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Patent 2237071 Summary

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Claims and Abstract availability

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(12) Patent Application: (11) CA 2237071
(54) English Title: PERMANENT AQUEOUS MARKER INKS INCLUDING SILICONE
(54) French Title: ENCRES AQUEUSES INDELEBILES POUR MARQUEURS COMPRENANT DU SILICONE
Status: Dead
Bibliographic Data
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC):
  • C09D 11/16 (2014.01)
(72) Inventors :
  • LOFTIN, RACHEL M. (United States of America)
  • SANBORN, KIMBERLY BORELLI (United States of America)
(73) Owners :
  • BEROL CORPORATION (United States of America)
(71) Applicants :
  • THE GILLETTE COMPANY (United States of America)
(74) Agent: MACRAE & CO.
(74) Associate agent:
(45) Issued:
(22) Filed Date: 1993-07-13
(41) Open to Public Inspection: 1994-02-03
Examination requested: 2000-05-09
Availability of licence: N/A
(25) Language of filing: English

Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT): No

(30) Application Priority Data:
Application No. Country/Territory Date
07/917,455 United States of America 1992-07-21
07/968,001 United States of America 1992-10-28

Abstracts

English Abstract





Permanent aqueous marker inks are provided which include a silicone
surfactant, a pigment, a film-forming polymer and water. Fluorocarbon surfactants and/or
hydrocarbon surfactants may also be included in the ink. The aqueous inks according to
the invention can be used to mark paper, plastics, glass and metal and provide an
alternative to solvent-based inks.


French Abstract

Divulgation d'encres aqueuses pour marqueurs qui comprennent un tensioactif à base de silicone, un pigment, un polymère formant une pellicule et de l'eau. Des tensioactifs fluorocarbonés et/ou des tensioactifs hydrocarbonés peuvent également entrer dans la composition de l'encre. Les encres aqueuses dévoilées peuvent être utilisées pour marquer le papier, le plastique, le verre et le métal et constituent une solution de rechange aux encres à base de solvant.

Claims

Note: Claims are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.



THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. An aqueous marker ink comprising a silicone surfactant, a film-forming
polymer, a pigment, and water.
2. A marker ink of claim 1, wherein said silicone surfactant is selected from the
group consisting of siloxane surfactants and silane surfactants.
3. A marker ink of claim 1, wherein said silicone surfactant is fluorinated.
4. A marker ink of claim 1, wherein said silicone surfactant is a
polydimethylsiloxane comprising polyoxyethylene.
5. A marker ink of claim 1, wherein said film-forming polymer is an acrylic
polymer.
6. A marker ink of claim 1, wherein said ink further comprises a surfactant
selected from the group consisting of fluorocarbon surfactants, hydrocarbon surfactants
including at least 1 aliphatic group and mixtures thereof.
7. A marker ink of claim 1, wherein said ink comprises, by weight, about 0.1
to 1 percent of the silicone surfactant, about 20 to 30 percent of the film-forming polymer,
about 2 to 8 percent pigment, and sufficient water to provide a viscosity of less than about
20 cps.
8. A marker ink of claim 1, wherein said ink further comprises a humectant.
9. A marker ink of claim 1, wherein said ink has a surface tension of less than
about 35 dynes/cm.
10. A method of marking a substrate including the steps of





providing a marker having a reservoir, the reservoir containing an ink
comprising a silicone surfactant, a pigment, a film-forming polymer, and water, and
making a mark with said marker on the substrate.
11. A marker comprising
a hollow tubular body defining an ink reservoir, the reservoir containing an
ink comprising a silicone surfactant, a pigment, a film-forming polymer and water and
a tip in fluid communication with said reservoir for delivering said ink to a
substrate by capillary action.


Description

Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.


