at least one of the following is true: (a) said curable polymer composition having an amine number of at least about 30; (b) said curable polymer composition further comprises at least one reactive silicone polymer.

37 - 38 . (canceled)