Electrophotographic ink compositions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024036490-A1
Application number	US-202018039908-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 15, 2020
Priority date	Dec 15, 2020
Publication date	Feb 1, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

Described herein is a method of producing a liquid electrophotographic ink composition comprising combining a pigment with a charge director in a carrier liquid to produce a pigment dispersion; and combining a thermoplastic resin with the pigment dispersion to produce a liquid electrophotographic ink composition; wherein the charge director comprises a metal salt of a sulfonic acid. Also described herein is a method of printing the liquid electrophotographic ink composition and a printing set comprising the liquid electrophotographic ink composition.

First claim

1 . A method of producing a liquid electrophotographic ink composition comprising:
combining a pigment with a charge director in a carrier liquid to produce a pigment dispersion; and combining a thermoplastic resin with the pigment dispersion to produce a liquid electrophotographic ink composition; wherein the charge director comprises a metal salt of a sulfonic acid.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pigment dispersion is produced by dissolving the charge director in the carrier liquid to form a charge director solution before combining the pigment with the charge director solution.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the charge director consists of a metal salt of a sulfonic acid.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the charge director comprises a metal salt of an alkyl sulfonic acid.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sulfonic acid is selected from C1 to C30 sulfonic acids, for example, C1 to C30 alkyl sulfonic acids.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metal is selected from calcium, barium, sodium and aluminium.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the charge director is present in an amount of up to 20 mg/g solids of the liquid electrophotographic ink composition.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic resin is combined with a carrier liquid to form a paste and the paste is combined with the pigment dispersion.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid electrophotographic ink composition further comprises a charge adjuvant.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein combining the thermoplastic resin with the pigment dispersion comprises combining the thermoplastic resin and the charge adjuvant with the pigment dispersion.

11 . A method of liquid electrophotographic printing comprising:
combining a charging composition with a liquid electrophotographic ink composition to form a print ready liquid electrophotographic ink composition; and liquid electrophotographically printing the print ready liquid electrophotographic ink composition; wherein the charging composition comprises:
a lecithin;
a sulfonic acid amine salt; and
a metal salt of a sulfonic acid; and
wherein the liquid electrophotographic ink composition comprises:
chargeable particles comprising a pigment, a thermoplastic resin and a charge director in a carrier liquid;
wherein the charge director consists of a metal salt of a sulfonic acid.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the charge director consists of a metal salt of an alkyl sulfonic acid.

13 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the liquid electrophotographic ink composition is producible by combining a pigment with a charge director in a carrier liquid to produce a pigment dispersion; and
combining a thermoplastic resin with the pigment dispersion to produce a liquid electrophotographic ink composition.

14 . A liquid electrophotographic printing set comprising:
a liquid electrophotographic ink composition comprising:
chargeable particles comprising a pigment, a thermoplastic resin and a charge director in a carrier liquid;
wherein the charge director consists of a metal salt of a sulfonic acid; and
a charging composition comprising:
a lecithin;
a sulfonic acid amine salt; and
a metal salt of a sulfonic acid.

15 . The liquid electrophotographic printing set according to claim 14 , wherein the charge director consists of a metal salt of an alkyl sulfonic acid.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Gurovich Doron
• Kaploun Vladislav
• Teishev Albert
• Masoud Emad

Classifications

• G03G9/1355 Primary

  Ionic, organic compounds · CPC title

• G03G9/0804

  whereby the components are brought together in a liquid dispersing medium · CPC title

• G03G15/10

  using a liquid developer · CPC title

• G03G9/135 Primary

  characterised by stabiliser or charge-controlling agents · CPC title

• G03G9/125

  characterised by the liquid · CPC title