# US 2023/0265302 A1 · Ceramic ink for digital printing, preferably for inkjet printing

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- Number: US 2023/0265302 A1
- Document ID: US20230265302A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/005,375
- Filed: 2021-07-13
- Published: 2023-08-24
- Earliest claimed: 2020-07-13
- Assignees: Sicer S.P.A.
- Applicants: Sicer S.P.A.
- Inventors: Lucia GUAITOLI; Alan NAPPA; Fabio TERZI; Sergio MARCACCIOLI; Giuliano FERRARI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230265302A1

## CPC

- C09D 11/322: Pigment inks
- B41J 2/01: Ink jet
- B41J 2/2107: {characterised by the ink properties (supplying ink in a solid state B41J2/17593)}
- B41M 5/0047: {by ink-jet printing}
- B41M 5/007: {on glass, ceramic, tiles, concrete, stones, etc.}
- C04B 41/00: After-treatment of mortars, concrete, artificial stone or ceramics; Treatment of natural stone (conditioning of the materials prior to shaping C04B40/00; applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces, in general B05; grinding or polishing B24; apparatus or processes for treating or working shaped articles of clay or other ceramic compositions, slag or mixtures containing cementitious material B28B11/00; working stone or stone-like materials B28D; glazes, other than cold glazes, C03C8/00; etching, surface-brightening or pickling compositions C09K13/00)
- C04B 41/0072: {Heat treatment}
- C04B 41/009: {characterised by the material treated}
- C04B 41/4543: {by spraying, e.g. by atomising}
- C04B 41/488: {Other macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving unsaturated carbon-to-carbon bonds}
- C04B 41/5035: {Silica}
- C04B 41/83: Macromolecular compounds
- C04B 41/87: Ceramics
- C09D 11/033: characterised by the solvent
- C09D 11/037: characterised by the pigment
- C09D 11/102: containing macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions other than those only involving unsaturated carbon-to-carbon bonds
- C09D 11/107: from unsaturated acids or derivatives thereof
- C09D 11/36: based on non-aqueous solvents
- 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
- B41M: PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING, (correction of typographical errors B41J; processes for applying transfer pictures or the like B44C1/16; fluid media for correction of typographical errors by coating C09D10/00; printing textiles D06P)
- C04B: LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE {(roofing granules E04D7/005)}; CERAMICS (devitrified glass-ceramics C03C10/00); REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE

## Abstract

A ceramic ink for digital printing, preferably for inkjet printing, comprises at least one solid part comprising at least one ceramic pigment or dye; and at least one liquid part into which said ceramic pigment or dye is dispersed and comprising one or more vehicles and/or one or more dispersants; wherein at least one of either the one or more vehicles or the one or more dispersants comprises one or more organic or inorganic silicon compounds.

## Claims

### Claim 1

1) Ceramic ink for digital printing, comprising:
at least one solid part comprising at least one ceramic pigment or dye; and
at least one liquid part into which said ceramic pigment or dye is dispersed and comprising one or more vehicles and/or one or more dispersants; wherein
at least one of either said one or more vehicles or said one or more dispersants comprises one or more organic or inorganic silicon compounds.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

2) The ceramic ink according to claim 1, wherein said one or more organic or inorganic silicon compounds are linear or cyclic.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

3) The ceramic ink according to claim 2, wherein said one or more organic or inorganic silicon compounds have the following general formula (formula I):
wherein X is selected from a list comprising: SiR7R8, BR7R8, O, CR7R8, NR7;
wherein R5, R6, R7 and R8 are equal or different to each other and are independently selected from: hydroxyl group, linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated alkyl chains, linear or branched cycloalkyl group, linear or branched aryl group, ether group, ester group, vinyl group, acrylic group, styrenic group, alkoxy group, aryloxy group, linear or branched chains containing silicon, glycols, polyglycols, hydrogen, carbohydrates, phosphoesters, acrylic polymers, styrene-acrylic polymers, polyurethane polymers, polyminic polymers, polyetheramines, or mixtures thereof; and
wherein n is comprised between 3 and 1,000,000, preferably between 4 and 1,000.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

