# US 10,501,648 B2 · Radiation-curable inkjet inks and coatings > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,501,648 B2 - Document ID: US10501648B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/324,037 - Filed: 2015-07-08 - Published: 2017-07-20 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2014-07-11 - Assignees: Sun Chemical Corporation - Applicants: Sun Chemical Corporation - Inventors: Derek Illsley; Damian Ward; Stephen Hall - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501648B2 ## CPC - C09D 11/101: Inks specially adapted for printing processes involving curing by wave energy or particle radiation, e.g. with UV-curing following the printing - B41J 2/435: characterised by selective application of radiation to a printing material or impression-transfer material - C08F 283/008: {on to unsaturated polymers} - C09D 4/06: {Organic non-macromolecular compounds having at least one polymerisable carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bond} in combination with a macromolecular compound other than an unsaturated polymer of groups C09D159/00 - C09D187/00 - C09D 11/107: from unsaturated acids or derivatives thereof - C09D 11/30: Inkjet printing inks - C09D 11/322: Pigment inks - C09D 11/38: characterised by non-macromolecular additives other than solvents, pigments or dyes - C09D: COATING COMPOSITIONS, e.g. PAINTS, VARNISHES OR LACQUERS; FILLING PASTES; CHEMICAL PAINT OR INK REMOVERS; INKS; CORRECTING FLUIDS; WOODSTAINS; PASTES OR SOLIDS FOR COLOURING OR PRINTING; USE OF MATERIALS THEREFOR (cosmetics A61K; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces, in general, B05D; staining wood B27K5/02; glazes or vitreous enamels C03C; natural resins, French polish, drying-oils, driers, turpentine, per se, C09F; polishing compositions other than French polish, ski waxes C09G; adhesives or use of materials as adhesives C09J; materials for sealing or packing joints or covers C09K3/10; materials for stopping leaks C09K3/12; processes for the electrolytic or electrophoretic production of coatings C25D) - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - C08F: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS ## Abstract The present invention provides radiation-curable (UV-curable) inks and coatings for inkjet printing comprising an inert thermoplastic acrylic resin and multifunctional monomers. The inks and coatings can be applied in a single pass printing operation. Furthermore, the inks and coatings are suitable for the printing of food, pharmaceutical and other sensitive packaging materials, particularly of plastic materials. The acrylic polymer (or copolymer) preferably has a molecular weight of 10,000 g/mole, or less, and the ink comprises less than 5 wt % of any blend of monofunctional monomer. The inks and coatings of the invention are particularly suitable for curing by UV-LED radiation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A radiation-curable inkjet ink or coating composition comprising: a) one or more acrylic polymers in an amount of greater than 10 wt % based on a total weight of the ink or coating; and b) one or more multifunctional monomers having two or more polymerizable groups per molecule; wherein at least one multifunctional monomer is a hybrid monomer containing two or more different polymerizable groups per molecule; wherein the radiation-curable inkjet ink or coating composition is non-aqueous; wherein the composition contains greater than or equal to 40 wt % of polymerizable monomers, based on the total weight of the ink or coating; wherein the composition contains one or more photoinitiators selected from the group consisting of thioxanthones, phosphine oxide compounds, alpha-hydroxy ketones, benzophenones, aminobenzoates, alpha-aminoalkylphenones, benzoin ethers and benzyl ketals, wherein at least one photoinitiator is a phosphine oxide; and wherein a concentration of any blend of phosphine oxide photoinitiators is less than 1.0 wt % based on the total weight of the ink or coating composition. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1, wherein the one or more acrylic polymers are present in an amount of greater than 12 wt % based on the total weight of the ink or coating composition. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one multifunctional hybrid monomer contains both (meth)acrylate and vinyl ether functional groups. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The composition of claim 3, in which the at least one multifunctional monomer containing both (meth)acrylate and vinyl ether functional groups is 2-(2-vinyloxyethoxy)ethyl acrylate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1, containing a colorant. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The composition of claim 5, wherein the colorant is an organic or inorganic pigment, or a dye. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1, wherein total concentration of the one or more photoinitiators is less than 8.0 wt % based on the total weight of the ink or coating composition. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1, wherein at least one or more of the thioxanthones is a polymeric thioxanthone and/or the at least one or more polymeric thioxanthone is present in a concentration of less than 2.0 wt % based on the total weight of the ink or coating composition. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1, having a viscosity of less than 15.0 mPa·s at 50° C. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A printed article comprising the inkjet ink or coating composition of claim 1, and a substrate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The printed article of claim 10, wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of plastic, aluminum, glass, flexible packaging, rigid packaging, and the non-contact surface of any food packaging. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A method of printing comprising: a) applying the ink or coating composition of claim 1 onto a substrate; and b) curing the applied ink or coating by UV-LED radiation; and wherein a total UV-dose of the UV-LED radiation is less than 300 mJ/cm2. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the ink or coating composition is printed via a single pass printing or coating operation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the ink or coating is cured by UV-LED radiation within 5 seconds of being printed. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1, wherein when the composition contains multifunctional monomers that are not hybrid monomers, the composition contains greater than 25 wt % of one or more multifunctional hybrid monomers, based on the total weight of multifunctional monomers. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1, which contains less than 5 wt % of monofunctional monomers based on the total weight of the ink or coating composition.