Porous membranes and recording media comprising same
AssigneeFujifilm Manufacturing Europe B.V.
InventorsYujiro Itami, Akira Kase
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a porous membrane obtainable by polymerizing at least one type of curable epoxyacrylate monomer that is soluble in a solvent wherein at least 50 wt % of said solvent is water. The invention further relates to image recording materials, in which these porous membranes are used.
Claims20
A porous membrane obtainable by polymerizing a curable composition comprising a curable compound or compounds including at least one epoxyacrylate monomer which is polymerizing to form the porous membrane and being soluble in an aqueous solvent wherein at least 50 wt % of said solvent is water and wherein the miscibility of water with said epoxyacrylate monomer at 25° C. is between 4 weight % and 50 weight %, wherein the concentration of the curable compound or compounds in the solvent is between 20 wt % and 70 wt %, and wherein the epoxyacrylate monomer comprises at least one 2-acryloyloxy-1-hydroxy-ethyl group.
A recording medium comprising a support and a porous membrane obtainable by polymerizing a curable composition comprising a curable compound or compounds including at least one epoxyacrylate monomer which is polymerizing to form the porous membrane and being soluble in an aqueous solvent wherein at least 50 wt % of said solvent is water and wherein the miscibility of water with said epoxyacrylate monomer at 25° C. is between 4 weight % and 50 weight %, and wherein the concentration of the curable compound or compounds in the solvent is between 20 wt % and 70 wt %, and wherein the epoxyacrylate monomer comprises at least one 2-acryloyloxy-1-hydroxy-ethyl group.
A process for preparing a porous membrane comprising the steps of:
- providing at least one mixture of at least one epoxy acrylate monomer and optionally one or more other curable compounds in an aqueous solvent comprising at least 50% of water wherein the miscibility of water with said epoxyacrylate monomer at 25° C. is between 4 weight % and 50 weight %, wherein the concentration of the curable epoxyacrylate monomer and optionally one or more other curable compounds in the solvent is between 20 wt % and 70 wt % and wherein the epoxyacrylate monomer comprises at least one 2-acryloyloxy-1-hydroxy-ethyl group;
- applying said mixture to a support;
- curing said mixture by exposure to radiation of a suitable wavelength and intensity, thereby causing polymerization of the epoxyacrylate monomer and optionally one or more other curable compounds and phase separation between the curable compound(s) and the solvent;
- removing said solvent by drying and/or washing the resulting porous membrane;
- and
- optionally separating the porous membrane from said support.
A process for printing images or characters on a medium, using Giclée printing, colour copying, screen printing, gravure, dye-sublimation, flexography, and/or ink jet printing, wherein the medium comprises a support and a porous membrane obtainable by polymerizing a curable composition comprising a curable compound or compounds including at least one epoxyacrylate monomer which is polymerizing to form the porous membrane and being soluble in an aqueous solvent wherein at least 50 wt % of said solvent is water and wherein the miscibility of water with said epoxyacrylate monomer at 25° C. is between 4 weight % and 50 weight %, and wherein the concentration of the curable compound or compounds in the solvent is between 20 wt % and 70 wt %, and wherein the epoxyacrylate monomer comprises at least one 2-acryloyloxy-1-hydroxy-ethyl group.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.