KR20210126755A - Acceptor material with nanocomposite filler material and polymer - Google Patents

Abstract

A transferable receptor material is provided comprising a polymeric film assembly comprising inorganic particles having a first dimension less than 100 nanometers and a second dimension orthogonal to greater than 100 nanometers. The polymer film assembly may be coupled with the carrier film, the polymer film assembly being configured to separate from the carrier film and coupled with a target surface along a defined edge upon application of heat. Optionally, the polymer film assembly comprises a holographic image configured to be transferred to a target surface upon application of heat. The polymer film assembly may be configured to receive one or more dyes, pigments, inks, special effect materials, or special effect metals for thermal transfer onto a target. After transfer onto the target, the image transferred by the material is seen through the polymer film assembly.

Description

Acceptor material with nanocomposite filler material and polymer

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 16/284,350 (filed on February 25, 2019), which is U.S. continuation application Ser. No. 15/873,432 (filed January 17, 2018); U.S. continuation application Ser. No. 12/919,785 (filed on August 27, 2010, which is now U.S. Patent No. 9,873,278, issued on January 23, 2018), which is United Kingdom application Ser. No. 0803760.8 (February 2008) It is the entry into the international phase of PCT Application No. PCT/GB2009/050169 (filed on February 20, 2009) claiming priority to (filed on February 29, 2009). The entirety of each of these applications is incorporated herein by reference.

Field

The present invention relates to acceptor materials that can be used in thermal transfer applications. For example, one or more embodiments described herein can be used to create a receptor material for inclusion in a thermal transfer ribbon. Optionally, the acceptor materials described herein may be used in applications other than thermal transfer applications.

Dye diffusion thermal transfer printing is a process in which one or more thermally transferable dyes are transferred from selected areas of a dye sheet to a receptor material by topical application of heat, thereby forming an image. A full-color image can be produced by using dyes of the three primary colors of yellow, magenta and cyan. Printing is typically performed using dye sheets in the form of stretched strips or ribbons of heat-resistant substrates, typically polyethylene terephthalate polyester films, which carry a plurality of similar sets of different colored dye coats, each set comprising comprising a panel of each dye color (eg, yellow, magenta and cyan as well as any black), the panel extending across the length of the ribbon and being arranged in a repeated order along the length of the ribbon. is the form of

Dye diffusion thermal transfer printing can be used to print directly on a variety of substrates, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC). However, some substrates, such as polycarbonate, certain polyesters and ABS, do not have enough water soluble dyes to form good quality images by printing directly on them.

This problem is well known, and one known solution is to apply a dye receptive coating, also called an acceptor layer, during the manufacture of the substrate.

For such a coating to adhere to a substrate, the coating must be sufficiently adhesive. However, since dye diffusion thermal transfer printing involves physical contact of the printed ribbon with the substrate printed thereon, this can create difficulties with excessive ribbon release force or even ribbon adhesion.

To overcome this problem, such coatings are typically curable so that these adhesive properties are reduced during crosslinking without the risk of the coating detaching from the substrate. To further reduce the risk of ribbon adhesion, a release agent such as silicone oil may be incorporated into the coating. However, often a very small area of the substrate is printed, and thus coating of the substrate during manufacture of the substrate may involve unnecessary costs.

An alternative solution is to transfer the receptor layer to the substrate by application of heat. Often this involves thermal transfer of a dyeable resin with good adhesion to adhere it to a substrate. In this case, the receptor layer is typically not cured by curing during the coating process, ie prior to transfer, which may interfere with or prevent the transfer of the receptor layer onto the substrate. In order to reduce the ribbon release force for subsequent printing, a release agent may be used, but this often provides an insufficient reduction in the ribbon release force, and ribbon adhesion is a problem, especially when a receptor layer with good adhesion is used; not removed

Thermal transfer of two or even three layers has been proposed as a solution to this problem. For example, an arrangement comprising an image receiving layer and an uppermost release layer after an adhesive layer is proposed in EP 0474355.

In a first aspect, the subject matter described herein provides a receptor layer for use in dye diffusion thermal transfer printing comprising a release agent in an at least partially embedded or exfoliated state and an expandable inorganic lamellar material.

The ribbon release force increases with successive color panels printed on a substrate with a receptor layer. Ribbon release forces may be acceptable when printing a first color panel (eg yellow) or even a subsequent color panel (eg magenta), but release to subsequent panels, particularly uncured receptor layers. power is too high

The increase in release force as printing progresses is believed to be due to the release agent being drawn or “clawed back” from the receptor layer during printing. Thus, while sufficient release agent may be present during first color printing, loss of release agent may cause adhesion of the ribbon to the receptor layer during subsequent color printing.

The acceptor layer may be thermally transferable.

One or more embodiments of the subject matter described herein utilize inorganic lamellar materials that are at least partially embedded or exfoliated. It is believed that the material in this state creates a tortuous pathway in the receptor layer, which impedes the movement of the release agent molecules, thus reducing the amount of release agent recovered during printing.

This makes it possible to prepare an acceptor layer, for example a thermally transferable layer, with good adhesion, dye-receptive and with acceptable releasability in one layer. Achieving these properties in one layer allows the layer to be made simpler and at reduced cost.

Prior to application to the substrate, the receptor layer can be coated onto the base film so that it can be transferred onto the substrate, for example using a thermal print head or by passing it through a hot rolling mill. The receptor layer may be coated as a continuous length onto the base film prior to printing, or alternatively, the receptor layer may be coated as part of a panel-type dye sheet, including, for example, yellow, magenta, cyan, black and overlay panels. can be coated from

The inorganic material may be a clay material and may be at least partially exfoliated.

The inorganic lamellar material, eg, clay, used in one or more embodiments of the inventive subject matter described herein is structurally different from traditional macrocomposites (see FIG. 1 ). Inorganic lamellar materials include polymeric materials that cause expansion of platelets in macrocomposites due to polymer molecules that enter between the platelets and create intercalated nanocomposites. This may be followed by further disruption of the platelet theorem resulting in platelets dispersed within the polymeric material, also known as exfoliated nanocomposites. The absence of such dispersion and platelet theorem is thought to form tortuous pathways within the receptor layer.

When the inorganic lamellar material is a clay, the material may be an organically modified clay, for example an organically modified montmorillonite smectite clay. However, in certain circumstances, for example, when water is used as a swelling agent in combination with a water-soluble polymer, an organically unmodified clay may be used.

