Surfactant initiator and latexes prepared using same
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsSivapackia Ganapathiappan, Zhang-Lin Zhou
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Abstract
The present invention is drawn to a surfactant initiator. The surfactant initiator includes a first hydrophilic chemical group bonded to a first hydrophobic chemical group to form a first portion. A second portion is also included, made up of a second hydrophilic chemical group bonded to a second hydrophobic chemical group. A homolytic cleavable group chemically bonds the first and second portions. At least one of the first and second portions is configured to initiate free-radical polymerization upon separation of the homolytic cleavable group. Such surfactant initiators can be used to produce latex particulates and associated suspensions and inks.
Claims17
A latex, comprising a plurality of latex particulates dispersed in a liquid vehicle, said latex particulates including a plurality of polymer chains having a surfactant chemically attached to an initial end of a plurality of the polymer chains, such that each polymer chain is substantially free of surfactant not attached to the initial ends, wherein no more than 10% of the surfactant is present in the liquid medium, and wherein greater than 75% of the plurality of polymer chains have a surfactant chemically attached to an initial end thereof.
A latex comprising a plurality of latex particulates dispersed in a liquid vehicle, said latex particulates including a plurality of polymer chains having a surfactant chemically attached to an initial end of a plurality of the polymer chains, such that each polymer chain is substantially free of surfactant not attached to the initial ends, wherein no more than 10% of the surfactant is present in the liquid medium, and wherein the surfactant is generated from a surfactant initiator, comprising:
- a first hydrophilic chemical group bonded to a first hydrophobic chemical group to form a first portion;
- a second hydrophilic chemical group bonded to a second hydrophobic chemical group to form a second portion;
- and
- a homolytic cleavable group chemically bonding the first portion to the second portion,
- wherein when the surfactant initiator initiates free-radical polymerization and the homolytic cleavable group becomes separated, at least one of the first and the second portions form the surfactant that is chemically attached to an initial end of a plurality of the polymer chains.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.