4) The ceramic ink according to claim 1, wherein said one or more organic or inorganic silicon compounds are selected from list comprising: polysiloxane, polysilsesquioxane, polycarbonate-siloxane, polysilane, polycarbosilane, poly(silyl)carbodiimide, polysilsesquicarbodiimide, polysilazanes, polycarbosilazane, polysilsesquiazane, polyborosiloxane, polyborosilane, polyborosilazane, hydrocarbons of silicon or silicate ester.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

5) The ceramic ink according to claim 1, wherein said, according to formula I, said one or more functional groups R5, R6, R7 and R8 have one or more substituents selected from a list comprising: phosphate group, phosphonic group, phosphonium group, amino group, ammonium group, sulphate group, sulphonic group, carboxylic group, hydroxylic group, betainic group or acrylic group.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

6) The ceramic ink according to claim 1, wherein said one or more vehicles comprise said one or more organic or inorganic silicon compounds.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

7) The ceramic ink according to claim 1, wherein said one or more vehicles comprise said one or more organic or inorganic silicon compounds present in a concentration by weight, assessed in relation to the total weight of said medium, of more than 80%.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

8) The ceramic ink according to claim 1, wherein said one or more vehicles are present in a concentration by weight, assessed in relation to the total weight of the ink, of more than 30%.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

9) The ceramic ink according to claim 1, wherein said one or more vehicles have a viscosity comprised between 2 cP and 100 cP, preferably between 10 cP and 30 cP, measured at a shear rate of 100 sec-1 and at a temperature of 25° C.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

10) The ceramic ink according to claim 1, claim 1, said one or more dispersants are selected from a list comprising: organic compounds, polymers, phosphoesters, acrylic polymers, styrene-acrylic polymers, polyurethanes, polyimines, polyetheramines, or mixtures thereof.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

11) The ceramic ink according to claim 1, wherein said one or more dispersants are at least partly soluble in said one or more vehicles.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

12) The ceramic ink according to claim 1, further comprising: a dynamic surface tension value comprised between 20 mN/m and 40 mN/m, said dynamic surface tension being measured at 25° C.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

13) The ceramic ink according to claim 1, further comprising: at least one additive, wherein said additive is selected from a list comprising: rheology modifiers, surfactants, surface tension modifiers, antifoaming agents, adhesion promoters and antibacterial agents.

### Claim 14

14) A method for the manufacture of a ceramic manufactured article, comprising:
preparing a ceramic semi-finished product;
printing the ink according to one or more of the preceding claims on a surface of said ceramic semi-finished product;..and
heat treating said ceramic semi-finished product at a temperature above 500° C. to obtain said ceramic manufactured article; wherein
said ceramic manufactured article producing an odor emission of less than 1000 OUE/m3 and/or an atmospheric emission of total organic carbon (TOC) of less than 50 mg/Nm3 and/or wherein said one or more organic or inorganic silicon compounds form on the surface of said ceramic manufactured article at least one odorless compound selected from a list comprising: SiOx, SiCx, SiCxOy, SiNx, SiNxOy, SiBx, SiBxOy, wherein x and y are between 0 and 6.

### Claim 15

15) A use of one or more organic or inorganic silicon compounds as a medium and/or dispersant in ceramic inks for digital printing.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

16) The use according to claim 15, wherein said one or more organic or inorganic silicon compounds are selected from a list comprising: polysiloxane, polysilsesquioxane, polycarbonate-siloxane, polysilane, polycarbosilane, poly(silyl)carbodiimide, polysilsesquicarbodiimide, polysilazanes, polycarbosilazane, polysilsesquiazane, polyborosiloxane, polyborosilane, polyborosilazane, hydrocarbons of silicon or silicate ester.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

17) A use of said one or more organic or inorganic silicon compounds, according to claim 1, as a medium and/or dispersant in ceramic inks for digital printing.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

18) The use according to claim 17, wherein said one or more organic or inorganic silicon compounds are selected from a list comprising: polysiloxane, polysilsesquioxane, polycarbonate-siloxane, polysilane, polycarbosilane, poly(silyl)carbodiimide, polysilsesquicarbodiimide, polysilazanes, polycarbosilazane, polysilsesquiazane, polyborosiloxane, polyborosilane, polyborosilazane, hydrocarbons of silicon or silicate ester.