Organic modifications can increase the affinity between the polymer and the lamellar material. Preferred organic modifiers are based on ammonium ions with attached functional groups, selected according to the polymeric material used to swell the lamellar material. Such functional groups may suitably be long chain alkyl groups, hydroxyl groups, aromatic rings or simply hydrogen. The organic modification may be performed using an ion exchange process between the lamellar material and the organic modifier. This method can also be used, for example, to add polymerizable groups on the lamellar material so that the polymer can react on the lamellar particles.

Disintegration of the lamellar material macrocomposite structure by the use of polymers can be achieved in a variety of ways. For example, solvent (or solution) methods, melt blending methods, and in situ polymerization methods are all suitable. Solvent (or solution) methods are presently preferred.

The receptor layer may have a thickness of 0.5 to 5.0 microns, for example 1.5 to 3.5 microns.

Although increasing the amount of inorganic lamellar material provides a corresponding decrease in ribbon release force, it is noted that too high levels of clay can reduce the ability of the dye to diffuse into the receptor layer and reduce the optical density of the resulting print. turned out Preferably the partially exfoliated or intercalated material is present in the receptor layer at a level of 0.5 to 8.0% by weight, more preferably at a level of 1.0 to 5.0% by weight.

Examples of suitable mold release agents include silicones, phosphoric acid ester surfactants, fluorine surfactants, higher fatty acid esters, and fluorine compounds. The mold release agent may be included in the receptor layer at a level of 1.0 to 10% by weight, preferably 1.0 to 5.0% by weight.

Preferably the receptor layer comprises a resin, which preferably has good transfer and adhesion properties. The resin may include polyester, acrylic, vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, or mixtures thereof. The resin may comprise polyester and may have a molecular weight in the range of 6000 to 10000. When present, the resin may comprise from 70 to 99.5%, preferably from 80 to 99%, more preferably from 90 to 99% by weight of the receptor layer.

In one embodiment, the transferable receptor material comprises a polymeric film assembly comprising inorganic particles having a first dimension less than 100 nanometers and a second dimension orthogonal to greater than 100 nanometers. The polymer film assembly may be coupled with a carrier film, the polymer film assembly being configured to separate from the carrier film and coupled with a target surface along a defined edge upon application of heat. Optionally, the polymeric film assembly comprises a holographic image configured to be transferred to a target surface upon application of heat. The polymer film assembly may be configured to receive one or more dyes, pigments, inks, special effect materials, or special effect metals for thermal transfer onto a target.

In one embodiment, the multilayer structure comprises a planar target having a surface and a polymer film assembly coupled to the surface of the target. The polymeric film assembly includes inorganic particles having a first dimension of less than 100 nanometers and a second dimension orthogonal to greater than 100 nanometers. The polymeric film assembly includes one or more dyes, pigments, inks, special effect materials, or special effect metals to form an image on the target. In one example, this structure is an identification card, but may optionally be another object.

In one embodiment, a method is provided comprising receiving one or more dyes, pigments, inks, special effect materials, or special effect metals on a surface of a polymeric film assembly. The polymeric film assembly includes inorganic particles having a first dimension of less than 100 nanometers and a second dimension orthogonal to greater than 100 nanometers. The method also includes thermally printing an image on the target using at least a portion of the polymer film assembly.

The subject matter of the present invention will now be illustrated with reference to the following figures, wherein:
1 is a schematic illustrating the structural differences between traditional macrocomposites, intercalated nanocomposites, and exfoliated nanocomposites;
Figure 2 is a chart showing the cyan peel force for receptor layers with and without clay (Coatings B-E) and without clay (Coatings G-K);
3 is a plot showing cyan peel force as a function of the number of previous cyan 255 prints for a receptor layer without clay (coating D) and a receptor layer with clay (coating I);
4 is a plot showing the cyan peel force as a function of the number of previous cyan 255 prints for a receptor layer without clay (coating C) and a receptor layer with clay (coating H);
Figure 5 is a plot showing the cyan peel force as a function of the number of previous cyan 255 prints for a receptor layer without clay (coating F) and a receptor layer with clay (coating K);
6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a thermally printed dye sheet or ribbon;
7 schematically illustrates one example of a cross-sectional view of the polymer film assembly shown in FIG. 6 or at least one layer of the polymer film assembly shown in FIG. 6 ;
FIG. 8 exemplifies one example of printing on a printing surface of a target using the thermally printed dye sheet or ribbon shown in FIG. 6 ;
FIG. 9 also exemplifies one example of printing on a printing surface of a target using the thermally printed dye sheet or ribbon shown in FIG. 6 ;
FIG. 10 also illustrates one example of printing on a printing surface of a target using the thermal printing dye sheet or ribbon shown in FIG. 6 without a protective laminate.

Example

Sample preparation

Solvent (or solution) methods of making nanocomposites are used such that a solvent is selected in which the polymer is soluble and the clay is swellable. The clay is first expanded in a suitable solvent. Then, the expanded clay and the polymer solution are mixed, and the polymer chains are inserted into the clay gallery in place of the solvent molecules. The solvent is then removed and a polymer-clay nanocomposite is formed. The solvent aids in the exfoliation process by acting as a swelling agent that increases the space between the clay platelets prior to mixing with the polymer. There is a loss of entropy of the polymer chains as they are inserted into the clay gallery. The driving force for this to occur is the increased entropy by the desorption of solvent molecules.

The increase in viscosity and absence of opacity of the dispersed clay/solvent dispersion and the absence of any settling of the clay when standing for 24 hours were used as indications of at least partial delamination of the clay. After the release agent was added to the clay/solvent pre-dispersion, the resin/solvent solution was added to form a coating solution. The samples were again observed for any clay dripping over time. Absence of settling of the clay was used as an indication that the clay remained exfoliated in the coating solution. The coating was applied by hand using a Meier bar to give a wet coat weight of ˜12 μm on a 6 μm polyester base film. The base film was already coated with a heat-resistant backcoat that provides protection from thermal heads during the printing process, and a cross-linked acrylic subcoat that provides release of the receptor during transfer. The coating was initially dried with a hair dryer and then dried in an oven at 110° C. for 30 seconds.

Example 1

Organically modified clays (Cloisite) obtained from Southern clay products were tested. These were all montmorillonite smectite clays that differed in their organic modification. The three organic modifiers of cloysites are provided below.

Coating solution A (comparative) was prepared from:

Coating solution B (comparative) was prepared from:

Coating solution C (comparative) was prepared from:

Coating solution D (comparative) was prepared from:

Coating solution E (comparative) was prepared from:

Coating solution F (comparative) was prepared from:

Coating solution G (according to one or more embodiments of the present subject matter) was prepared from:

A coating solution H (according to one or more embodiments of the present subject matter) was prepared from:

Coating solution I (according to one or more embodiments of the present subject matter) was prepared from:

Coating solution J (according to one or more embodiments of the present subject matter) was prepared from:

A coating solution K (according to one or more embodiments of the present subject matter) was prepared from:

A coating solution L (comparative) was prepared from:

A coating solution M (comparative) was prepared from:

Each of Coatings B to F is for comparison with Coatings G to K according to one or more embodiments of the present subject matter.

