Patent ID: 6709542
Filing Date: 2004-03-23
Classification: B41M

Abstract:
A thermal transfer recording medium comprising, on a support, a thermal transfer recording layer containing, as a main constituent, a coloring pigment, an amorphous organic polymer and colorless or light-colored silica fine particles, wherein said pigment has an average particle diameter ranging from 50 nm to 500 nm, wherein said polymer is selected from an epoxy resin having a softening point ranging from 70-150Â° C., an epoxy equivalent ranging from 600 to 5000 and a weight average molecular weight ranging from 800 to 5000, an acrylic resin having a glass transition temperature ranging from 40 to 100Â° C. and a weight average molecular weight ranging from 2000 to 50000, and a vinyl chloride/vinyl acetate co-polymer having vinyl chloride units and vinyl acetate units and a weight average molecular weight ranging from 10000 to 20000, wherein said colorless or light-colored silica fine particles have an average particle diameter ranging from 10 nm to 300 nm, and the average particle diameter of the silica particles is smaller than the average particle size of the pigment to impart a sharp, cutting property to the recording layer, and wherein said recording layer has a thickness of 0.2 &mgr;m to 1.0 &mgr;m and contains the coloring pigment, the amorphous organic polymer and the silica fine particles at a ratio of 20-60 parts by weight: 40-70 parts by weight: 1-30 parts by weight.