CA 02237071 1998-06-26



PERMANENT AQUEOUS MARKER INKS INCLUDING SILICONE
This application is a divisional of Application Serial No. 2,140,652 filed July
13, 1993.
Back~round of the Invention
This invention relates to m~rking compositions.
Traditionally, permanent inks for use in markers have been provided in liquid
form, as solvent-based or aqueous solutions. Solvent-based inks generally provide good
adhesion and wetting on a wide variety of smooth, difflcult to wet substrates, e.g., glass,
plastic and metal. However, there is an increasing desire in the field to reduce or
10 elimin~te solvent use, due to environmental and safety concerns, and secondarily, to avoid
the unpleasant odour of solvent-based inks. Aqueous inks, form~ tecl to replace solvent
based inks, generally do not wet all substrates, particularly plastics, glass and metal, and
are often not water-fast.
The invention features permanent aqueous marker inks that can be used to
15 mark, e.g., paper, plastics, glass, and metal.
One aspect of the invention features an aqueous marker ink which includes a
silicone surfactant, a film-forming polymer, a pigment, and water. In preferred
compositions, the silicone surfactant is a siloxane or silane surfactant and the silicone
~ulrac~lll is fluorinated. The compositions may further include a fluorocarbon and/or a
20 hydrocarbon surfactant.
Preferred inks include, by weight, about 0.1 to 1, more preferably 0.2 to 0.6
percent of the surfactant(s), about 10 to 40, more preferably 20 to 30 percent of the film-
forming polymer, about 2 to 8 percent pigment, and sufficient water to provide a viscosity


CA 02237071 1998-06-26



of less than about 20 cps. The ink may also include a small quantity (preferably 1-10%)
of a low (less than 5) carbon alcohol.
The invention also features a method of m~rking a substrate, e.g., glass,
plastic or metal. The method includes the steps of providing a marker having a reservoir,
5 the reservoir cont~ining one of the featured inks, and making a mark with the marker on
the substrate.
Preferred marker inks advantageously do not include any solvent. The term
"solvent", as used herein, refers to liquids which are defined as Volatile Organic
Compounds (VOCs). Further, they are permanent, i.e., water-fast and fade resistant, and
10 write well on a wide variety of substrates, including difficult to wet substrates such as
glass, metal, and plastics, e.g., poly~ropylene, polyethylene and PVC film (SARAN~
film). Preferred inks have a surface tension of from about 18 to 34 dynes/cm.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the
description of the plefclled embodiments thereof, and from the claims.
Prefcll~d marker inks include a surfactant, or combination of surfactants, to
reduce the surface tension of the ink composition to less than about 35 dynes/cm, an
acrylic film-forming polymer, a water-dispersible pigment, a humectant, and water.
The surfactant(s) can be either: (a) a silicone surfactant, or (b) a combination
of a silicone surfactant and a fluorocarbon surfactant and/or a hydrocarbon surfactant.
20 The total amount of the surfactant in the composition is preferably from about 0.1 to 1,
more preferably 0.2 to 0.6 percent by weight. It is plcfelled that the amount of the
surfactant(s) included, and the ratio of surfact~nt~, if a combination is used, be selected
so as to provide a composition having a surface tension between about 18 and 34


CA 02237071 1998-06-26



dynes/cm. Too little surfactant(s) may prevent the composition from properly wetting
difficult substrates, while too much may cause the ink to "soak through" when used on
paper.
In the embo~iment~ in which a combination of fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon
5 surf~ct~nt~ is used, the ratio of fluorocarbon surfactant to hydrocarbon surfactant is
preferably about 1:1.
Suitable fluorocarbon surfact~nt~ include at least one aliphatic fluorocarbon
group. Preferred fluorocarbon surfactants include ZONYL~ FSA and FSN
fluorosurfactants, available from Dupont, which contain, respectively, lithium 3, [(lH, lH,
10 2H, 2H-fluoroalkyl) thio] proprionate and telomer B monoether with polyethylene glycol
(CAS No. 65545-80-4). Other suitable surf~ct~nt~ are fluorinated alkyl alkoxylates,
available from 3M under the tradename FLUORAD~, e.g., FLUORADTM FC-171
surfactant.
Hydrocarbon surf~ct~nt~ include at least one aliphatic group. Suitable
15 hydrocarbon surfactants include alkylphenol ethoxylates in which the alkyl group has
between 6 and 12 carbons. The plefel,ed alkylphenyl ethoxylate is octylphenol
ethoxylate, e.g., TRITONsM X-100 non-ionic surfactant, available from Union Carbide,
Danbury, CT.
Suitable silicone surfactants include silanes and siloxanes. Examples are
20 polyoxyethylene modified polydimethylsiloxanes (referred to in the art as "silicone glycol
copolymers"), e.g., DOW CORNING~ Q2-5211 and Q2-5212 super-wetting agents,
available from Dow Corning Corp., Mi~ n~1, MI. Also preferred are fluorinated silicone


