Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Garlito B.v.

Kristian John Sime

James Edward Fox

Alan Lionel Hudd

Jagvl Ramesh Patel

A surfactant selected from an acrylate-modified polydimethylsiloxane or a polyether-modified polydimethylsiloxane is used, together with at least a colorant and a UV-curable organic diluent, in a non-aqueous UV-curable ink composition suitable for ink jet printing. The use of this type of surfactant prevents the ink composition from causing the loss of more than 5% of the nozzles in an ink jet print head and enables the composition to provide a hole to area ratio of no more than 0.05. The present ink compositions have particular application in the printing of packaging for foodstuffs.

Ink composition

A hot-melt ink for use with an ink jet printing apparatus is a liquid at about 100&deg; C. to about 130&deg; C. and solidifies to a two-phase solid having an elastic phase and a crystalline phase. The ink is formulated from a carrier, a first plasticizer, a linear block copolymer, a block copolymer plasticizer, a flow additive and a colorant. The block copolymer plasticizer, in combination with the linear block copolymer forms an elastic phase of the ink upon solidifying. The first plasticizer exhibits sufficiently low viscosity at elevated temperatures to permit ejection of the liquid ink from the printing apparatus. A method for producing indicia is also disclosed.

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Duxford, United Kingdom

Kristian John Sime