Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

3m Innovative Properties Company

Richard J Kuo

Charles E Boyer, Iii

Larry R Krepski

Terrance P Smith

James G Carlson

Prabhakara Satyauolu Rao

Mathias Detjen

Smarajit Mitra

Charles David Hoyle

Daniel B Pendergrass, Jr

James A Bonham

Paul E Marecki

Jeffrey T Anderson

Leonard Stulc

Felix P Lau

Kenneth D Wilson

Tadesse G Nigatu

Steven T Hedrick

Kenneth M White

Donald M Yenni, Jr

Ronald W Seemann

Jennifer Jeannette

Brian W Dunne

Kimberly R Kukla

Eric J Borchers

Stephen M Logiudice

Rick L Van Buren

John W Mackay

A tamper-indicating printable sheet. A preferred embodiment of the invention provides a tamper-indicating printable sheet comprising a retroreflective layer comprising a plurality of microbeads partially embedded in an inkjet receptive beadbond layer; and a reflector layer between one of the microbeads and the inkjet receptive beadbond layer. The present invention provides a method of making a tamper-indicating printable sheet.

Tamper-indicating printable sheet for securing documents of value and methods of making the same

Described are pigmented inks comprising a liquid medium, a pigment, and a polyurethane dispersant, the pigment being stabilized by the polyurethane dispersant, and the ink being suitable for use in an ink jet printer.

Ink jet ink containing polyurethane dispersant

Pigmented inks are disclosed comprising an aqueous medium, a pigment, a dispersant, and a humectant. Inks are disclosed where the humectant is a sulfonated polyethylene oxide which provides long decap times and fast drying of the printed image. Inks are further disclosed where the dispersant is an alkyl(sulfophenoxy)benzenesulfonic acid or its salt. Such dispersants reduce the agglomeration of pigment particles and reduce or eliminate the deposition of foreign substances on heater elements during the jetting process. A variety of pigments, dispersants, humectants, and aqueous media can be used. Combinations of a sulfonated polyethylene oxide humectant and an alkyl(sulfophenoxy)benzenesulfonic acid (salt) dispersant provide inks with good stability, few kogation problems, long decap times and relatively fast drying times.

Pigmented inks and dispersants used therewith

Water-based pigmented inks

Pigmented inks are disclosed comprising an aqueous medium, a pigment, and a N-disubstituted sulfosuccinamate dispersant, preferably tetrasodium N-(1,2-dicarboxyethyl)-N-octadecyl sulfosuccinamate. Such dispersants reduce the agglomeration of pigment particles and reduce or eliminate the deposition of foreign substances on heater elements during the jetting process. A variety of pigments, dispersants, humectants, and aqueous media can be used. Such dispersants provide inks with good stability, few kogation problems, long decap times, and no color-to-color bleed, and relatively fast drying times.

Pigmented inks and N-(1,2-dicarboxyethyl)-N-disubstituted

Water-based pigmented ink formulations are disclosed including a water soluble or water dispersible silicone-containing polymer additive comprising a vinyl silicone polymer. The additive significantly reduces kogation, mudcracking, and banding in some or all of the pigmented ink formulations.

Water-based pigmented inks having silicone-containing polymer

Water-based pigmented inks are disclosed. Such inks are formed from water-based dispersions of pigment particles having novel dispersants therein. The dispersions are formed from the reaction product of an alkenyl azlactone with an N-substituted amino acid compound. Subsequent to the reaction, the reaction product is ring-opened using an amine and, optionally, hydrolyzed. The resulting inks are well-suited for use in ink jet and other printing applications.

Pigmented inks and humectants used therewith

Radiation-sensitive polymeric adducts of (1) a sulfonated polyester resin having a plurality of sulfonate groups, (2) a diazonium resin having a plurality of diazonium groups, and (3) a salt of quaternary ammonium or quaternary phosphonium. This invention also provides a radiation-sensitive article comprising a substrate bearing a coating containing a radiation-sensitive adduct.

Radiation-sensitive adducts comprising diazonium cations, quaternary

A layered microwave radiation absorber comprises an absorbing layer bound to one side of a conductive layer (such as a metallic plate or foil), and an adhesive layer bound on the other side of the conductive layer. The combination may be applied directly to the surface of any object, but especially to an existing conductive object coated with an nonconductive coating (such as paint) without removing the nonconductive coating from the surface. Several types of absorbing materials may be used, and other layers may be included. The absorber has superior resistance to delamination.

Microwave absorber for direct surface application

A conformable electromagnetic radiation suppression cover comprising one or more absorbing material(s) and a sealant. The cover conforms to the shape of a reflecting structure due to forces internal to the absorbing material(s) when the cover is subjected to an agent external to the cover. The absorber comprises dissipative particles bound in a conformable polymeric binder. The sealant is positioned to seal the conformable cover to the reflecting structure, and provides environmental protection to the structure and preferably better adhesion between the cover and the structure. In a preferred embodiment, the volume of the cover is varied before shrinkage to produce a cover thickness in the direction of incident radiation, as measured after shrinkage, which produces a preselected resonant frequency for the cover. The cover may include a conductive surface, such as a metallic foil. Impedance matching materials are preferred but not required.

Electromagnetic radiation suppression cover

An electromagnetic radiation absorber is formed by dispersing into a dielectric binder acicular magnetic metallic filaments with an average length of about 10 micron or less, diameters of 0.1 micron or more, and aspect (length/diameter) ratios between 10:1 and 50:1. Preferably the average length is about 5 micron, the aspect ratios are between 10:1 and 25:1, and the dielectric binder is polymeric. The volume fraction of the filaments may be lower than 35% of the total and still provide satisfactory absorption. An absorbing paint is formed by dissolving the absorber in a base liquid. The absorber or absorbing paint may be applied to a conductive surface, such as a metallic wire, plate or foil. Impedance matching materials are preferred but not required.

Microwave absorber employing acicular magnetic metallic filaments

Flexible magnetic recording media such as videotapes based on ferromagnetic oxide particles can provide high carrier-to-noise ratios previously available only with metal powder tapes when the recording layer has a high loading (at least 74% by weight) of oxide particles which have a high surface area (at least 40 m.sup.2 /g) and includes free monobasic fatty acid comprising more than 1.5% by weight of the ferromagnetic oxide particles. The free fatty acid provides a coefficient of friction not exceeding 0.3. A preferred monobasic fatty acid is myristic acid. By incorporating into the binder a lubricant-adsorption inhibitor such as citric acid, a greater proportion of the fatty acid remains free.

Growing community of inventors

Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

Richard J Kuo