Vylon 885™ is a polyester available from Toyobo. Tegoglide A115™ is an organically modified polysiloxane. Tegoglid 410™ is a polyether siloxane copolymer. Tegoprotect 5000™ is a modified polydimethyl siloxane resin. Tegomer Csi 2342™ is a linear organofunctional polysiloxane. Tegoglid 450™ is a polyether siloxane copolymer. All Tego additives are available from Degussa.

exam

The organo-clay dispersion was observed as described in the sample preparation section above.

From the observations included in Table 1, cloysite 15A was assigned at least partially exfoliated, whereas cloysite 93A and 30B were assigned unexfoliated, i.e., as with traditional clay fillers. Subject to appropriate conditions and agents, i.e., the use of a solvent in which the clay is swellable, the use of a polymer solution in which the clay remains exfoliated, or the use of different methods of achieving exfoliation, such as in situ polymerization, This is not to say that Site 93A, Cloysite 30B or any expandable layered silicate (modified or unmodified) cannot be used in applications as disclosed herein.

The coatings were spliced into dye sheets and printed as monochromatic panels on PVC and polycarbonate cards using a Pebble-3 printer (manufactured by Evolis). Looking for full coverage of the card and no flash (i.e., the acceptor layer provided clean breaks along the edges of the printed area, and there were no ragged torn edges to the panel), visually inspect the acceptor layer against the transfer. evaluated. The acceptor layer was print tested by printing a high density colored image (red lip image on black background) on a Pebble-3 printer using standard YMCKO dye ribbons from ICI.

Cyan peel force was measured with First Print Yellow 255 using a thermal print head setup that does not remove the dye sheet after printing. The printed yellow dye sheet was manually removed and then the same card was printed in magenta 255. The magenta dye sheet was manually removed and a cyan image consisting of a density increase bar was printed. The cyan dye sheet was not removed at this stage. An Instron 6021 was used to peel the cyan dye sheet from the card. The maximum peel force recorded during removal of the dye sheet was recorded and reported as the cyan peel force for that sample.

All of the above examples transferred well through heating by the thermal print head, and there was a complete transfer of all examples with no traces of flash. Table 2 below summarizes the cyan peel force and printing test results. Using the method as described in the sample preparation section described above, it was concluded that the organic clay contained in solutions L and M was not exfoliated and thus expected to provide a beneficial barrier effect reducing the recovery of the release agent. It didn't happen. In Table 2, TT indicates full transfer, that is, a case where a portion of the ribbon is adhered to the card.

The cyan peel force results comparing the resin + release agent receptor layer and the resin + release agent + organic clay receptor layer for coating solutions B to K are summarized in FIG. 2 . Coating solution F was not included as values could not be obtained for this sample due to magenta ribbon adhesion (which could not be removed by manual peeling) prior to cyan printing.

It can be clearly seen that the addition of organic clay to the acceptor layer of the dyeable resin plus the release agent reduces the cyan peeling force and improves the dye diffusion printing performance.

Example 2

A thermally transferable receptor layer was prepared and transferred as described in the sample preparation section described above. Three samples were printed as described below using standard YMCKO ribbons from ICI:

1) Increasing density cyan bars without pre-printing

2) One-time printing of cyan 255, after passive removal of the dye sheet, increasing density cyan bar

3) Double printing of cyan 255, after passive removal of dye sheet, increasing density cyan bar

The cyan peel force was measured as described in the test section described above. 3 to 5 show that the cyan peel force increases as the number of preceding prints increases.

One or more embodiments of the inorganic lamellar material of the present invention in an at least partially embedded or exfoliated state may be used in the manufacture of a protective thermal transfer material through which an image will be visible. The subject matter described herein may be used in combination with various (or any) imaging techniques, such as dye diffusion thermal transfer (D2T2) printing, also known as "dye-sub" printing.

Dye diffusion thermal transfer printing can be used to create a color image, for example a photographic image of a person, on an identity document such as a national identification card, driver's license, or the like. It is a superior printing technique that produces a high-quality, full-color photograph of the document owner at the time of issuance.

In order to print digital images using dye diffusion thermal transfer printing, a dye sheet containing a dye and a substrate known as a receptor are required. The receptor substrate receives the dye during printing and is separated from the dye sheet without tackiness for printing purposes. It can be a dye or a simple polymer that can accommodate a specially designed receptor coating designed to work in a dye diffusion printer.

Thus, in dye diffusion thermal transfer printing, a dye sheet or ribbon is placed in close contact with a substrate on which it is desired to print a colored image. The dye sheet or ribbon comprises a polyester (eg, PET) carrier film having a backcoat, and a plurality of panels attached to the PET carrier opposite the backcoat in a suitable manner known in the art. To aid adhesion of the dye panel, an adhesive layer may be used on the PET carrier. This adhesive layer may be applied during base preparation or coated onto PET prior to coating dye formulation.

Ribbons can be of various (eg, any) formats and panel lengths. Examples of ribbons include, but are not limited to, single color ribbons, YMC, YMCK, YMCKO, and YMCKOK ribbons, where Y = dye diffusing yellow, M = dye diffusing magenta, C = dye diffusing cyan, K = material Transcription black, and O = overlay. Other panels may also be included, which may function as diffusion or mass transfer depending on the material used. These panels can function as a security device when using materials that are fluorescent under ultraviolet (UV) light, optically tunable pigments, taggants, and the like.

During dye diffusion thermal transfer printing, a dye sheet or ribbon is indexed onto the substrate such that each panel is positioned successively on the substrate. A computer controlled thermal print head selectively heats each panel at a desired location determined by a computer program that creates a colored image on the substrate.

When the yellow, magenta, and cyan panels are heated, each colored dye, in turn, diffuses from the panel at the location where the heat is applied to produce respective colors on the substrate, forming an image according to a computer image program. The amount of transferred dye depends on the temperature of the pixels of the print head. This is different from mass transfer printing, where the transfer is "on" or "off" and the image is constructed by a dithered pattern of colored dots. In a dye diffusion thermal transfer printing process, 256 shades of each component color can be achieved, each component color being blended with the other two component colors to create a huge color gamut (e.g., 167,000,000 color), and thus, continuous continuous tone images are possible. This allows the dye diffusion process to produce very high quality images.

