IN A NUTSHELL: A new type of hyperbranched fluoropolymer (HBP) material for use in lithographic rolls and printing applications has been developed.  The surfaces of printing rolls are subjected to an unusual combination of physical and chemical stress, and the slightest deterioration in the quality of the surface results in the appearance of unacceptable defects in the printed image.  Print rollers must retain their physical and surface release properties at temperatures above 200°C.  MMI’s lithographic HBP materials have a unique combination of low surface energy, conformability, toughness, hot-tear resistance, and chemical resistance to fluids used in specialty print processes.

THE PROBLEM: The printing industry is driven by the need for speed (more copies per minute) with minimum printer downtime but with maximum image quality.  Over time, rolls in continuous use are prone to wear at the edges, to damage paper, and to fail to release toner.  The absence of defects is of greatest importance in niche high quality applications (e.g., art books), and in large images (e.g., posters and reproductions).  Many kinds of print defects have been identified and classified, ranging from obvious defects (e.g., axial lines and differential gloss), to more subtle defects only discernible at 10x magnification, or to print and color professionals.

THE STATE OF THE TECHNOLOGY: Right now, linear fluoropolymers are the materials of choice for many lithographic rolls, but their main drawback is lack of toughness.  Because fluoropolymer production often requires toxic monomers and non-standard procedures, it is non-trivial to develop new fluoropolymers with optimized properties.  In contrast, organosilicon hyperbranched architectures that contain fluoropolymer moieties are extremely versatile and simple to produce.

OUR NOVELTY: MMI’s unique patented hyperbranched organosilicon fluoropolymers combine the easy application, production, elastomeric properties and reliable wide-range temperature performance of siloxane systems with the low surface energy and chemical resistance of PTFE.