Inkjet ink with non-swellable latex particles

1. An inkjet ink, comprising:

a non-polar carrier;

a colorant dispersed in the non-polar carrier, the colorant being chosen from a pigment, a dye, or a combination of a pigment and a dye;

a dispersant; and

non-swellable latex particles of a cross-linked polymer dispersed in the non-polar carrier, the cross-linked polymer consisting of: an acrylic monomer having a molecular weight less than 1000, a vinylic monomer having a molecular weight of less than 1000, or combinations thereof;

wherein the inkjet ink exhibits a field conductivity ranging from about 90 pS/cm to about 500 pS/cm.

2. The inkjet ink as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a surfactant.

3. The inkjet ink as defined in claim 1 wherein the acrylic monomer having the weight average molecular weight less than 1000 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl acrylates, alkyl methacrylates, and monomers including more than one polymerizable acrylic group.

4. The inkjet ink as defined in claim 1 wherein the acrylic monomer is selected from the group consisting of methyl methacrylate, butyl acrylate, butyl methacrylate, hexyl acrylate, hexyl methacrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate, lauryl acrylate, lauryl methacrylate, stearyl methacrylate, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, pentaerythritol tri-acrylate, pentaerythritol tetra-acrylate, pentaerythritol tri-methacrylate, pentaerythritol tetra-methacrylate, acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, and combinations thereof.

5. The inkjet ink as defined in claim 1 wherein the vinylic monomer having the weight average molecular weight less than 1000 is selected from the group consisting of styrene, substituted styrene, and monomers including more than one polymerizable vinylic group.

6. The inkjet ink as defined in claim 5 wherein the vinylic monomer is selected from the group consisting of divinylbenzene, chloromethyl styrene, and methylstyrene.

7. The inkjet ink as defined in claim 1 wherein the non-swellable latex particles consist of the cross-linked polymer of styrene, butyl acrylate, methacrylonitrile, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, and methacrylic acid.

8. The inkjet ink as defined in claim 1 wherein the non-swellable latex particles consist of the cross-linked polymer of styrene, butyl acrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, and methacrylic acid.

9. The inkjet ink as defined in claim 1 wherein each of the non-swellable latex particles has a glass transition temperature (Tg) ranging from about 45° C. to about 120° C.

10. The inkjet ink as defined in claim 1 wherein the non-polar carrier is selected from the group consisting of a liquid hydrocarbon, silicone oil, soy bean oil, vegetable oil, plant extracts, and combinations thereof.

11. The inkjet ink as defined in claim 1 wherein the non-swellable latex particles are present in an amount ranging from about 0.5 wt % to about 50 wt % of the inkjet ink.

12. The inkjet ink as defined in claim 1 wherein the cross-linked polymer is non-soluble in the non-polar carrier.

13. The inkjet ink as defined in claim 1 wherein the inkjet ink does not include a charge director or a charge adjuvant.

14. A printing method, comprising:

depositing an inkjet ink directly onto an intermediate transfer medium using a piezoelectric inkjet pen, the inkjet ink including:

a non-polar carrier;

a colorant dispersed in the non-polar carrier, the colorant being chosen from a pigment, a dye, or a combination of a pigment and a dye;

a dispersant; and

non-swellable latex particles of a cross-linked polymer dispersed in the non-polar carrier, the cross-linked polymer consisting of: an acrylic monomer having a molecular weight less than 1000, a vinylic monomer having a molecular weight of less than 1000, or combinations thereof;

exposing the deposited inkjet ink to an electric field to pin the colorant and the non-swellable latex particles of the inkjet ink to a surface of the intermediate transfer medium;

removing the non-polar carrier from the deposited inkjet ink;

exposing the pinned colorant and non-swellable latex particles to heat, thereby fusing the pinned colorant and non-swellable latex particles to form an ink layer; and

transferring the ink layer to a substrate.

15. The method as defined in claim 14 wherein the intermediate transfer medium has a polymer receiving layer established thereon, and wherein the pinned colorant and non-swellable latex particles fuse with the polymer receiving layer to form the ink layer.

16. The method as defined in claim 14 wherein the depositing and the exposing to the electric field are accomplished for at least two different colored inkjet inks prior to performing the removing.

17. The method as defined in claim 14 wherein the depositing, the exposing to the electric field, and the removing are accomplished for at least two different colored inkjet inks prior to performing the exposing to the heat.

18. The method as defined in claim 14 wherein the depositing is accomplished for at least two different colored inkjet jets prior to performing the exposing to the electric field.

19. A method of making an inkjet ink, comprising:

preparing a latex particle dispersion of:

a non-polar carrier;

a dispersant; and

non-swellable latex particles of a cross-linked polymer consisting of: an acrylic monomer having a weight average molecular weight less than 1000, a vinylic monomer having a weight average molecular weight of less than 1000, or combinations thereof; and

incorporating the latex particle dispersion into a colorant dispersion of:

an other non-polar carrier of the same type as the non-polar carrier in the latex particle dispersion; and

a colorant dispersed in the other non-polar carrier, the colorant being chosen from a pigment, a dye, or a combination of a pigment and a dye;

wherein the inkjet ink exhibits a field conductivity ranging from about 90 pS/cm to about 500 pS/cm.

20. The method as defined in claim 19 , further comprising preparing the non-swellable latex particles consisting of the cross-linked polymer by:

forming a monomer emulsion by emulsifying, in water, the acrylic monomer having the weight average molecular weight less than 1000, the vinylic monomer having the weight average molecular weight of less than 1000, or the combinations thereof;

adding the monomer emulsion to a water-based initiator solution to form a reaction mixture;

exposing the reaction mixture to a predetermined temperature for a predefined period of time, thereby polymerizing and cross-linking the acrylic monomer, the vinylic monomer, or the combinations thereof to form the non-swellable latex particles; and

separating the non-swellable latex particles from the water.