There are two basic methods of dye diffusion printing: direct and retransfer. Both methods of dye diffusion printing can use the dye sheet and heating method as described above.

Direct dye diffusion printing involves heating a dye sheet and transferring the dye in an image-wise manner directly to a substrate that will form the final imaged document. For example, when printing PVC identification cards or driver's licenses, direct dye diffusion printing can be used, where the dye is imaged directly onto the PVC card surface. These PVC cards formed the final identification document, and the cards received the dye directly from the dye sheet into the PVC via the heating method described herein. These images can then be protected by adding an overlay panel from a YMCKO-type dye sheet, or the images can be added from different consumable feeds that are transferred to the printed surface of the final document via heat application by a thermal print head or hot roll laminator. separated by a separate cover material, such as a transparent patch laminate material, a holographic patch, or a holographic overlay.

In order to utilize the direct dye diffusion printing method, the final document substrate must be capable of receiving the dye and releasing the dye sheet during the printing process. The substrate must also have a smooth and even surface to allow the dye sheet and thermal print head to be pressed against the substrate surface under heat and pressure during printing without causing printing defects or damage to the dye sheet or thermal print head in the process. .

Another way to print materials with dye diffusion printing is to use a retransfer printing technique. Retransfer printing comprises a first step of printing a dye diffusion image onto a specially designed retransfer receptor film through application of heat from a thermal print head as described above. The retransfer receptor film consists of a PET carrier film (typically 12 to 23 microns thick) with a clear coating applied to one side of the PET film. Such clear coatings may include receptor layers, adhesive layers, barrier layers, tie layers, UV protective layers, anti-wear layers, ionizing radiation cured layers, ionizing radiation curable layers, heat cured layers, heat curable layers, tamper resistant layers, tamper proof layers, reactive layers, special effects layers, holographic imaging layers, embossed layers, embossable layers, high refractive index layers, metal layers, topcoat protective layers, and release layers. These layers may be utilized in any combination in any order of coatings on the PET carrier, with or without any enumeration, to best suit the end use and performance requirements. Ionizing radiation may refer to light (eg, ultraviolet light or another wavelength), an electron beam, or another form of radiation. The image is printed on the receptor layer as described above, which in the examples shown herein is the topmost layer during printing, ie the layer furthest from the PET carrier film.

After printing the image on the receptor layer of the retransfer film, this material is "retransferred" onto the final imaged document. The specially designed coating present on the PET carrier film is transferred from the carrier film onto the final substrate through the application of heat, typically through a hot roll laminator. Hot roll laminators typically operate in a temperature range of 130° C. to 220° C., ie, in the low temperature range typically expected for a thermal print head during the first printing process. The use of hot roll lamination for this transfer step may facilitate edge-to-edge transfer, unlike similar transfer results achieved using other transfer techniques, for example through thermal print heads. In addition, it delivers a smooth, glossy finish to the final transferred material. However, hot roll lamination does not have the ability to turn on or off depending on the image or the size and shape of the final substrate to which the material is transferred upon transfer by a thermal print head. Thus, excess material may be transferred from the carrier film onto unwanted areas, for example, the edge of the substrate, and the carrier film is still heated by the hot roll laminator, where transfer of the material is undesirable.

After transfer via hot roll lamination, the layer that acts as a receptor layer for the dye and then is pressed against the final substrate and the layer closest to the PET carrier layer, usually the protective topcoat layer, is the topmost layer from the final substrate surface. It becomes the top surface of the finished substrate, which is the far layer. A specially designed coating that is transferred needs both to act as a receptor film and then ultimately to act as a protective film for the image once retransferred onto the final substrate.

Retransfer printing technology enables the transfer of dye diffusion printed images onto substrates that may not be suitable for direct dye diffusion printing, such as polycarbonate. Retransfer printing also enables the transfer of dye diffusion printed images onto substrates that may contain irregularities in the surface, such as those containing metal chips that would not be suitable for direct dye diffusion printing. Retransfer printing technology also enables "edge-to-edge" printed images on the final substrate. In direct dye diffusion printing, there will be an unprinted edge around the side of the final substrate as this printing technique cannot "print on edge". In the retransfer technique, the image may be printed on the retransfer film at a size slightly larger than the final substrate such that when retransferred onto the final substrate, the imaged area extends completely to the edge of the final substrate. This means that the transfer sharpness around the edge of the card of the thermally transferable polymer film containing the image can be important. If this film does not transfer to a perfect, clean edge on the edge of the final substrate, this will cause a defect known as "flash".

Flash refers to extra unwanted material that can be transferred onto the edge of the final substrate when transferring polymeric material from a carrier film onto a substrate. This causes the edge to have a poor appearance, and excess material falls on the edge of the final substrate, thus reducing the aesthetics of the final printed substrate. Flash can also result in the need to clean the edges of the final substrate to remove this excess material, more seriously, the substrate so that this excess material can be removed within the printer as the substrate is moved, even though it has been transferred. is loose on the edge of the , which causes contamination within the printing apparatus, which may cause print defects in subsequent prints or may require a break for cleaning. When attempting to produce printed substrates with photo-quality images, these potential defects may be unacceptable. To utilize retransfer printing techniques, it may be desirable to have a retransfer film that can be transferred onto the final substrate with a perfectly clean edge, ie without flash. A perfectly clean edge is achieved upon application of heat (without cutting edge or using a device) along one or more defined straight and/or curved edges, without any portion of the transferable film beyond the edge being transferred from the carrier film to the target surface. ) that the transferable film or material separates from the carrier film (as described herein) and binds to the target surface.

Once the imaged material has been transferred to the final substrate, the transferred layer can also act as a protective layer for the image. After transfer, the printed image is sandwiched between the final substrate and the layer of material transferred onto the substrate from the PET carrier. Accordingly, these layers may need to be strong and durable to act as a protective layer, and may also need to have good optical clarity as the end user will see the printed image through these layers.

In general, polymer properties that provide coated materials with good durability properties, e.g., high Tg, high Mw, high elongation at break, high cohesive strength, etc. of the polymer will provide good and clean transfers to the edge during the thermal transfer process. properties that are possible, such as low Mw, low cohesive strength, brittleness, low elongation at break, and the like. These apparently opposing properties can make it very difficult to balance in order to obtain the required properties from a polymeric material. This is particularly difficult when a multi-layer system is used that adds coating thickness to the overall structure, which can be another property detrimental to achieving a clean edge upon transfer.

