# US 8,541,492 B2 · Pigment for laser-writable plastic materials and use thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,541,492 B2 - Document ID: US8541492B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/665,363 - Filed: 2005-10-14 - Published: 2009-02-05 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2004-10-15 - Assignees: Chemische Fabrik Budenhiem KG - Applicants: Joachim Markmann; Ruediger Wissemborski - Inventors: Joachim Markmann; Ruediger Wissemborski - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8541492B2 ## CPC - B41M 5/267: {Marking of plastic artifacts, e.g. with laser} - B41M 5/283: {Inorganic thermochromic compounds} - C09C 1/00: Treatment of specific inorganic materials other than fibrous fillers (tenebrescent materials C09K9/00; luminescent materials C09K11/00); Preparation of carbon black - C09C 1/22: Compounds of iron {(C09C1/0009, C09C1/0015, C09C1/0078 take precedence)} - C01P 2002/70: defined by measured X-ray, neutron or electron diffraction data - C01P 2004/84: one phase coated with the other - G03F 7/0043: {Chalcogenides; Silicon, germanium, arsenic or derivatives thereof; Metals, oxides or alloys thereof (G03F7/0044 takes precedence)} - 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) - C09C: TREATMENT OF INORGANIC MATERIALS, OTHER THAN FIBROUS FILLERS, TO ENHANCE THEIR PIGMENTING OR FILLING PROPERTIES (treatment of materials specially adapted to enhance their filling properties in mortars, concrete or artificial stone C04B14/00, C04B18/00, C04B20/00); PREPARATION OF CARBON BLACK {; PREPARATION OF INORGANIC MATERIALS WHICH ARE NO SINGLE CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS AND WHICH ARE MAINLY USED AS PIGMENTS OR FILLERS} - C01P: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO STRUCTURAL AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF SOLID INORGANIC COMPOUNDS - G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G) ## Abstract A pigment for laser-writable plastic materials in the form of particulate, light-sensitive compounds which under the influence of laser light change their color and/or lead to a color change in the plastic material is characterized in that the pigments include at least one salt-like compound including at least two different cations or a compound mixture which can be reacted to afford at least one such salt-like compound with at least two different cations, wherein at least one of the cations is selected from a group (A) of the elements Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ag, Sn, Sb, La, Pr, Ta, W and Ce and at least one further cation is selected from a group (B) of the elements of the 3rd to 6th periods of the main groups II and III, the 5th to 6th periods of the main group IV and the 4th to 5th periods of the secondary group III to VIII and the lanthanides of the periodic system of elements. The invention also includes plastic materials containing the pigment or the compound mixture. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pigment for laser-writable thermoplastic materials in the form of at least one particulate, light-sensitive compound that absorbs in a range of a laser light wavelength and which under the influence of the laser light results in a color change in a plastic material in which the pigment is present, wherein the pigment comprises at least one mixed salt compound which includes at least two different cations and corresponding anions wherein at least one of the cations is selected from a group (A) of the elements Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ag, Sn, Sb, La, Pr, Ta, W and Ce and at least one further cation is selected from a group (B) of the elements of the 3rd to 6th periods of the main groups II and III, the 5th to 6th periods of the main group IV and the 4th to 5th periods of the secondary group III to VIII and the lanthanides of the periodic table of elements, wherein anions in the pigment contain phosphorus-bearing oxoanions. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A composition comprising a mixture of simple salt compounds, which composition can be incorporated into a thermoplastic material and reacted to obtain a pigment according to claim 1, wherein the mixture of simple salt compounds comprises at least two different cations and corresponding anions wherein at least one of the cations is selected from a group (A) of the elements Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ag, Sn, Sb, La, Pr, Ta, W and Ce and at least one further cation is selected from a group (B) of the elements of the 3rd to 6th periods of the main groups II and III, the 5th to 6th periods of the main group IV and the 4th to 5th periods of the secondary group III to VIII and the lanthanides of the periodic table of elements, wherein anions in the pigment contain phosphorus-bearing oxoanions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The composition of claim 2 where the mixture can be reacted by heating. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A pigment as set forth in claim 1 having a mean particle size (d50) of less than 10 μm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The pigment as set forth in claim 3 where the mean particle size is less than 5μm. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A pigment as set forth in claim 1 wherein besides two different cations from groups A and B the pigment contains further cations of elements of the 2nd to 5th periods of the main group I of the periodic table of elements. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A pigment set forth in claim 1 wherein cations in the pigment comprise at least one of copper, tin, antimony and/or iron. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A pigment as set forth in claim 1 wherein the anions comprise phosphorous (V) acid and/or phosphorous (III) acid or condensation products and the cations are selected from a combination selected from combinations comprising: Cu and Fe, or Cu and Sn, or Cu and Sb, or Sn and Fe. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The pigment of claim 8, wherein the pigment further comprises hydroxyl anions. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A pigment as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cations are selected from a combination selected from combinations comprising Cu and Sn, Sn and Fe, or Cu and Ca. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The pigment as set forth in claim 10, wherein the pigment further comprises hydroxyl anions. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A pigment as set forth in claim 1 wherein the compounds of groups A and B are so combined together that the non-irradiated combination of those compounds absorbs in a range of a laser light wavelength to be used. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A method for producing laser-writable thermoplastic materials comprising incorporating a pigment according to claim 1. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) A method for producing laser-writable thermoplastic materials comprising incorporating a pigment according to claim 2 and reacting the composition to obtain a pigment. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 where the thermoplastic material is a partially crystalline thermoplastic material. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 where the thermoplastic material is a partially crystalline thermoplastic material.