# US 9,039,822 B2 · Ceramic inks for inkjet printers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,039,822 B2 - Document ID: US9039822B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/002,959 - Filed: 2012-02-09 - Published: 2013-12-26 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2011-03-03 - Assignees: Lamberti SPA - Applicants: Dario Fornara; Alan Nappa; Tamara Verzotti; Paolo Prampolini; Stefano Crespi; Giovanni Floridi; Giuseppe Li Bassi - Inventors: Dario Fornara; Alan Nappa; Tamara Verzotti; Paolo Prampolini; Stefano Crespi; Giovanni Floridi; Giuseppe Li Bassi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039822B2 ## CPC - 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) - C09D 11/30: Inkjet printing inks - C04B 41/009: {characterised by the material treated} - C04B 41/52: Multiple coating or impregnating {multiple coating or impregnating with the same composition or with compositions only differing in the concentration of the constituents, is classified as single coating or impregnation} - C04B 41/89: for obtaining at least two superposed coatings having different compositions - C08G 69/44: Polyester-amides - C08G 81/00: Macromolecular compounds obtained by interreacting polymers in the absence of monomers, e.g. block polymers (involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bond reactions C08F299/00 {; polyester-amides C08G69/44; polyester-imides C08G73/16; polyamides-imides C08G73/14; block- or graft polymers containing polysiloxane sequences C08G77/42}) - C08L 77/12: Polyester-amides - C09D 11/326: characterised by the pigment dispersant - 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 - 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) - C08G: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS - C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06) ## Abstract Ceramic inkjet inks comprising ceramic inorganic pigments having average particle size between 0.1 and 0.8 μm, an organic medium and a dispersant, the dispersant being the reaction product of a polyethyleneimine with a homo- or co-polyester based on lactic acid, and method for decorating green or fired ceramic bodies by the use of the above ceramic inkjet inks. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A ceramic inkjet ink comprising: a ceramic inorganic pigment having an average particle size of from about 0.1 to about 0.8 μm, an organic medium and a dispersant which is the reaction product of a polyethyleneimine and a homo- or co-polyester of formula (1) R—[(—O-A-CO)n-(-O—(CH)CH3-CO)m-]-OH (1) wherein: R is hydrogen or a polymerization terminating group; A is a linear or branched alkylene radical deriving from a hydroxycarboxylic acid having from about 2 to about 20 carbon atoms or a lactone thereof; and n and m are integers. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ceramic inkjet ink of claim 1 wherein the ceramic inorganic pigment has an average particle size from about 0.1 to about 0.5 μm. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The ceramic inkjet ink of claim 1 wherein the dispersant is obtained from the amidation and/or salification of a linear or branched polyethyleneamine with the homo- or co-polyester of formula (1). ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The ceramic inkjet ink of claim 3 wherein the homo- or co-polyester of formula (1) is a co-polyester. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The ceramic inkjet ink of claim 4 wherein m:n is from about 10:1 to about 1:10. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The ceramic inkjet ink of claim 5 wherein m:n is from about 2:1 to about 1:2. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The ceramic inkjet ink of claim 3 wherein the homo- or co-polyester of formula (1) has a number average molecular weight of from about 800 to about 2,000. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The ceramic inkjet ink of claim 7 wherein the polyethyleneimine has a number average molecular weight of from about 1,000 to about 70,000. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The ceramic inkjet ink of claim 1 wherein the weight ratio of the homo- or co-polyester of formula (1) to polyethyleneimine is from about 1 to about 100. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The ceramic inkjet ink of claim 1 wherein the ceramic inkjet ink comprises from about 5 to about 60% by weight of the pigment. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The ceramic inkjet ink of claim 10 wherein the ceramic inkjet ink comprises from about 30 to about 80% by weight of the organic medium. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The ceramic inkjet ink of claim 11 wherein the ceramic inkjet ink comprises from about 2 to about 15% by weight of the dispersant. ### Claim 13 A method for decorating green or fired ceramic bodies by inkjet printing comprising: milling a ceramic inorganic pigment having average particle size of from about 1.0 to about 10 μm in an organic medium in the presence of a dispersant which is a reaction product of a polyethyleneimine and a homo- or co-polyester of formula (1), R—[(—O-A-CO)n-(-O—(CH)CH3-CO)m-]-OH (1) wherein: R is hydrogen or a polymerization terminating group; A is a linear or branched alkylene radical deriving from a hydroxycarboxylic acid having from about 2 and about 20 carbon atoms or a lactone thereof; and n and m are integers until the average particle size of the pigment is between 0.1 and 0.8 μm to produce a ceramic inkjet ink; spreading a glaze on the surface of a green or fired ceramic body; inkjet printing a decoration onto the green or fired ceramic body by using the ceramic inkjet ink: and firing the green or fired ceramic body at a temperature of from about 900 to about 1250° C. for from about 15 to about 240 minutes. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the ceramic inorganic pigment has an average particle size from about 0.1 to about 0.5 μm. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the dispersant is obtained from the amidation and/or salification of a linear or branched polyethyleneamine with the homo- or co-polyester of formula (1). ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein the homo- or co-polyester of formula (1) is a co-polyester. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein m:n is from about 10:1 to about 1:10. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein m:n is from about 2:1 to about 1:2. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the homo- or co-polyester of formula (1) has a number average molecular weight of from about 800 to about 2,000. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19 wherein the polyethyleneimine has a number average molecular weight of from 1,000 to 70,000.