Thus, it is often the case that high levels of non-polymeric materials are added to these types of coatings to aid in transfer while using tough polymers for durability, or to increase resistance while using low strength polymers. For example, the use of high levels of silica-like materials to aid in sharp, clean transfer of polymeric layers is known in the art. However, the problem with these obvious solutions to the transfer/durability balance problem is that they negatively affect the optical clarity of the coating. Addition of standard inorganic filler materials to a clear polymer coating at a level sufficient to improve transferability will introduce haze and opacity, thus reducing optical clarity. This is acceptable at a low level if the transferred film is not used in high quality imaging techniques. However, when using a dye diffusion printing process, especially in order for the viewer to see the printed image, it is necessary to look through a multi-layer system where the filler in each layer may have an additional deleterious effect on the transparency/visual appearance. If present, this is not allowed.

To address one or more of these problems, in one or more embodiments of the inventive subject matter described herein, the use of polymeric nanocomposites is proposed. A polymeric nanocomposite material is a material in which an inorganic material having at least one dimension in the nanometer range is incorporated into a polymer matrix to form a composite. In particular, polymer-clay nanocomposites having inorganic materials (i.e., plate-like materials) having one dimension in the nanometer range and a second dimension significantly exceeding the nanometer range are optically transparent and thus printed printed materials visible through such materials. It is proposed to achieve the most favorable balance of improvement in the transfer quality while maintaining the good visual appearance of the image. For example, each particle of a nanocomposite with an inorganic material may have a significantly larger outer dimension in two orthogonal directions (e.g., along the x and y directions or axes), then in a third orthogonal direction (e.g., along an axis). , in the z-direction or along the axis). In one embodiment a dimension can be significantly larger than another dimension if the large dimension is at least 10 times larger (eg, longer) than the small dimension. In another embodiment, a dimension may be significantly larger than another dimension if the large dimension is at least 100 times larger (eg, longer) than the small dimension. In another embodiment, a dimension can be significantly larger than another dimension if the large dimension is at least 1000 times larger (eg, longer) than the small dimension. For example, the particles may be in the shape of a round or circular plate having a thickness of about 1 to 100 nanometers with a diameter of 0.2 to 1 microns in the orthogonal direction.

The manufacturing method to form the polymer-nano composite material is different from that of the polymer/filler dispersion. The filler material may be dispersed in the polymer solution through the use of simple agitation and optionally the use of dispersants to aid the process. The creation of polymeric nanocomposites can include selecting a layered material capable of having these layers separated into nanometer thick sheets (a peeling process), followed by a peeling process, and combining the exfoliated material with the selected polymer. . Materials particularly suitable for this type of exfoliation and for making polymeric nanocomposites include layered double hydroxide and layered silicate materials such as montmorillonite, bentonite, laponite, vermiculite, and the like. Organically modified layered silicate clay materials are this because the choice of organic modification can allow for good interactions between the organically modified material and the polymeric material, thus allowing the clay material to remain exfoliated during processing and use. It is particularly suitable for the process. In one embodiment, the inorganic particles (eg, silicate clay materials or particles) are surface modified with lipophilic carbon-oxygen chains.

It is meant that "standard" (ie, micron) sized fillers are visible to the naked eye after incorporation into the polymer film, thus creating a level of opacity in the polymer/filler solution and/or coating. For example, a solution or coating may be opaque to the human eye without the aid of magnification at a distance of less than 10 centimeters. Due to the significantly small dimensions in the nanometer range of the nanocomposite fillers described herein, these materials may not be visible to the naked eye in solution or on coated films. For example, a solution or coating may not be opaque, or it may not be visible to the human eye without the aid of magnification at a distance of less than 10 centimeters.

There are "standard nano-sized" filler materials, such as nanosilica, available that are not in such exfoliated plate-like form with one dimension in the nanometer domain and one dimension beyond the nanometer domain. These "standard nanofillers" behave mostly like standard fillers despite their small size. They often have problems with agglomeration, which makes them more like standard fillers, and even when properly separated, often with the use of dispersants, fillers do not provide the level of benefit obtained with exfoliated polymer-nanocomposites. . At the same loading level, these fillers do not provide the improvement in thermal transfer performance obtained by the polymer-clay nanocomposite proposed herein. This means that high loading levels are often used in a given formulation, and thus optical clarity and visual appearance may be reduced. In contrast to standard “nano” fillers, the proposed polymer-clay nanocomposite material uses a layered silicate material capable of pre-exfoliation and/or intercalation, whereby the separated layers exceed one dimension of the nano-region and in the nanometer range. It has a very high aspect ratio with two dimensions.

For example, organically modified montmorillonite clays, such as the cloysite 15 mentioned herein, have a thickness of 1 - 100 nm and a diameter of 0.2 to 1 micron, and thus 1:2 to 1:1,000 or less, possibly 1 It can be separated into disk-shaped platelets providing an aspect ratio of the region of :200 to 1:500 or less. These high aspect ratios and one dimension in the nanometer range allow these materials to provide excellent improvements in physical properties, such as transfer under the action of heat, at relatively low levels of addition to the polymer, and thus they can improve the optical clarity and Maintains good visual appearance.

However, the use of nanocomposite materials in polymer coatings previously proposed in thermal transfer media for improvement in certain performance properties also allows for the display of photographic quality images seen through these coatings while maintaining optical transparency while maintaining the polymer under the action of heat. It is a novel use of these materials that dramatically improves the transfer quality of coatings.

exemplification

The organic clay was first pre-dispersed in the expandable solvent using the solvent method of exfoliation of the organic clay. The increase in viscosity and the absence of opacity of the dispersed clay/solvent dispersion and the absence of any settling of filler when standing for 24 hours were used as indications of at least partial delamination of the clay. The clay/solvent pre-dispersion was added to the resin/solvent solution to form a coating solution. For comparative purposes the same resin/solvent solution was used as the coating solution in the absence of the clay/solvent pre-dispersion.

There are several commercially available organically modified clays that can be used in the present invention. Any can be used so long as the precise conditions are used to achieve a particular level of exfoliation and/or insertion. Inorganically modified clays may also be used, for example if an aqueous coating system is used. However, although specific examples of organically modified clays that work very well in certain polymer systems have been demonstrated in the present invention, the general concept disclosed herein is a platelet having one dimension in the nanometer domain and a second dimension beyond the nanometer domain. Any combination of layered fillers and polymers that can be exfoliated and/or intercalated into the polymer can be used.

A single layer coating was initially prepared to demonstrate the effect of the addition of exfoliated nano-clay pre-dispersion to the polymeric material on the improvement of the transfer quality of a given polymeric layer.

Nano-clay pre-dispersions were prepared in toluene according to the solution method described above using Cloisite 15, organically modified montmorillonite smectite clay, available from BYK additives. The polymer solution was prepared via stirring to ˜16% w/w solids in 50/50 MEK/toluene.

