Hydrocarbon Based Inks for Electronic Printing

Electrostatically assisted liquid inks have firmly established themselves as a viable developer option for certain printer applications. In this process a particle, either a pigment or a latex particle, is dispersed and electrostatically charged in a dielectric fluid. Under the influence of an electrostatic field within a development housing the particles undergo electrophoresis to neutralise a latent image that resides on the surface of a dielectric substrate. This results in a hard copy of the latent image being obtained. In this paper we review the properties demanded of a liquid toner, methods of preparing such inks, their colloidal behaviour and their electrical and imaging characteristics. The trade-offs that need to be made when optimising such developers is also discussed. Some conclusions are drawn regarding future materials directions for this toning technology.