CA 02237071 1998-06-26



surf~ct~nt.c, e.g., fluorinated polysilanes, available from Ecology Chemical Co.,
Watertown, M~s~chllsett~, under the tradename LEVELENED' 100.
The choice of surfactant will depend upon the properties desired from the ink,
and cost and stability factors. Typically, the silicone surfactant provides good wetting
5 and allows the use of a single surfactant. Addition of the hydrocarbon/fluorocarbon
combination provides wetting properties that are stable over a long storage period.
Enough pigment should be included in the ink to provide an adequate colour
intellsily, but not so much that viscosity becomes excessively high. The pre~elled inks
include between approximately 2% and 8 % pigment by weight, more preferably between
10 approximately 5% and 7%. Pigments that may be used in the invention include water
dispersible pigments, and preferably the pigment is provided in the form of an aqueous
dispersion, for accurate measurement and uniform mixing. Suitable dispersions include
those available from Hoechst Celanese under the tradename FLEXONYL~ or
HOSTAFINE~ those available from KVK U.S.A. Inc. under the tradename
15 PREDISOL~, those available from Heucotech Ltd. under the tradename
HEUCOSPERSE~, those available from Nippon Keiko K~g~ , Ltd. under the tradename
LUMIKOL~, and those available from Mikuni Colour Works, Inc. under the tradename
TITICACATM. The total amount of the pigment dispersion to be added will
depend upon the solids level of the dispersion, and will be selected to give an effective
20 amount of the pigment, as described above. It is preferred that the pigment have a
relatively small particle size, preferably less than 0.5 micron, to prevent settling. The
small particle size also is more suitable for use in capillary feed markers.


CA 02237071 1998-06-26


The acrylic polymer is preferably provided in the form of an emulsion.
However, if desired, a water soluble acrylic may be used. Preferred acrylic polymers
include thermoplastic acrylics, e.g., polymethacrylates, such as polymethyl methacrylate
and other methyl acrylates. A p~felled acrylic emulsion is RHOPLEX~ AC-261
5 emulsion, available from Rohm and Haas Co., Philadelphia, PA. Rhoplex AC-261 is an
all-acrylic co-polymer combination, a butyl acrylate/methyl methacrylate blend having a
low acid content, a molecular weight of around 1,000,000 and a glass transition
lelllpeld~ulc of between 15 and 20. The resin is thermoplastic and in use forms a film on
the substrate by coalescence after the correction fluid is applied. Preferred compositions
10 contain from about 20 to 30 weight percent of the acrylic polymer. Too much of the
acrylic may result in undesirably high viscosity at an effective level of pigment, while too
little may result in an ink having poor water re~ t~nre when dry.
Preferred hllm~ct~nt~ are glycols, such as diethylene or di~ro~ylene glycol or
glycerol. A more preferred humectant is propylene glycol. The humectant prevents
15 dry-out of the marker when the cap is left off. Accordingly, too much may cause the ink
to dry too slowly, while too little may not prevent drying out of the marker. Preferred
compositions include from 1 to 25 weight percent of the humectant, preferably from about
5 to 15 weight percent.
Other conventional ingredients may be included in the composition, e.g.,
20 biocides.
Sufficient water should be included in the ink so that its Brookfield viscosity
at 25~C is less than about 20 cps, more preferably between about 2 cps and 10 cps. If
the viscosity is too low, the composition may not contain effective amounts of the active


CA 02237071 1998-06-26



ingredients. If the viscosity is too high, the ink may be too thick for practical use,
particularly in capillary feed systems.
A preferred procedure for preparing the compositions of the invention is to
provide the pigment in the form of a dispersion, add to this dispersion the super-wetting
5 surfactant (if a blend of surfact~ntc is used, these are preferably mixed prior to addition
to the pigment dispersion), then add the humectant, the water, and, finally, the acrylic
emulsion, mixing between each addition. The ingredients can be mixed using any
conventional mixer, under conditions of relatively low shear.
The following examples illustrate the invention.
10 EXAMPLE 1
A series of ink compositions were prepared using the pl~efelled procedure
described above. The formulations for these compositions are given in Table 1. Each ink
was tested by forming a line on a series of substrates (PVC film (SARANTM wrap),
polyethylene, polypropylene, metal, glass and cellophane tape) and observing whether the
15 line dried without shrinkage and/or beading. Each ink formed a uniform line, without
beading or shrinkage, on each of the test substrates.