A Meyer bar was used to coat the polymer solution with exfoliated nano-clay and the polymer solution without exfoliated nano-clay to provide a wet coat weight of 24 microns on a 6 μm polyester base film. The base film was already coated with a heat-resistant backcoat that provides protection from thermal heads during the printing process, and a release sub-coat that provides release of the polymer layer during transfer. The coating was initially dried with a hair dryer and then dried in an oven at 110° C. for 30 seconds. The coatings were spliced into dye sheets and printed as monochromatic panels on PVC cards using a Securion printer (manufactured by Evolis). The transferred layer was visually assessed for the absence of transparency and opacity as well as the transfer, looking for full coverage of the card and no flash, ie, no excess material transferred to the edge of the card.

Example 1 (Comparative)

Bylon 270 (Toyobo)

Example 2 (according to one or more embodiments of the present subject matter)

Bylon 270 (Toyobo)

+ 3% Cloysite 15 for polymer (pre-exfoliated in toluene) w/w.

Example 3 (Comparative)

Dynacoll S1611 (Evonik)

Example 4 (Comparative)

Dynacall S1611 (Evonik)

+ 3% Syloid 244 (Grace)

Example 5 (according to one or more embodiments of the present subject matter)

Dynacall S1611 (Evonik)

+ 3% Cloysite 15 for polymer (pre-exfoliated in toluene) w/w.

Example 6 (Comparative)

Vinnol H15/50 (Wacker)

Example 7 (according to one or more embodiments of the present subject matter)

Binnol H15/50 (Waker)

+ 3% Cloysite 15 for polymer (pre-exfoliated in toluene) w/w.

Example 8 (Comparative)

Bylon GK880 (Toyobo)

Example 9 (according to one or more embodiments of the present subject matter)

Bylon GK880 (Toyobo)

+ 3% Cloysite 15 for polymer (pre-exfoliated in toluene) w/w.

Example 10 (Comparative)

Ucar Mag 527 (Union Carbide)

Example 11 (according to one or more embodiments of the present subject matter)

Ucar Mag 527 (Union Carbide)

+ 3% Cloysite 15 for polymer (pre-exfoliated in toluene) w/w.

Example 12 (Comparative)

Neocryl B805 (DSM)

Example 13 (according to one or more embodiments of the present subject matter)

Neocryl B805 (DSM)

+ 3% Cloysite 15 for polymer (pre-exfoliated in toluene) w/w.

The transfer performance of all polymers tested was dramatically improved by the addition of pre-exfoliated nano-clays. When this nano-clay material was added, no flash was observed, and the transfer was completed with good and clean edges. The nano-clay did not have a detrimental effect on the visual quality of the polymer layer. A "standard" filler was tried with one of the polymeric materials, which demonstrated some improvement in flash but did not completely remove like nano-clay, which also started introducing some deterioration in visual appearance. Nano-clay with the same polymer completely eliminated all signs of poor transfer/flash and provided good visual quality.

The use of exfoliated nano-clay filler material for the polymer layer provides a significant improvement in transfer quality without compromising visual quality. This can be extremely important if the intended product is a multi-layer system where transfer problems can be exacerbated in any layer and are very detrimental to product quality, as well as photo-quality images that must be printed and seen through these multi-layers. .

While some polymers can be transferred as a neat polymer film from the carrier film to the substrate, they will often have limitations meaning that the choice that would be desirable for a durable protective film would be opposed to the choice needed to facilitate clean transfer. For example, the molecular weight of a polymer needs to be considered as the thickness of the coating (lower is better for transfer but higher is better for durability) as is (lower is better for transfer but bad for durability). Opposite requirements and limitations can mean that it is very difficult to obtain the exact balance of properties with a pure polymer film, which is why polymer-clay nanocomposites are proposed to obtain an ideal balance of properties.

Table 4 below provides examples of these limitations. In this case, "durability" is presented in terms of abrasion resistance, but for the purpose of the final product for which the present invention is designed to be much more durable, aspects need to be considered such as barrier resistance to small molecule permeation, where the aspect is the Tg of the polymer. should be considered.

Abrasion resistance is expressed as the percent optical density remaining as a black printed composite under the polymer layer polished by a 500 of a CS-10F Tabor abrasive wheel having a weight of 500 g. Abrasion resistance testing was performed using a Taber 5130 with CS -10F wheels attached to the Taber 5130.

Although low molecular weight polymers can transfer well without flash, these polymers do not provide good durability. The use of high molecular weight "coarse" polymers is more effective than similar types of low molecular weight polymers in providing durability. Increasing the coat thickness of the low molecular weight polymer can improve durability, but the improvement is minimal and transfer problems are introduced. Improving the transfer properties of durable polymers through the use of polymer-clay nanocomposites is much more effective in achieving good transfer quality while providing durability properties.

6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a receptor sheet 600 . Receptor sheet 600 may optionally be referred to as a retransfer film. Receptor sheet 600 may be used in thermal printing, transfer, or retransfer applications in which a material is transferred to the surface of a target to form an image (eg, photograph, text, number, symbol, other indicia, etc.). The receptor sheet or retransfer film 600 includes a polymer film assembly 602 coupled to a carrier film 604 . The polymer film assembly 602 includes one or more layers of polymeric material onto which an image is printed prior to transferring some or all of the polymer film assembly 602 to the surface of a target. In one embodiment, polymeric film assembly 602 comprises a single layer, but may optionally include two or more layers interconnected as polymeric film assembly 602 . With respect to the single layer embodiment, the polymeric film assembly 602 may be formed from the same material from the interface surface 606 securing the carrier film 604 to the opposite receiving surface 608 facing the carrier film 604 . . Alternatively, the polymer film assembly 602 may be formed from two or more layers of a polymer film having the nano-sized inorganic particles described herein. When two or more layers are used, nano-sized inorganic particles may be included in any layer. They may be included in one layer of a multilayer, or may be added to any additional layer, including all layers of a multilayer article.

Polymer film assembly 602 (or the outermost layer within polymer film assembly 602 furthest from carrier film 604) is used for thermal printing on a target, including dyes, pigments, inks, special effect materials, metals, material transfer printing. It may be referred to as an accommodating layer for accommodating a material or the like. For example, the polymer film assembly 602 may include one or more regions ( 612) are accepted or included. The polymer film assembly 602 may receive dyes, pigments, inks, special effect materials, metals, holographic images, and the like via dye diffusion printing, or mass transfer printing, as described above.

