Printing ink
AssigneeSericol Limited
InventorNigel Paul Gould
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention relates to a printing ink and in particular to an ink for ink-jet printing which is cured by irradiation. The ink comprises at least one radiation-curable monomer; at least one passive thermoplastic resin; at least one radical photoinitiator; and at least one colouring agent; wherein the ink has a viscosity of less than 100 mPas at 25° C., and wherein the at least one passive resin is present at 2 to 15 wt % based on the total weight of the ink and has a molecular weight of 1,500 to 70,000.
Claims18
An ink-jet ink substantially free of water and volatile organic solvents consisting essentially of at least one radiation-curable monomer, wherein the radiation-curable monomer is a monofunctional monomer and the ink contains no more than 15 wt % of multifunctional monomers based on the total weight of the ink;
- at least one passive thermoplastic resin;
- 4-10% by weight of at least one radical photoinitiator based on the weight of the ink;
- and at least one dispersible pigment;
- wherein the ink has a viscosity of less than 100 mPas at 25° C., wherein the at least one passive resin is present at 2 to 15 wt % based on the total weight of the ink and has a weight-average molecular weight of 1,500 to 70,000.
An ink-jet ink consisting essentially of at least one radiation-curable monomer, wherein the radiation-curable monomer is a monofunctional monomer and the ink contains no more than 15 wt % of multifunctional monomers based on the total weight of the ink;
- at least one passive thermoplastic resin;
- 4-10% by weight of at least one radical photoinitiator based on the weight of the ink;
- and at least one dispersible pigment;
- wherein the ink has a viscosity of less than 100 mPas at 25 ° C., wherein said ink-jet ink is substantially free of water and volatile organic solvents, wherein the at least one passive resin is present at 2 to 15 wt % based on the total weight of the ink and has a weight-average molecular weight of 2,000 to 30,000, and wherein said ink-jet ink is suitable for vacuum forming applications.
A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional article comprising printing an ink-jet ink on to a planar substrate, curing the ink, heating the substrate to a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the substrate, and vacuum forming the substrate to form the three-dimensional article, said ink-jet ink consisting essentially of at least one radiation-curable monomer, wherein the radiation-curable monomer is a monofunctional monomer and the ink contains no more than 15 wt % of multifunctional monomers based on the total weight of the ink;
- at least one passive thermoplastic resin;
- 4-10% by weight of at least one radical photoinitiator based on the weight of the ink;
- and at least one dispersible pigment;
- wherein the ink has a viscosity of less than 100 mPas at 25 ° C., wherein said ink-jet ink is substantially free of water and volatile organic solvents, wherein the at least one passive resin is present at 2 to 15 wt % based on the total weight of the ink and has a weight-average molecular weight of 1,500 to 70,000, and wherein said ink-jet ink is suitable for vacuum forming applications.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.