Eastman-kodak Company

Julie Baker

Colin J Gray

Anthony M Barnett

Malcolm D Purbrick

Joanne S Hunt

Alan R Pitt

John M Higgins

Malcom D Purbrick

Charles E Romano, Jr

Ian M Newington

Roger H Piggin

Jeffrey K Green

Philip J Coldrick

Dawn J Jenkins

David A Hallbery

Ian Barford

A method of patterning a mesoporous nano particulate layer on a conductive substrate comprises the steps of depositing a pattern on the conductive substrate, depositing a layer of titanium dioxide by atomic layer deposition on the substrate, removing the underlying pattern with a solvent to leave discrete areas of titanium dioxide, depositing a mesoporous nano particulate layer over the whole substrate, and depositing a second layer of titanium dioxide by atomic layer deposition above the mesoporous nano particulate layer whereby the areas of mesoporous nano particulate layer and second titanium dioxide layer over the areas where the first layer of titanium dioxide was removed with the solvent fall off, leaving the patterned mesoporous nano particulate layer.

Method of patterning a mesoporous nano particulate layer

The use of a boric acid, borate or derivate and/or salt thereof in a subbing layer coated onto a non resin-coated support beneath an upper layer comprising a binder and an inorganic particulate material such as fumed silica and an under layer between the upper layer and the subbing layer, which under layer comprises a binder and an inorganic particulate material such as calcium carbonate, increases the gloss of an ink jet receiver formed thereby whilst maintaining good ink absorption, good image density and minimizing puddling and associated coalescence, and where the receiver otherwise suffers from surface-cracking, decreases the propensity to cracking.

Ink-jet receiver having improved gloss

The invention provides an inkjet recording medium, comprising a support and an ink receiving layer supported on the support. The ink receiving layer comprising a porous hydrophilic polymer.

Inkjet recording medium

The invention provides a method of making a material, said method comprising generating a foamed hydrophilic polymer solution, especially of a gelatin or derivative thereof, and treating said foamed hydrophilic polymer solution with sufficient energy and for a sufficiently short time that a polymer foam having an open-cell structure is formed. The invention also provides a material comprising a support and an ink receiving layer supported on the support, the ink receiving layer comprising porous hydrophilic polymer, especially gelatin, and is formed by coating a solution of foamed hydrophilic polymer, especially gelatin, onto a support substrate and drying the coated substrate for a time period selected to be short enough such that an open-cell foam is formed.

Foamed material and a method of making a foamed material

The invention provides a method of making a material. The method comprises the step of coating a support with a solution comprising a hydrophilic polymer and a blowing agent. Either prior to or after the step of coating the support, the solution is interacted with in some way e.g. heated, to cause the blowing agent to generate gas bubbles within the solution, causing foaming of the hydrophilic polymer.

Method of making a material

A coating fluid for application to a support to prepare an ink jet recording medium comprises an aqueous dispersion of a synthetic polymer hydrogel and gelatin, the amount of the synthetic polymer hydrogel being from 5 to 50% by weight of the combined weight of synthetic polymer and gelatin. Preferably the coating fluid also contains a mordant, an aliphatic alcohol to assist dispersion of the hydrogel polymer and a particulate material to impart a porous structure to the coating. The invention also provides an inkjet recording medium comprising a support on which is an ink-receiving layer comprising the gelatin and a synthetic polymer hydrogel. The amount of the latter may be from 0.3 to 5 g/square meter.

Ink jet recording media and method for their preparation

The invention provides a method of making a material comprising the steps of: coating a support with a solution comprising a polymer, a blowing agent and a surfactant. Either prior to or after the step of coating the support, the solution is interacted with to cause the blowing agent to generate bubbles within the solution causing foaming of the polymer. The surfactant is selected in dependence on whether or not it satisfies one or more predetermined criteria, to control the size of the bubbles.

A method of making a material comprises the steps of coating a support with a solution, the solution comprising a polymer and at least one blowing agent. Activation of the blowing agent is prevented until after coating.

An image recording medium for an ink jet printer comprises(a) a sheet of solvent absorbing microporous material which comprises a matrix of substantially water insoluble thermoplastic organic polymer, finely divided substantially water insoluble filler particles of which at least 50% by weight are siliceous particles said filler particles being distributed throughout the matrix and constituting from 40 to 90% by weight of said micorporous material, there being a network of interconnecting pores communicating substantially throughout said microporous material said pores constituting from 35 to 95% by volume of said microporous material, said sheet of microporous material having (b) a coating of a polyester. The polyester can be a condensation product obtained from dicarboxylic acids and glycols and contains sufficient hydrophilic groups such as sulphonate to make it water dispersible. The ink jet recording medium can be made by coating a sheet of the microporous material with an aqueous dispersion of a polyester resin and allowing the coated sheet to dry.

Ink jet recording media and method for their production

A coating fluid for forming a coating on a support for use in inkjet printing comprises a liquid medium having dispersed therein (a) an inorganic oxide selected from aluminium oxide and silica, (b) a binder polymer, and (c) a polymeric crosslinking agent containing functional groups for reaction with the inorganic oxide. The components (a), (b) and (c) are preferably dispersed in an aqueous liquid and the relative amounts of inorganic oxide to polymeric crosslinking agent are from 500:1 to 15:1 preferably 250:1 to 20:1, the relative amounts of inorganic oxide to binder polymer are from 50:1 to 2:1 preferably 20:1 to 4:1 and the relative amounts of binder polymer to polymeric crosslinking agent are from 40:1 to 2:1 preferably from 20:1 to 3:1 the amounts being by weight on a dry basis.

Coating fluid for the preparation of a recording medium for use in inkjet printing

Inkjet ink image recording element

High contrast photographic element containing a novel combination of nucleators

An image-recording element for inkjet ink images comprises a support, an ink-receptive layer and a top layer, wherein the top layer comprises a polymer that contains both a hydrophilic component and a hydrophobic component, or a mixture of two or more such polymers, the said polymer or polymer mixture being present in the top layer in an amount of from 0.003 to 0.5 g/m . The top layer preferably comprises a polymer that contains both hydrophilic substituents and hydrophobic substituents, for example a polymer selected from the polymers and copolymers of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, acrylic acid esters or methacrylic acid esters, or a salt of such a polymer or copolymer. The base layer, which may comprise gelatin, preferably has a thickness of from 3 to 20 &mgr;m. The support may be a conventional support, for example a paper sheet. The invention can provide improved drying times for the inkjet images, even under conditions of high humidity.

Ink-jet media

An image-recording element for inkjet ink images comprises a support, an ink-receptive layer and a top layer, wherein the top layer comprises a polymer that contains both a hydrophilic component and a hydrophobic component, or a mixture of two or more such polymers, the said polymer or polymer mixture being present in the top layer in an amount of from 0.003 to 0.5 g/m , and wherein the top layer has been hardened with an oxazoline functional polymer. The top layer preferably comprises a polymer that contains both hydrophilic substituents and hydrophobic substituents, for example a polymer selected from the polymers and copolymers of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, acrylic acid esters or methacrylic acid esters, or a salt of such a polymer or copolymer. The base layer, which may comprise gelatin, preferably has a thickness of from 3 to 20 &mgr;m. The support may be a conventional support, for example a paper sheet. The invention can provide improved drying times for the inkjet images, even under conditions of high humidity.

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Leavesden, United Kingdom

Julie Baker