# US 2005/0100810 A1 · Liquid toners for electrostatic printing of functional materials

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- Number: US 2005/0100810 A1
- Document ID: US20050100810A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 11/019,742
- Filed: 2004-12-22
- Published: 2005-05-12
- Earliest claimed: 2003-06-03
- Assignees: Electrox Corporation
- Inventors: Robert Detig
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20050100810A1

## CPC

- G03G 9/1355: {Ionic, organic compounds}
- G03G 9/135: characterised by stabiliser or charge-controlling agents
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY

## Abstract

Liquid toners suitable for use in the electrostatic printing of functional materials to produce microstructures such as ribs, electrodes, spacers or filters, and methods of producing the liquid toners. The functional materials, which may include metals, glass and phosphors, are suspended as particles in a dilutent, which may be a non-polar liquid. The surface, or portions of the surface, of the functional material particles are given an appropriate acidic or hydroxyl functionality necessary for their use in electrostatic imaging either by etching or by coating with a material having the appropriate surface functionality.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A liquid toner, comprising:
a liquid dilutent; and
one or more functional particles in suspension in said liquid, said functional particles having an active surface portion, said active surface portion having a functionality chosen from an acidic functionality and a hydroxyl functionality.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The liquid toner of claim 1 wherein said active surface portion comprises an etched region of said functional particle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The liquid toner of claim 2 wherein said etched region is etched by an acid solution thereby producing an acidic functionality.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The liquid toner of claim 2 wherein said etched region is etched by a basic solution thereby producing a basic functionality.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The liquid toner of claim 1 further comprising a surface coating covering at least a portion of the surface of said functional material and wherein said surface coating comprises said active surface portion.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The liquid toner of claim 5 wherein said surface coating comprises a resin with appropriate acidic or hydroxyl functionality.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The liquid toner of claim 1 wherein said functional particles have a mean particle size greater than or substantially equal to 0.3 microns.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The liquid toner of claim 1 wherein said functional particles have a mean particle size greater than or substantially equal to 1.27 microns.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The liquid toner of claim 1 wherein said functional particles have a mean particle size greater than or substantially equal to 30 microns.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The liquid toner of claim 1 wherein said functional particles consist essentially of a metal.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The liquid toner of claim 10 wherein said metal is chosen from the group consisting of aluminum and palladium.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The liquid toner of claim 1 wherein said functional particles consist essentially of a phosphor.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The liquid toner of claim 1 wherein said liquid dilutent is a non-polar organic liquid.

### Claim 14

A method of producing a liquid toner, comprising the steps of:
providing a liquid dilutent; and
providing one or more functional particles in suspension in said liquid; and
activating a portion of the surface of said functional particles to provide a surface functionality chosen from an acidic functionality and a hydroxyl functionality.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method claim 14 wherein said activating a portion of said surface further comprises the step of etching a region of said functional particle.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 wherein said etching further comprises using an acid solution thereby producing an acidic functionality.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 wherein said etching further comprise using a basic solution thereby producing a basic functionality.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 further comprising coating at least a portion of the surface of said functional material to provide a surface coating and wherein said surface coating comprises said active surface portion.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method claim 18 wherein said surface coating comprises a resin.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 wherein said functional particles have a mean particle size greater than or substantially equal to 30 microns.