Aqueous ink jet blanket

{
  "publication_number": "US2015210065A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Aqueous ink jet blanket",
  "abstract": "There is described a transfer member or blanket for use in aqueous ink jet printer. The transfer member includes a surface layer that includes an elastomeric matrix having copper particles and carbon nanotubes dispersed therein. The weight percent of the copper particles in the surface layer is from about 1 weight percent to about 30 percent. The weight percent of the carbon nanotubes is from about 1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A transfer member for use in aqueous ink jet printer, the transfer member comprising: a surface layer having an elastomeric matrix having copper particles and carbon nanotubes dispersed therein, wherein a weight percent of the copper particles in the surface layer is from 1 weight percent to 30 percent and a weight percent of the carbon nanotubes is from 1 weight percent to 10 weight percent. 2. The transfer member of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric matrix is selected from the group consisting of silicones, fluorosilicones, fluoroplastics and fluoroelastomers. 3. The transfer member of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric matrix is a material selected from the group consisting of: copolymers of two of vinylidenefluoride, hexafluoropropylene, terpolymers of vinylidenefluoride, hexafluoropropylene, and tetrafluoroethylene and tetrapolymers of vinylidenefluoride, hexafluoropropylene, perfluoromethylvinylether (PMVE). 4. The transfer member of claim 1, wherein the surface layer further comprises an additive selected from the group consisting of: iron oxide, magnesium oxide, aluminum oxide and zirconium oxide. 5. The transfer member of claim 1, wherein the copper particles comprise a diameter of from 1 nm to 8 microns. 6. The transfer member of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotubes have a length of 1 nm to 20 nm. 7. The transfer member of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotubes have a diameter of from 1 nm to 20 nm. 8. The transfer member of claim 1, wherein the surface layer further comprises aminosilane. 9. The transfer member of claim 1, wherein the transfer member has a thickness of 20 microns to 5 mm. 10. An ink jet printer comprising: a transfer member comprising: a surface layer comprising an elastomeric matrix having copper particles and carbon nanotubes dispersed therein, wherein a weight percent of the copper particles in the surface layer is from 1 weight percent to 30 percent and a weight percent of the carbon nanotubes is from 1 weight percent to 10 weight percent. 11. The ink jet printer of claim 10, wherein the elastomeric matrix is selected from the group consisting of: silicones, fluorosilicones, fluoroplastics and fluoroelastomers. 12. The ink jet printer of claim 10, wherein the elastomeric matrix is a material selected from the group consisting of: copolymers of hexafluoropropylene (HFP) and vinyldiene fluoride (VDF or VF2), terpolymers of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), vinyldiene fluoride (VDF) and hexafluoropropylene (HFP) and perfluoromethylvinylether (PMVE). 13. The ink jet printer of claim 10, wherein the copper particles have a diameter of from 1 nm to 8 microns. 14. The ink jet printer of claim 10, wherein the carbon nanotubes have a length of 1 nm to 20 nm. 15. The ink jet printer of claim 10, wherein the carbon nanotubes have a diameter of from 1 nm to 20 nm. 16. The ink jet printer of claim 10, wherein the surface layer further comprises aminosilane. 17. The inkjet printer of claim 10, wherein the surface layer further comprises an additive selected from the group consisting of: iron oxide, magnesium oxide, aluminum oxide and zirconium oxide. 18. The ink jet printer of claim 9, wherein the surface layer of the transfer member has an aqueous ink contact angle of from 25° to 40° 19. An ink jet printer comprising: a transfer member comprising a surface layer comprising an elastomeric matrix having copper particles and carbon nanotubes dispersed therein, wherein a weight percent of the copper particles in the surface layer is from 1 weight percent to 30 percent and a weight percent of the carbon nanotubes is from 1 weight percent to 10 weight percent; a print head adjacent said transfer member for ejecting aqueous ink droplets onto a surface of the transfer member to form an ink image; a transfixing station located adjacent said transfer member and downstream from said print head, the transfixing station forming a transfixing nip with the transfer member at said transfixing station; and a transporting device for delivering a recording medium to the transfixing nip, wherein the ink image is transferred and fixed to the recording medium. 20. The ink jet printer of claim 19, wherein the surface layer of the transfer member has an aqueous ink contact angle of from 25° to 40°."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "1. Field of Use\n\nThis disclosure is generally directed to inkjet transfix apparatuses and methods. In particular, disclosed herein is a composition that improves the wetting and release capability of an aqueous latex ink in an ink jet printer.\n\n2. Background\n\nInkjet systems in which a liquid or melt solid ink is discharged through an ink discharge port such as a nozzle, a slit and a porous film are used in many printers due to their characteristics such as small size and low cost. In addition, an inkjet printer can print not only paper substrates, but also on various other substrates such as textiles, rubber and the like.\n\nDuring the printing process, various intermediate media (e.g., transfer belts, intermediate blankets or drums) may be used to transfer the formed image to the final substrate. In intermediate transfix processes, aqueous latex ink is inkjetted onto a transfer member or intermediate blanket where the ink film is dried with heat or flowing air or both. The dried image is subsequently transfixed on to the final paper substrate. For this process to operate properly, the transfer member or blanket has to satisfy two conflicting requirements - the first requirement is that ink has to spread well on the transfer member and the second requirement is that, after drying, the ink should release from the blanket. Since aqueous ink comprises a large amount of water, such ink compositions wet and spread very well on high energy (i.e., greater than 40 mJ/m 2) hydrophilic substrates. However, due to the high affinity to such substrates, the aqueous ink does not release well from these substrates.",
  "cpc": [
    "B41J 2/0057",
    "B41J 2/01",
    "B41J 2002/012",
    "B41M 5/426",
    "B41M 5/443",
    "B41M 5/446",
    "C08K 2003/0812",
    "C08K 2003/085",
    "C08K 2003/0856",
    "C08K 2003/222",
    "C08K 2003/2227",
    "C08K 2003/2244",
    "C08K 2003/2265",
    "C08K 3/04",
    "C08K 3/041",
    "C08K 3/08",
    "C08K 3/22"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B41J 2/005",
    "C08K 3/04",
    "C08K 3/08",
    "C08K 3/22",
    "B41J 2/01"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Xerox Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Matthew Michael Kelly",
    "Srinivas Mettu",
    "Anthony Salvatore Condello",
    "Santokh S. Badesha",
    "Mandakini Kanungo",
    "David Joseph Gervasi",
    "Chu-heng Liu"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2014-01-28",
  "publication_date": "2015-07-30",
  "priority_date": "2014-01-28",
  "application_number": "US-201414165897-A",
  "family_id": "53523144",
  "cited_by_count": 41,
  "citations": [
    "US5099256A",
    "US20030234841A1",
    "US20110142508A1",
    "US20120261182A1"
  ]
}