Optionally, the polymer film assembly 602 may include or be a layer with an embossed holographic image and a high refractive index layer. This may allow the transfer of the polymer film assembly 602 to the target surface to create a holographic effect on the target surface. The polymer film assembly 602 may be provided in a variety of thicknesses. In one example, the polymer film assembly 602 may be greater than 2 microns.

The carrier film 604 may be applied during image printing or application of one or more dyes to the receiving surface 608 , during transfer of the polymer film assembly 602 , and during thermal transfer of at least a portion of the polymer film assembly 602 to the surface of a target. , provides structural support for the polymer film assembly 602 . In one embodiment, the carrier film 604 is a PET layer, eg, a 12 micron thick PET film. Optionally, the carrier film 604 may be formed from another material and/or may have another thickness.

Polymeric film assembly 602 may be formed from a combination of one or more of the polymers and inorganic particles described herein. 7 schematically illustrates one example of a cross-sectional view of a polymer film assembly 602 or at least one layer of a polymer film assembly 602 . The entire polymer film assembly 602 or at least one layer within the polymer film assembly 602 may be formed from a polymer film matrix 700 having inorganic particles 702 within the matrix 700 . In one embodiment the particle 702 is an exfoliated or intercalated particle, eg, a nanoparticle having at least one dimension in the nanometer range and at least a second dimension that is significantly greater than the nanometer range. Particles 702 may be exfoliated nano-clay filler materials as described above.

Each particle 702 can have a first outer dimension 704 that is less than or equal to 100 nanometers and a second outer dimension 706 that is greater than 100 nanometers. For example, each particle 702 may have a first outer dimension 704 in the range of 1 to 100 nanometers and at least a second outer dimension 706 in the range of 0.2 to 1 micron. Particles 702 may have a plate shape with each particle 702 having a thickness 704 of 1 to 100 nanometers and each particle 702 having a diameter 706 of 0.2 to 1 micron. The shape of the particle 702 may result in the particle 702 having an aspect ratio of at least 1:2. Optionally, the aspect ratio of particles 702 may be 1:1,000 or less.

Polymeric film assembly 602 may be formed according to one or more of the examples described above. For example, inorganic particles 702 may be added to polymeric film matrix 700 at no more than 5 weight percent and/or no more than 3 volume percent. Alternatively, inorganic particles 702 may be added to polymeric film matrix 700 at no more than 3 weight percent and/or no more than 3 volume percent. As described above, the addition of the inorganic particles 702 to the film assembly 602 results in heat and/or pressure applied from the carrier film 604 of the film assembly 602 to the application surface 610 of the carrier film 604 . can improve the transfer to the surface of the printed target in response to (shown in Fig. 6). The polymer matrix 700 can provide strength to the polymer film assembly 602 in that the polymer matrix 700 can have a relatively high glass transition temperature T _{g .} For example, the polymer matrix 700 may have a glass transition temperature of at least 50°C.

8 and 9 illustrate one example of printing on a printing surface 800 of a target 802 using the receptor sheet 600 shown in FIG. 6 . In one embodiment, the target 802 may be a card, eg, a PVC identification card. The printing process shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 may be a retransfer dye diffusion printing process as described above. The polymer film assembly 602 is brought in close proximity to the printing surface 800 of the target 802 . A thermal print head or hot roll laminator 804 applies heat and/or pressure on the surface 610 of the carrier film 604 . This heat and/or pressure transfers at least a portion of the polymer film assembly 602 to the printing surface 800 of the target 802 to print or form an image on the surface 800 of the target 802 . After application of heat and/or pressure, at least a portion of the polymer film assembly 602 is transferred to a target 802 to form a thermally printed object 900 as shown in FIG. 9 .

This thermally printed object 900 may optionally be referred to as a multilayer structure. The use of the nanocomposite filler particles 702 in the polymer film assembly 602 makes the polymer film assembly 602 more transparent or has increased optical transparency, while the polymer film assembly 602 is a carrier film 604 . allows for easier and cleaner separation from (eg, flash or extra portions of polymer film assembly 602 not transferred to target 802 ). For example, a person can use the polymer film assembly 602 to print onto the target 802 of the structure 900 even when the polymer film assembly 602 is thick (eg, at least 2 microns thick). You should be able to see the image. Structure 900 may represent an identification card, a financial transaction card, or the like. For example, structure 900 may be primarily a flat card having dimensions of 86 millimeters by 54 millimeters or less (the thickness is substantially smaller, for example less than 0.8 millimeters). Optionally, one or more additional layers may be added to the surface 606 of the polymer film assembly 602 after transfer of the polymer film assembly 602 to the target 802 . For example, one or more layers of lamination or protective laminate 902 may be applied to surface 606 to further protect polymer film assembly 602 . This lamination 902 is transparent or translucent so that a viewer can see the image on the target 802 through the lamination 902 and polymer film assembly 602 . However, lamination 902 may not be applied to polymer film assembly 602 (eg, FIG. 10 ). Optionally, the polymer film assembly 602 may be transferred to the target 802 and may include holographic and/or other features such as holographic and/or other features to add an additional level of security protection to the printed target 802 . printed security features (including, but not limited to, UV fluorescent features, optically visible features, tamper resistant features, taggant features, and the like).

In one embodiment, the transferable receptor material comprises a polymeric film assembly comprising inorganic particles having a first dimension less than 100 nanometers and a second dimension orthogonal to greater than 100 nanometers. The polymer film assembly may be coupled with the carrier film, the polymer film assembly being configured to separate from the carrier film and coupled with a target surface along a defined edge upon application of heat. Optionally, the polymer film assembly comprises a holographic image configured to be transferred to a target surface upon application of heat. The polymer film assembly may be configured to receive one or more dyes, pigments, inks, special effect materials, or special effect metals for thermal transfer onto a target.

Optionally, the inorganic particles have an aspect ratio of at least 1:2. In at least one embodiment the aspect ratio of the inorganic particles may be 1:1,000 or less.

The transferable material also comprises a carrier film coupled with the polymer film assembly, the carrier film configured to support the polymer film assembly during application of one or more of heat or pressure to the carrier film to transfer at least a portion of the polymer film assembly to a target. may include The polymer film assembly may include an image that is transferred to the target based on the transfer of at least a portion of the polymer film assembly to the target. In at least one embodiment the image is viewable on the target through the polymer film assembly with inorganic particles.

In one embodiment the polymeric film assembly may comprise up to 5% inorganic particles. The inorganic particles in the polymer film assembly can be surface modified with lipophilic carbon-hydrogen chains. For example, these inorganic particles may optionally be referred to as lipophilic-carbon-hydrogen-chain-surface-modified particles.

