Compositions and thermal mass transfer donor elements for use in producing signage articles
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsLisa Flatt Nelson, Hsin-Hsin Chou, Christopher E. Kunze
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Coatable thermal mass transfer precursor compositions, suitable for producing thermal mass transfer donor elements, are described, the coatable compositions comprising a polyalkylene binder precursor; an acrylic binder precursor; an effective amount of a pigment to provide the desired color to a thermal mass transfer composition using the coatable composition; and d) a diluent (preferably water) in which the polyalkylene binder precursor, acrylic binder precursor, and pigment are all dispersed therein. Signage articles produced using the donor elements are also described.
Claims10
A signage article comprising a thermal mass transfer composition in the form of indicia adhered to a retroreflective sheeting, the thermal mass transfer composition comprising:
- a) an aliphatic polyalkylene binder;
- b) an aliphatic acrylic binder that is a polymer or copolymer formed from acrylic or methacrylic acid, wherein the polyalkylene binder and acrylic binder are present at a weight ratio of polyalkylene binder to acrylic binder ranging from about 1.5:1.0 to about 15:1.0;
- and
- c) an effective amount of a pigment to provide the desired color to a thermal mass transfer composition;
- wherein the pigment and the acrylic binder are present at a weight ratio of pigment to acrylic binder ranging from about 0.5:1.0 to about 1.5:1.0, and the polyalkylene binder is present in an amount sufficient to provide the desired UV and visible light transparency and gloss to the thermal mass transfer composition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.