Conductive ink composition and article of manufacture made therefrom

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11261341-B2
Application number	US-201916405806-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2019
Priority date	May 7, 2019
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

An ink composition comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane; particles comprising silver; and at least one diluent liquid. The thermoplastic polyurethane has the property of exhibiting an elongation at break ranging from about 200% to about 1500% at 23° C. when in pure polymer form.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ink composition, comprising:
a thermoplastic polyurethane;
particles comprising silver; and
at least one diluent liquid, the thermoplastic polyurethane and the at least one diluent liquid together being in the form of an emulsion,
wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane has the property of exhibiting an elongation at break ranging from about 200% to about 1500% at 23° C. when in pure polymer form.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane is a linear polyurethane with an activation temperature ranging from about 50° C. to about 100° C.

3. The compositions of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane is a dispersed phase of the emulsion and the diluent liquid is a continuous phase comprising at least one carrier liquid chosen from water and an organic liquid.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the dry weight ratio of thermoplastic polyurethane to the particles ranges from about 1:30 to about 1:1.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the particles are in the form of micron-sized flakes.

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the amount of silver in the particles ranges from about 20% silver to 100% silver.

7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the particles comprising silver are in an amount ranging from about 20 weight % to about 90 weight %, relative to the total weight of the ink.

8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one diluent liquid is selected form the group consisting of ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, sulfolane and mixtures thereof.

9. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the viscosity of the ink ranges from about 1000 cps to about 500,000 cps at shear rates ranging from about 40 s −1 to about 400 s −1 and a temperature of 25° C.

10. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising one or more optional ingredients selected from the group consisting of adhesion promoters, colorants, dispersants and leveling agents.

11. An ink composition, comprising:
a thermoplastic polyurethane;
particles comprising silver, the dry weight ratio of thermoplastic polyurethane to the particles ranges from about 1:30 to about 1:1; and
at least one diluent liquid, the thermoplastic polyurethane and the at least one diluent liquid together being in the form of an emulsion,
wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane has the property of exhibiting an elongation at break ranging from about 200% to about 1500% at 23° C. when in pure polymer form,
wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane is a linear polyurethane with an activation temperature ranging from about 50° C. to about 100° C.

12. The composition of claim 11 , wherein the dry weight ratio of thermoplastic polyurethane to the particles ranges from about 1:20 to about 1:4.

13. The composition of claim 12 , wherein the particles comprising silver are in an amount ranging from about 20 weight % to about 90 weight %, relative to the total weight of the ink.

14. The composition of claim 13 , wherein the at least one diluent liquid is selected form the group consisting of ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, sulfolane and mixtures thereof.

15. The composition of claim 13 , wherein the viscosity of the ink ranges from about 1000 cps to about 500,000 cps at shear rates ranging from about 40 s −1 to about 400 s −1 and a temperature of 25° C.

16. A method of forming an article of manufacture, the method comprising:
applying an ink composition to a flexible substrate, the ink composition comprising:
a thermoplastic polyurethane;
particles comprising silver; and
at least one diluent liquid, the thermoplastic polyurethane and the at least one diluent liquid together being in the form of an emulsion;
wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane has the property of exhibiting an elongation at break ranging from about 200% to about 1500% at 23° C. when in pure polymer form;

drying the ink composition to form an electrically conductive ink image; and
optionally bending the substrate and the electrically conductive ink image.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the electrically conductive ink image has the property of being sufficiently flexible so as to remain electrically conductive across a crease in the event that 50 flexing cycles are carried out at the crease.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the electrically conductive ink image has a volume conductivity ranging from about 1000 S/cm to about 150,000 S/cm.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein applying the ink composition is carried out by screen printing.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein applying the ink composition is carried out by extrusion printing through a syringe applicator.

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Vella Sarah J
• Zhu Yujie
• Mcguire Gregory

Classifications

• H05K1/097

  Inks comprising nanoparticles and specially adapted for being sintered at low temperature (H05K1/095 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B41M1/12

  Stencil printing; Silk-screen printing · CPC title

• C09D11/52 Primary

  Electrically conductive inks · CPC title

• H01B1/22

  the conductive material comprising metals or alloys · CPC title

• C09D11/037

  characterised by the pigment · CPC title