Non-Newtonian inkjet inks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9963607-B2
Application number	US-201415118977-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2014
Priority date	Mar 6, 2014
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

The present disclosure provides non-Newtonian inkjet inks and related methods. In one example, a non-Newtonian inkjet ink can comprise a low molecular weight organic gelator in an amount ranging from 0.1% to 10% by weight based on the total weight of the non-Newtonian inkjet ink; a salt in an amount of 0.05% to 20% by weight based on the total weight of the non-Newtonian inkjet ink; and an organic solvent. Additionally, the low molecular weight organic gelator and the salt can form a structured network and the inkjet ink can have a viscosity ranging from 100 cps to 10,000 cps at a temperature of 25° C. and a viscosity ranging from 1 cps to 10 cps at a temperature of 50° C.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-Newtonian inkjet ink, comprising:
a low molecular weight organic gelator in an amount ranging from 0.1% to 10% by weight based on the total weight of the non-Newtonian inkjet ink;
a salt in an amount of 0.05% to 20% by weight based on the total weight of the non-Newtonian inkjet ink; and
an organic solvent;
wherein the low molecular weight organic gelator and the salt form a structured network, and wherein the inkjet ink has a viscosity ranging from 100 cps to 10,000 cps at a temperature of 25 ° C. and a viscosity ranging from 1 cps to 10 cps at a temperature of 50 ° C.

2. The non-Newtonian inkjet ink of claim 1 , wherein the low molecular weight organic gelator is selected from the group consisting of amino acids, peptides, cyclic peptides, amino acids having a protecting group, peptides having a protecting group, cyclic peptides having a protecting group, and mixtures thereof.

3. The non-Newtonian inkjet ink of claim 1 , wherein the salt is a salt of a carboxylic acid.

4. The non-Newtonian inkjet ink of claim 1 , wherein the structured network is free of polymer.

5. The non-Newtonian inkjet ink of claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent is network participating solvent selected from the group consisting of ethylhydroxy-propanediol (EHPD), glycerol, 1,5 pentanediol, ethylene glycol, tritethylene glycol, and mixtures thereof; or the organic solvent is a network non-participating solvent selected from the group consisting of 2-pyrrolidinone, 1,2 pentanediol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol (MPDIOL), 1,2 hexanediol, and mixtures thereof.

6. The non-Newtonian inkjet ink of claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent comprises only a network participating solvent, or a mixture of network participating solvent and network non-participating solvent.

7. The non-Newtonian inkjet ink of claim 1 , wherein the low molecular weight organic gelator is present in an amount ranging from 1% to 5% by weight based on the total weight of the non-Newtonian inkjet ink, and the salt is present in an amount ranging from 1% to 10% by weight based on the total weight of the non-Newtonian inkjet ink.

8. The non-Newtonian inkjet ink of claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent is present in an amount ranging from 5% to 50% by weight based on the total weight of the non-Newtonian gel-based inkjet ink.

9. The non-Newtonian inkjet ink of claim 1 , wherein the low molecular weight organic gelator and the salt are present at a low molecular weight organic gelator to salt ratio ranging from 1:1 to 1:5 by weight.

10. The non-Newtonian inkjet ink of claim 1 , further comprising a colorant.

11. The non-Newtonian gel-based inkjet ink of claim 1 , wherein the viscosity is 100 cps to 1000 cps at a temperature of 25 ° C. and is 1 cps to 5 cps at a temperature of 50 ° C.

12. A method of manufacturing a non-Newtonian inkjet ink, comprising:
adding a low molecular weight organic gelator to an organic solvent; and
adding a salt to the organic solvent,
wherein the low molecular weight organic gelator and the salt are present in the organic solvent at an amount sufficient to form a structured network and provide a dynamic viscosity ranging from 100 cps to 10,000 cps at a temperature of 25 ° C. and a dynamic viscosity ranging from 1 cps to 10 cps at a temperature of 50 ° C.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the low molecular weight organic gelator is present in an amount ranging from 0.1% to 10% by weight based on the total weight of the non-Newtonian gel-based inkjet ink; the salt is present in an amount of 0.05% to 20% by weight based on the total weight of the non-Newtonian gel-based inkjet ink; and the organic solvent is present in an amount ranging from 5% to 50% by weight based on the total weight of the non-Newtonian gel-based inkjet ink.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising mixing a colorant into the non-Newtonian inkjet ink.

15. A method of printing a non-Newtonian inkjet ink, comprising:
heating a non-Newtonian gel-based inkjet ink, which has a viscosity ranging from 100 cps to 10,000 cps at a temperature of 25 ° C., to a temperature of at least 50 ° C. to provide the viscosity ranging from 1 cps to 10 cps, wherein the non-Newtonian inkjet ink comprises a low molecular weight organic gelator, a salt, and an organic solvent, wherein the low molecular weight organic gelator and the salt form a structured network; and
ejecting droplets of the non-Newtonian inkjet ink.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Adamic Raymond
• Jakubek Vladimir
• Shields James P

Classifications

• C09D11/40

  Ink-sets specially adapted for multi-colour inkjet printing · CPC title

• B41J2/2107

  characterised by the ink properties (supplying ink in a solid state B41J2/17593) · CPC title

• B41J2/01

  Ink jet · CPC title

• B41M5/0023

  Digital printing methods characterised by the inks used (inks per se C09D11/00) · CPC title

• C09D11/38 Primary

  characterised by non-macromolecular additives other than solvents, pigments or dyes · CPC title