Intermediate transfer member
An intermediate transfer member (ITM) for use with a printing system, the ITM having (a) a support layer; and (b) a release layer having an ink reception surface and a second surface opposing the ink reception surface, the second surface attached to the support layer, the release layer formed of an addition-cured, hydrophobic silicone material, wherein the release surface of the release layer has relatively hydrophilic properties with respect to the addition-cured, hydrophobic silicone material.
1. A method of manufacturing an intermediate transfer member (ITM) for use with a printing system, the method comprising:
a. providing a fluid curable material;
b. providing a carrier having a carrier contact surface, said carrier contact surface being wettable by said fluid curable material;
c. applying said fluid curable material onto said carrier, said fluid curable material wetting said carrier contact surface to form a layer of said fluid curable material on said carrier contact surface;
d. producing a release layer of the ITM from said layer of said fluid curable material by subjecting said layer of curable material to a curing process such that:
i. said release layer is produced to have an ink reception surface facing to the carrier contact surface and a second surface opposing said ink reception surface;
ii. said release layer is formed of an addition-cured silicone material;
iii. said ink reception surface is adapted to satisfy at least one of the following structural properties:
A. a receding contact angle of a droplet of distilled water on said ink reception surface is at most 60°;
B. for a droplet of distilled water deposited on said ink reception surface, a 10 second dynamic contact angle (DCA) is at most 108°;
e. attaching said second surface of the release layer of the ITM to a support layer thereof.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said carrier is a flexible foil.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising peeling away said carrier from said release layer.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein said peeling is performed upon installation of the ITM into the printing system.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein said addition-cured silicone material of said release layer consists essentially of an addition-cured silicone, or containing, by weight, at least 95% of said addition-cured silicone.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein functional groups make up at most 5%, by weight, of said addition-cured silicone material of said release layer.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein functional groups make up at most 3%, by weight, of said addition-cured silicone material of said release layer.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein functional groups make up at most 5%, by weight, of said addition-cured silicone material of said release layer.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein functional groups make up at most 3%, by weight, of said addition-cured silicone material of said release layer.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the fluid first curable material includes a vinyl-functional silicone polymer.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein said vinyl-silicone polymer including at least one lateral vinyl group in addition to the terminal vinyl groups, for example, a vinyl-functional polydimethyl siloxane.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein said fluid first curable material includes a vinyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein said vinyl-functional polydimethylsiloxane includes at least one lateral vinyl group on the polysiloxane chain in addition to the terminal vinyl groups, a crosslinker, and an addition-cure catalyst, and optionally further includes a cure retardant.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein said curable material includes an addition cure catalyst.