USOO93O3135B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 9,303,135 B2 Eliyahu et al. (45) Date of Patent: Apr. 5, 2016 (54) INKJET INK FOR INDIRECT PRINTING B41J 2/0057; B41J 3/60; C09D 1 1/40: C09D APPLICATIONS 11/30; C09D 1 1/38; C09D 1 1/322; C09D 11/328; C09D 1 1/101; C09D 11/005; C09D (71) Applicant: Xerox Corporation, Norwalk, CT (US) 11/54: CO9D 1 1/52; B41M 570011: B41M 5/OO17: B41M 7700 B41M 7/OO72: B41M (72) Inventors: Jenny Eliyahu, Maple (CA); Daryl W. s s s Vanbesien.anbesien, BurlingtonBurli (CA);CA): MichelleMiche USPC ............. 347/100, 95, 96,5/52; 101, 102:B41M 106/31.6, 5/5218 N. Chrétien, Mississauga (CA); Marcel 106/31.13, 31.27: 523/160, 161 P. Breton, Mississauga (CA); Barkev S lication file f let h hist Keoshkerian, Thornhill (CA) ee appl1cauon Ille Ior complete searcn n1Story. (73) Assignee: Xerox Corporation, Norwalk, CT (US) (56) References Cited - U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 5,389,958 A 2f1995 Buiet al. U.S.C. 154(b) by 77 days. 6,063,827 A 5/2000 Sacripante et al. 6,593,049 B1 7/2003 Veregin et al. 6,756, 176 B2 6/2004 Stegamat et al. (21) Appl. No.: 14/066,716 6,830,860 B2 12/2004 Sacripante et al. 2006/0222991 A1 10/2006 Sacripante et al. (22) Filed: Oct. 30, 2013 2012/0015205 A1 1/2012 Snyder et al. (65) Prior Publication Data (Continued) US 2015/0116414A1 Apr. 30, 2015 OTHER PUBLICATIONS (51) Int. Cl Eliyahu, et al., U.S. Appl. No. 14/067.469, filed Oct. 30, 2013, “Inkjet we Ink Containing Pol Copol Latex Suitable for Indirect B412/01 (2006.01) E.E. opolymer Latex Suitable Ior Indirec C08K 3/04 (2006.01) g, not yet p Continued C09D 67/02 (2006.01) (Continued) CSK 5/549 (2006.01) B4 IF 2/21 (2006.01) Primary Examiner — Manish S Shah C09D II/4 (2014.01) (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — Marylou J. Lavoie, Esq. C09D II/30 (2014.01) LLC (52) U.S. Cl. CPC ................. C08K 3/04 (2013.01); B41J 2/2107 (57) ABSTRACT (2013.01); C08K 5/5419 (2013.01); C09D An aqueous ink for indirect printing applications including II/I04 (2013.01); C09D II/30 (2013.01); water, a co-solvent; a colorant; and a polymer latex compris C09D 167/02 (2013.01) ing an aqueous dispersion of polymer particles wherein the (58) Field of Classification Search polymer latex has a softening temperature of from about 60° CPC ............ B41J 2/01: B41J 2/211: B41J 2/1433; C. to less than 105° C. and a glass transition temperature of B41J 2/17: B41J 2/17593: B41J 2/2107; from about 45° C. to about 100 C. B41J 2/1755; B41J 2/2114: B41J 11/0015: B41J 11/002: B41J 2/2056; B41J 2/21; 15 Claims, 3 Drawing Sheets US 9,303,135 B2 Page 2 (56) References Cited OTHER PUBLICATIONS U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS Shimomura et al., Ink for Use in Ink-Jet Printer, Machine translation from Japan Platform for Patent Information, Abstract and Claim. 2012/O125228 A1* 5, 2012 Iftime ........................ 106,3114 Japanese Patent Publication No. 06-340835, Published Dec. 13, 2012/O128949 A1* 5, 2012 Goto ............................... 347/21 1994, 2 pages. 2012fO270984 A1* 10, 2012 Mitsuishi et al. .......... 106.31.13 2014/0220312 A1 8, 2014 Wu et al. * cited by examiner U.S. Patent Apr. 5, 2016 Sheet 1 of 3 US 9,303,135 B2 U.S. Patent Apr. 5, 2016 Sheet 2 of 3 US 9,303,135 B2 FG. 2 FG 3 U.S. Patent Apr. 5, 2016 Sheet 3 of 3 US 9,303,135 B2 FG. 4 US 9,303,135 B2 1. 2 NKUET INK FOR INDIRECT PRINTING compositions with certain characteristics. A need remains for APPLICATIONS inks, specifically inks for indirect printing systems, that are compatible with different printing Subsystems including jet RELATED APPLICATIONS ting and transfer Subsystems, and which enable high quality printing at high speed. What is further needed is an indirect Commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. printing ink that enables and performs well in both wetting 14/067.469, entitled “Inkjet Ink Containing Polystyrene and transfer subsystems. What is further need is an indirect Copolymer Latex Suitable For Indirect Printing, with the printing ink that displays acceptable wettability characteris named inventors Jenny Eliyahu, Daryl Vanbesien, Michelle tics while also displaying acceptable transfer characteristics. Chrétien, Marcel Breton, and Barkev Keoshkerian, filed con 10 The appropriate components and process aspects of the currently herewith, is hereby incorporated by reference each of the foregoing U.S. Patents and Patent Publications herein in its entirety. may be selected for the present disclosure in embodiments BACKGROUND thereof. Further, throughout this application, various publi 15 cations, patents, and published patent applications are Disclosed herein is an aqueous ink for indirect printing