CA 02237071 1998-06-26


TABLE 1

Ingredient Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 Sample 4
HOSTAFINETM B-2G 15
Pigment dispersion
FLEXONYL~ ACB 10 10
Pigment dispersion
FLEXONYL~ AB26 10
Pigment dispersion
Propylene Glycol 10 10 10 10
TRITONn' X-100 0.5
hydrocarbon surf.
ZONYL~ FSA 0.25
fluorocarbon surf.
SUPER~ KSx 0.5
Q2-5212 silicone
LEVELENE~ 100 1 0.5 0.5
hydrocarbon surf.
bacteriocide 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

RHOPLEX~ AC261 50 50 50 50
acrylic polymer
water 24 29 29 29

~ CA 02237071 1998-06-26




Other Embo(1imentc


Other embodiments are within the claim. For example, a small amount (less
than 10%) of 2-propanol may be added to the ink to decrease the drying time.

Representative Drawing

Sorry, the representative drawing for patent document number 2237071 was not found.

Administrative Status

For a clearer understanding of the status of the application/patent presented on this page, the site Disclaimer , as well as the definitions for Patent , Administrative Status , Maintenance Fee  and Payment History  should be consulted.

Administrative Status

Title Date
Forecasted Issue Date Unavailable
(22) Filed 1993-07-13
(41) Open to Public Inspection 1994-02-03
Examination Requested 2000-05-09
Dead Application 2004-09-24

Abandonment History

Abandonment Date Reason Reinstatement Date
2003-07-14 FAILURE TO PAY APPLICATION MAINTENANCE FEE 2003-07-30
2003-09-24 R30(2) - Failure to Respond
2004-07-13 FAILURE TO PAY APPLICATION MAINTENANCE FEE

Payment History

Fee Type Anniversary Year Due Date Amount Paid Paid Date
Registration of a document - section 124 $50.00 1998-06-06
Application Fee $300.00 1998-06-06
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 2 1995-07-13 $100.00 1998-06-06
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 3 1996-07-15 $100.00 1998-06-06
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 4 1997-07-14 $100.00 1998-06-06
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 5 1998-07-13 $150.00 1998-06-06
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 6 1999-07-13 $150.00 1999-06-22
Request for Examination $400.00 2000-05-09
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 7 2000-07-13 $150.00 2000-06-29
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 8 2001-07-13 $150.00 2001-06-22
Registration of a document - section 124 $50.00 2001-09-21
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 9 2002-07-15 $150.00 2002-07-12
Reinstatement: Failure to Pay Application Maintenance Fees $200.00 2003-07-30
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 10 2003-07-14 $200.00 2003-07-30
Owners on Record

Note: Records showing the ownership history in alphabetical order.

Current Owners on Record
BEROL CORPORATION
Past Owners on Record
LOFTIN, RACHEL M.
SANBORN, KIMBERLY BORELLI
THE GILLETTE COMPANY
Past Owners that do not appear in the "Owners on Record" listing will appear in other documentation within the application.
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Document
Description 
Date
(yyyy-mm-dd) 
Number of pages   Size of Image (KB) 
Cover Page 1998-11-27 1 32
Abstract 1998-06-26 1 10
Description 1998-06-26 8 252
Claims 1998-06-26 2 45
Correspondence 1998-08-19 1 1
Assignment 1998-06-26 2 86
Correspondence 1998-07-28 1 15
Prosecution-Amendment 2000-05-09 1 28
Prosecution-Amendment 2000-08-01 1 36
Assignment 2001-09-21 8 309
Prosecution-Amendment 2003-03-24 2 69
Fees 2003-07-30 1 36
Fees 2002-07-12 1 27