Liquid crystalline microemulsion ink compositions

Claim 2

An ink composition which comprises an aqueous phase, an oil phase, an oil-soluble dye, and a surfactant, said ink exhibiting a liquid crystalline gel phase at a first temperature and a liquid microemulsion phase at a second temperature higher than the first temperature.

Claim 3

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the oil phase is selected from the group consisting of ketones, alcohols, glycol ethers, hydrocarbons, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 4

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the oil phase contains a material selected from the group consisting of methyl ethyl ketone, 2,4-pentadione, ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethanol, hexane, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 5

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the oil phase contains materials with boiling points of less than about 80° C.

Claim 6

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the oil phase contains a material selected from the group consisting of sulfolane, cyclohexanone, 2-pentanol, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 7

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the oil phase contains materials with boiling points of greater than about 80° C.

Claim 8

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the oil phase contains materials with boiling points of greater than about 100° C.

Claim 9

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the oil phase is present in the ink in an amount of from about 15 to about 50 percent by weight.

Claim 10

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the oil phase is present in the ink in an amount of from about 17 to about 44 percent by weight.

Claim 11

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the dye is present in the ink in an amount of from about 2 to about 10 percent by weight.

Claim 12

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the surfactant is present in the ink in an amount of from about 25 to about 65 percent by weight.

Claim 13

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the surfactant is present in the ink in an amount of from about 27 to about 60 percent by weight.

Claim 14

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the surfactant is a nonionic surfactant.

Claim 15

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the surfactant contains hydrophobic units selected from the group consisting of alkyl groups and alkylaryl groups and contains hydrophilic units selected from the group consisting of alkylene oxide groups and alkylene glycol groups.

Claim 16

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the surfactant is C x H.sub.(2x+1) (OC 2 H 4 ) y A, ##STR11## wherein each R is, independently of the others, hydrogen or an alkyl group, x is an integer of from about 8 to about 22, y is an integer of from 0 to about 14, and A is a terminal functional group.

Claim 17

An ink composition according to claim 15 wherein x is an integer of from about 12 to about 18, y is an integer of from about 2 to about 8, and A is selected from the group consisting of --H, --OH, --CH 3 , --C 2 H 5 , --CH 2 CH 2 CH 3 , --CH(CH 3 ) 2 , --OSO 3 -- , --OSO 2 NR 2 wherein each R is, independently of the others, hydrogen or an alkyl group; --COO -- , --OPO 3 -- , --C(O)OCH 2 CH 2 SO 3 -- , --NR 3 + wherein each R is, independently of the others, hydrogen or an alkyl group; --N(R)CH 2 COO -- wherein R is hydrogen or an alkyl group; --N + R 2 CH 2 COO -- wherein each R is, independently of the other, hydrogen or an alkyl group; --N(R)CH 2 CH 2 COO -- wherein R is hydrogen or an alkyl group; --N + R 2 CH 2 CH 2 COO -- wherein each R is, independently of the other, hydrogen or an alkyl group; --N(R)CH 2 SO 3 -- wherein R is hydrogen or an alkyl group; --N+R 2 CH 2 SO 3 -- wherein each R is, independently of the other, hydrogen or an alkyl group; --N(R)CH 2 CH 2 SO 3 -- wherein R is hydrogen or an alkyl group; --N +R 2 CH 2 CH 2 SO 3 -- wherein each R is, independently of the other, hydrogen or an alkyl group; --C(O)N(R)CH 2 COO -- wherein R is hydrogen or an alkyl group, --C(O)N(R)CH 2 CH 2 COO -- wherein R is hydrogen or an alkyl group; --C(O)N(R)CH 2 SO 3 -- wherein R is hydrogen or an alkyl group; --C(O)N(R)CH 2 CH 2 SO 3 -- wherein R is hydrogen or an alkyl group; ##STR12## and mixtures thereof.

Claim 18

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the surfactant is selected from the group consisting of those of the general formula RO(CH 2 CH 2 O) n H wherein R is a mixture of linear, even carbon-number hydrocarbon chains ranging from C 12 H 25 to C 16 H 33 and n represents the number of repeating units and is a number of from 1 to about 12.

