# US 9,435,079 B2 · Uncoated recording media

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- Number: US 9,435,079 B2
- Document ID: US9435079B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/389,867
- Filed: 2012-05-25
- Published: 2015-03-05
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2012-05-25
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Thomas Roger Oswald; John L. Stoffel; George B. Clifton; Robert J. Lawton
- Inventors: Thomas Roger Oswald; John L. Stoffel; George B. Clifton; Robert J. Lawton
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9435079B2

## CPC

- D21H 17/73: {of inorganic material}
- B41M 5/50: Recording sheets characterised by the coating used to improve ink, dye or pigment receptivity, e.g. for ink-jet or thermal dye transfer recording {(printing on organic plastics using a printer's form B41M1/30; printing on pre-treated paper with a printer's form B41M1/36)}
- D21H 11/00: Pulp or paper, comprising cellulose or lignocellulose fibres of natural origin only
- D21H 11/02: Chemical or chemomechanical {or chemothermomechanical} pulp
- D21H 11/10: Mixtures of chemical and mechanical pulp
- D21H 17/66: Salts, e.g. alums
- D21H 17/67: Water-insoluble compounds, e.g. fillers, pigments
- D21H 17/675: {Oxides, hydroxides or carbonates}
- D21H 17/68: siliceous, e.g. clays
- B41M 5/0035: {Uncoated paper (paper making D21)}
- B41M 5/0047: {by ink-jet printing}
- D21H 11/08: Mechanical or thermomechanical pulp
- D21H 17/63: Inorganic compounds
- D21H 27/00: Special paper not otherwise provided for, e.g. made by multi-step processes
- D21H: PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B41M: PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING, (correction of typographical errors B41J; processes for applying transfer pictures or the like B44C1/16; fluid media for correction of typographical errors by coating C09D10/00; printing textiles D06P)

## Abstract

An uncoated recording medium includes a blend of hardwood fibers and softwood fibers. The total fiber content is at least 80 wt % of a total wt % of the uncoated recording medium. A filler is present in the uncoated recording medium in an amount ranging from about 3 wt % to about 10.2 wt % of the total wt % of the uncoated recording medium. The uncoated recording medium has i) a weight ranging from about 50 g/m2 to about 70 g/m2, and ii) a machine direction Lorentezen & Wetter 5 degree bending stiffness ranging from about 0.19 mNm to about 0.27 mNm and a cross direction Lorentezen & Wetter 5 degree bending stiffness ranging from about 0.09 mNm to about 0.12 mNm, and iii) an ISO brightness of at least 86.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An uncoated recording medium, comprising:
a blend of hardwood fibers and softwood fibers, wherein a total fiber content is at least 80 wt % of a total wt % of the uncoated recording medium; and
a filler present in an amount ranging from about 3 wt % to about 10.2 wt % of the total wt % of the uncoated recording medium;
the uncoated recording medium having i) a weight ranging from about 50 g/m2 to about 70 g/m2, ii) a machine direction Lorentezen & Wetter 5 degree bending stiffness ranging from about 0.19 mNm to about 0.27 mNM and a cross direction Lorentezen & Wetter 5 degree bending stiffness ranging from about 0.09 mNm to about 0.12 mNm, and iii) an ISO brightness of at least 86.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The uncoated recording medium as defined in claim 1, further comprising a salt present in an amount ranging from about 4000 μg per gram of the uncoated recording medium to about 9500 μg per gram of the uncoated recording medium.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The uncoated recording medium as defined in claim 1 wherein the uncoated recording medium further has an opacity of at least 82.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The uncoated recording medium as defined in claim 1 wherein the filler is chosen from titanium dioxide, precipitated calcium carbonate, ground calcium carbonate, talc, clay, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The uncoated recording medium as defined in claim 4 wherein:
the filler includes a combination of the titanium dioxide and the precipitated calcium carbonate;
an amount of the titanium dioxide ranges from 0.2 wt % to about 1 wt % of the total wt % of the uncoated recording medium; and
an amount of the precipitated calcium carbonate ranges from about 3 wt % to about 8.8 wt % of the total wt % of the uncoated recording medium.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The uncoated recording medium as defined in claim 1 wherein the blend includes a ratio of the hardwood fibers to the softwood fibers ranging from about 70/30 to about 60/40.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The uncoated recording medium as defined in claim 1, further comprising a size press starch additive, an internal starch additive, and any of alkyl ketene dimer or alkenyl succinic anhydride.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The uncoated recording medium as defined in claim 1 wherein the uncoated recording medium excludes expanded fibers.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The uncoated recording medium as defined in claim 1 wherein the uncoated recording medium has an ash content ranging from about 3 wt % to about 9% of the total wt % of the uncoated recording medium.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The uncoated recording medium as defined in claim 1 wherein:
i) the blend of hardwood fibers and softwood fibers includes chemically pulped hardwood fibers and chemically pulped softwood fibers; or
ii) at least 90 wt % of the total fiber content includes chemically pulped hardwood fibers and chemically pulped softwood fibers, and up to 10 wt % of the total fiber content includes mechanically pulped hardwood fibers and mechanically pulped softwood fibers.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A printing method for the uncoated recoding medium as defined in claim 1, the method comprising one of:
i) inkjet printing an ink on the uncoated recording medium; or
ii) applying a toner to the uncoated recording medium; and
fusing the toner utilizing an energy savings printing mode.

### Claim 12

An uncoated recording medium, comprising:
a blend of hardwood fibers and softwood fibers, wherein a total fiber content is at least 80 wt % of a total wt % of the uncoated recording medium;
a filler present in an amount ranging from about 3 wt % to about 10.2 wt % of the total wt % of the uncoated recording medium; and
a salt present in an amount ranging from about 4000 μg per gram of the uncoated recording medium to about 9500 μg per gram of the uncoated recording medium.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

A printing method for the uncoated recoding medium as defined in claim 12, the method comprising;
inkjet printing an ink onto a surface of the uncoated recording medium.

### Claim 14

A method, comprising:
selecting an amount of a fiber blend and an amount of a filler to achieve an uncoated recording medium having i) a weight ranging from about 50 g/m2 to about 70 g/m2, ii) a machine direction Lorentezen & Wetter 5 degree bending stiffness of at least 0.14 mNm and a cross direction Lorentezen & Wetter 5 degree bending stiffness ranging from about 0.09 mNm to about 0.12 mNm, iii) an ISO brightness of at least 86, and iv) an opacity of at least 82.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method as defined in claim 14 wherein:
the selecting of the amount of the fiber blend includes selecting at least 80 wt % of a total wt % of the uncoated recording medium to include a ratio of hardwood fibers to softwood fibers that ranges from about 70/30 to about 60/40; and
the selecting of the amount of the filler includes selecting from about 3 wt % to about 10.2 wt % of the total wt % of the uncoated recording medium to include the filler chosen from titanium dioxide, precipitated calcium carbonate, ground calcium carbonate, talc, clay, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method as defined in claim 15 wherein the selecting of the amount of filler includes:
selecting the titanium dioxide to make up from about 0.2 wt % to about 1 wt % of the total wt % of the uncoated recording medium; and
selecting the precipitated calcium carbonate to make up from about 3 wt % to about 8.8 wt % of the total wt % of the uncoated recording medium.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method as defined in claim 14, further comprising:
exposing the fiber blend and the filler to a papermaking process to form the uncoated recording medium; and
adding a salt during the papermaking process at a size press.