Electrographic image transfer element having a protective layer
AssigneeRexam Graphics Inc.
InventorsTheresa M. Chagnon, Douglas Allan Cahill, Richard Scott Himmelwright, Dene Harvey Taylor
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Abstract
An electrographic image transfer element having a protective coating is disclosed. The protective coating is a single protective layer that contains a fluoropolymer and an acrylic polymer. Because the protective coating is resistant to surface pitting, dirt, stains, and general degradation, images formed from the element can be used effectively on billboards, banners, and other outdoor signs.
Claims23
An electrographic element comprising, in order:
- a) a conductive support base;
- b) a release layer;
- c) a protective layer consisting essentially of a fluoropolymer and an acrylic polymer compatible with said fluoropolymer, wherein said fluoropolymer has a surface energy of about 16 to 30 dynes/cm, and wherein the weight ratio of fluoropolymer to acrylic polymer is about 65:35 to about 85:15;
- d) a dielectric layer comprising a film-forming material having a dielectric constant of about 2 to 5;
- and
- e) an adhesive layer.
An imaged article having a protected surface, comprising in order:
- 1) a receptor substrate;
- 2) a toned image;
- 3) an adhesive layer;
- 4) a dielectric layer comprising a film-forming material having a dielectric constant of about 2 to 5;
- and
- 5) a protective layer consisting essentially of a fluoropolymer and an acrylic polymer compatible with said fluoropolymer, wherein said fluoropolymer has a surface energy of about 16 to 30 dynes/cm and wherein the weight ratio of fluoropolymer to acrylic polymer is about 65:35 to about 85:15.
An imaged article having a protected surface, comprising in order:
- 1) a receptor substrate;
- 2) a toned image;
- 3) an adhesive layer;
- 4) a dielectric layer comprising a film-forming material having a dielectric constant of about 2 to 5;
- and
- 5) a protective layer consisting essentially of a fluoropolymer and an acrylic polymer compatible with said fluoropolymer, wherein said fluoropolymer has a surface energy of about 16 to 30 dynes/cm and wherein the weight ratio of fluoropolymer to acrylic polymer is about 65:35 to about 85:15;
- wherein said article is prepared by a process comprising the steps of:
- A) electrographically depositing an electrostatic charge in image-wise fashion to form a latent image onto an image receptive surface of an electrographic element comprising, in order:
- a) a conductive support base;
- b) a release layer;
- c) a protective layer consisting essentially of a fluoropolymer and an acrylic polymer, wherein said fluoropolymer has a surface energy of about 16 to 30 dynes/cm, and wherein the weight ratio of fluoropolymer to acrylic polymer is about 65:35 to about 85:15;
- and
- d) a dielectric layer comprising a film-forming material having a dielectric constant of about 2 to 5;
- and
- e) an adhesive layer;
- B) applying a toner layer onto said electrostatic charge to produce a toned image;
- C) contacting said toned image and said adhesive and layer with a surface of the receptor substrate at a temperature sufficient to activate the adhesive layer to adhere the electrographic element to the substrate;
- and
- D) removing the support base and the release layer from the protective layer of the electrographic element to form the imaged article.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.