The polymer film assembly may comprise a single polymer layer having inorganic particles. The polymer film assembly can include multiple polymer layers having inorganic particles, and the multiple polymer layers can be coupled together to the polymer film assembly. For example, these multiple polymeric layers can be formed individually, connected to each other such that the polymeric layers cannot be separated from each other without destroying the function of the polymeric film assembly. These multiple polymer layers do not include a carrier film that separates from the polymer film assembly upon application of heat. The polymer film assembly may be configured to receive one or more dyes, pigments, inks, special effect materials, or special effect metals via dye diffusion printing or mass transfer printing on a surface of the polymer film assembly. The polymer film assembly may be at least 2 microns thick.

In one embodiment, the multilayer structure comprises a planar target having a surface and a polymer film assembly coupled with the surface of the target. The polymeric film assembly includes inorganic particles having a first dimension of less than 100 nanometers and a second dimension orthogonal to greater than 100 nanometers. The polymeric film assembly includes one or more dyes, pigments, inks, special effect materials, or special effect metals to form an image on the target. In one example, this structure is an identification card, but may optionally be another object.

The inorganic particles may have an aspect ratio of at least 1:2. The image is seen on the target through a polymer film assembly with inorganic particles. The polymer film assembly may comprise up to 5% inorganic particles. The structure optionally includes a protective lamination disposed on the polymeric film assembly such that the polymeric film assembly is positioned between the protective lamination and the target.

In one embodiment, a method is provided comprising receiving one or more dyes, pigments, inks, special effect materials, or special effect metals on a surface of a polymeric film assembly. The polymeric film assembly includes inorganic particles having a first dimension of less than 100 nanometers and a second dimension orthogonal to greater than 100 nanometers. The method also includes thermally printing an image on the target using at least a portion of the polymer film assembly.

It is understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not limiting. For example, the embodiments (and/or aspects thereof) described above may be used in combination with each other. Additionally, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present subject matter without departing from its scope. The dimensions and types of materials described herein are intended to define the parameters of the subject matter of the present invention, and these are in no way limiting, but exemplary embodiments. Many other embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the above description. Accordingly, the scope of the subject matter of the present invention should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to be granted to such claims. In the appended claims, the terms "including" and "in which" are used as common English translations of the terms "comprising" and "wherein", respectively. Moreover, in the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third” and the like are used only as indicia and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on these objects. Further, the limitations of the following claims are not recited in means-plus-function form, otherwise such claim limitations are expressly stated after the phrase “means for” followed by a recitation of a function void of additional structure. 35 USC, unless using It is not intended to be construed under § 112(f).

This written description discloses several embodiments of the subject matter of the invention, and also enables those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments of the invention, including making and using any apparatus or system and performing any introduced methods. Use examples that make it possible. The patentable scope of the subject matter of the present invention is defined by the claims and may include other examples that may occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to fall within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with marginal differences from the literal language of the claims.

As used herein, an element or step written in the singular and preceded by the word "a" or "an" is to be understood as not excluding a plurality of such element or step. Additionally, reference to “one embodiment” of a subject matter of the present invention is also not intended to be construed as excluding the existence of additional embodiments incorporating the described features. Moreover, unless expressly stated to the contrary, embodiments that "comprising", "including", or "having" an element or plurality of elements having a particular property do not have that property. Additional such elements may be included.

Claims (20)

A transferable material comprising a polymer film assembly comprising inorganic particles having a first dimension less than 100 nanometers and a second dimension orthogonal to greater than 100 nanometers. The transferable transferable device of claim 1 , wherein the polymer film assembly is coupled with the carrier film, the polymer film assembly separated from the carrier film and configured to couple to the target surface along a defined edge upon application of heat. matter. The transferable material of claim 1 , wherein the polymer film assembly comprises a holographic image configured to be transferred to a target surface upon application of heat. The transferable material of claim 1 , wherein the polymer film assembly is configured to receive one or more dyes, pigments, inks, special effect materials, or special effect metals for thermal transfer onto a target. The transferable material of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic particles have an aspect ratio of at least 1:2. 6. The transferable material according to claim 5, wherein the aspect ratio of the inorganic particles is 1:1,000 or less. The carrier film of claim 1 , wherein the carrier film is coupled to the polymer film assembly and configured to support the polymer film assembly while applying one or more of heat or pressure to the carrier film to transfer at least a portion of the polymer film assembly to the target. The transferable material further comprising a carrier film. 8. The polymer film assembly of claim 7, wherein the polymer film assembly comprises an image transferred to the target based on the transfer of at least a portion of the polymer film assembly to the target, wherein the image is viewed on the target through the polymer film assembly having inorganic particles. transferable material. The transferable material of claim 1 , wherein the polymer film assembly comprises no more than 5% inorganic particles. The transferable material according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic particles in the polymer film assembly are surface-modified by lipophilic carbon-hydrogen chains. The transferable material of claim 1 , wherein the polymer film assembly comprises a single polymer layer having inorganic particles. The transferable material of claim 1 , wherein the polymer film assembly comprises multiple polymer layers having inorganic particles, and wherein the multiple polymer layers are coupled together in the polymer film assembly. The transfer of claim 12 , wherein the polymer film assembly is configured to receive one or more dyes, pigments, inks, special effect materials, or special effect metals via dye diffusion printing or mass transfer printing on a surface of the polymer film assembly. possible substances. The transferable material of claim 1 , wherein the polymer film assembly is at least 2 microns thick. a planar target having a surface; and
A polymer film assembly coupled with a surface of a target comprising inorganic particles having a first dimension less than 100 nanometers and a second dimension orthogonal to greater than 100 nanometers.
As a multi-layer structure comprising a,
wherein the polymeric film assembly comprises one or more dyes, pigments, inks, special effect materials, or special effect metals to form an image on the target. 16. The multilayer structure of claim 15, wherein the inorganic particles have an aspect ratio of at least 1:2. The multilayer structure of claim 15 , wherein the image is viewed on the target through the polymer film assembly having inorganic particles. 16. The multilayer structure of claim 15, wherein the polymer film assembly comprises no more than 5% inorganic particles. 16. The multilayer structure of claim 15, wherein the polymeric film assembly further comprises a protective lamination disposed on the polymeric film assembly such that the polymeric film assembly is positioned between the protective lamination and the target. one or more dyes, pigments, inks, special effect materials, or special effect metals on a surface of a polymer film assembly comprising inorganic particles having a first dimension less than 100 nanometers and a second dimension orthogonal to greater than 100 nanometers; accepting; and
thermal printing an image onto the target using at least a portion of the polymer film assembly;
How to include.

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