referred to by an identifying citation. The disclosures of the applications including water, a co-solvent; a colorant; and a publications, patents, and published patent applications ref polymer latex comprising an aqueous dispersion of polymer erenced in this application are hereby incorporated by refer particles wherein the polymer latex has a softening tempera ence into the present disclosure to more fully describe the ture of from about 60° C. to less than 105° C. and a glass state of the art to which this invention pertains. transition temperature of from about 45° C. to about 100° C. In direct printing machines, a marking material is applied SUMMARY directly to a final substrate to form the image on that substrate. Other types of printing machines use an indirect or offset Described is an aqueous ink for indirect printing applica printing technique. In indirect printing, the marking material 25 tions comprising water, a co-solvent; a colorant; and a poly is first applied onto an intermediate transfer member, and is mer latex comprising an aqueous dispersion of polymer par Subsequently transferred to a final Substrate. ticles wherein the polymer latex has a softening temperature In one type of indirect printing machine, a piezoelectric ink offrom about 60° C. to less than 105° C. and a glass transition jet print head is used to apply ink to the intermediate transfer temperature of from about 45° C. to about 10°C. material layer. The ink can be disposed on a liquid layer which 30 Also described is a process comprising incorporating an can be in the form of a release agent, Such as oil, that is aqueous ink comprising water; a co-solvent; a colorant; and a capable of supporting the printed image for subsequent trans polymer latex comprising an aqueous dispersion of polymer fer. The intermediate image is transferred by contact between particles wherein the polymer latex has a softening tempera the transfer drum and the substrate, typically with the assis ture of from about 60° C. to less than 105° C. and a glass tance of a pressure roller or drum. An exemplary indirect 35 transition temperature of from about 45° C. to about 100° C. printing apparatus 10 is shown in FIG.1. In this apparatus, a into an inkjet printing apparatus; ejecting the ink in an image print head 11 directs a marking material. Such as ink droplets, wise pattern onto an intermediate transfer member, heating onto a layer 12 of intermediate transfer material to form an the image to partially or completely remove solvents; and image 26. This transfer material layer 12 is carried by an transferring the ink in the imagewise pattern from the inter intermediate transfer member 14, which in the illustration is 40 mediate transfer member to a final recording Substrate. a rotating drum or roller. An optional heater 19 can be pro vided to control the temperature of the ink image prior to BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS contacting the Substrate 28. The substrate 28 is conveyed between the intermediate FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of an indirector offset transfer member 14 and a transfer or pressure roller 22. 45 printing apparatus. Optional heaters 20 and 21 can be provided to pre-heat the FIG. 2 is a drawing of an optical microscope image of an substrate 28 to facilitate reception of the image. An optional amorphous polyester ink (left) and an ink of the present heater 24 can be provided to heat the transfer roller 22. As the disclosure comprising a combination of amorphousand crys substrate is conveyed between the rotating rollers 14 and 22. talline polyester (right) jetted onto a blanket. the image 26 is transferred onto the Substrate as image 26'. 50 FIG. 3 is a drawing of an optical microscope image of an Appropriate pressure is maintained between the two rollers so amorphous polyester ink (left) and an ink of the present that the image 26' is properly spread, flattened, and adhered disclosure comprising a combination of amorphousand crys onto the substrate 28. An optional stripper 25 can be provided talline polyester (right) transferred from the blanket of FIG. 1 that assists in removing any ink remaining on the intermediate to an adhesive tape showing transfer. transfer member 14 prior to receiving a new ink image 26 55 FIG. 4 is a drawing of an optical microscope image of the from the print head 11. blanket of FIG. 2 after transfer showing some residual ink A two step printing process, then, can comprise applying remaining for the amorphous polyester ink (left) but no ink an inkin an imagewise fashion onto an intermediate receiving remaining on the blank for the ink of the present disclosure member such as a drum, belt, etc., using an inkjet print head.