Claim 19

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the surfactant is selected from the group consisting of: (a) C 12 H 25 --(OCH 2 CH 2 ) 6 OH; (b) C 12 H 25 --(OCH 2 CH 2 ) 2 OSO 3 ⊖; (c) RO(CH 2 CH 2 O) n H where R is a mixture of C 12 H 25 and C 14 H 29 and n represents the number of repeating units and has an average value of about 3; (d) RO(CH 2 CH 20 ) n H where R is a mixture of C 12 H 25 and C 14 H 29 and n represents the number of repeating units and has an average value of about 6.3; (e) RO(CH 2 CH 2 O) n H where R is a mixture of C 12 H 25 and C 14 H 29 and n represents the number of repeating units and has an average value of about 6.9; (f) RO(CH 2 CH 2 O) n H where R is a mixture of C 12 H 25 and C 14 H 29 and n represents the number of repeating units and has an average value of about 7.2; (g) RO(CH 2 CH 2 O) n H where R is a mixture of C 12 H 25 and C 14 H 29 and n represents the number of repeating units and has an average value of about 7.0; (h) RO(CH 2 CH 2 O) n H where R is a mixture of C 12 H 25 and C 14 H 29 and n represents the number of repeating units and has an average value of about 8.3; (i) RO(CH 2 CH 2 O) n H where R is a mixture of C 12 H 25 and C 14 H 29 and n represents the number of repeating units and has an average value of about 11.3; and mixtures thereof.

Claim 20

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the surfactant is selected from the group consisting of polyoxyethylene (10) stearyl ether, polyoxyethylene (20) stearyl ether, polyoxyethylene (10) cetyl ether, sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate, sodium dodecyl sulfonate, cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 21

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the ink exhibits a liquid crystalline gel phase at a temperature of from about 10° to about 45° C.

Claim 22

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the ink exhibits a liquid crystalline gel phase at a temperature of from about 25° to about 40° C.

Claim 23

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the ink exhibits a liquid sol phase at a temperature of from about 15° to about 70° C.

Claim 24

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the ink exhibits a liquid sol phase at a temperature of from about 25° to about 65° C.

Claim 25

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the ink exhibits a liquid microemulsion phase at a temperature above about 65° C.

Claim 26

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the ink exhibits a liquid microemulsion phase at a temperature above about 75° C.

Claim 27

An ink composition according to claim 1 wherein the ink exhibits a viscosity of from about 2 to about 10 milliPascal-seconds when in the liquid microemulsion phase.

Claim 28

In a process which comprises incorporating into an ink jet printing apparatus an ink composition and causing droplets of the ink composition to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto a substrate, the improvement comprising selecting an ink composition according to claim 1.

Claim 29

In a process which comprises incorporating into an ink jet printing apparatus an ink composition and causing droplets of the ink composition to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto a substrate, wherein the ink is selectively heated in an imagewise pattern, thereby causing droplets of the ink to be ejected in an imagewise pattern, the improvement comprising selecting an ink composition according to claim 1.

Claim 30

In a process for generating images which comprises incorporating into an ink jet printing apparatus an ink and forming images by melting the ink and causing the melted ink to be expelled in droplets onto a substrate, thereby generating an image on the substrate, the improvement comprising selecting an ink composition according to claim 1.

Claim 31

A process which comprises incorporating into an ink jet printing apparatus an ink composition according to claim 1 and causing droplets of the ink composition to be ejected in an imagewise pattern onto a substrate.

Claim 32

A process according to claim 30 wherein the ink is selectively heated in an imagewise pattern, thereby causing droplets of the ink to be ejected in an imagewise pattern.

Claim 33

A process according to claim 31 wherein the substrate is maintained at a temperature above ambient temperature when droplets of ink are ejected onto the substrate.

Claim 34

A process for generating images which comprises incorporating into an ink jet printing apparatus an ink composition according to claim 1 and forming images by melting the ink and causing the melted ink to be expelled in droplets onto a substrate, thereby generating an image on the substrate.