The invention claimed is:
1. A method for ink-jet printing using an ink-jet 3D printer to produce a three-dimensional object of stereolithography, comprising:
ejecting an ultraviolet curable silicone composition via ink-jet ejection using the ink-jet 3D printer;
wherein the ultraviolet curable silicone composition comprises:
(A) 100 parts by mass of an organopolysiloxane represented by the following general formula (1)
wherein each R 1 independently represents a group selected from a monovalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an acryloyl group, a methacryloyl group, an alkyl acrylate group and an alkyl methacrylate group,
wherein the component (A) has per molecule at least two groups selected from an acryloyl group, a methacryloyl group, an alkyl acrylate group and an alkyl methacrylate group; and wherein n represents a number satisfying 10≤n≤1,000;
(B) a monofunctional (meth)acrylate compound having no siloxane structure,
(C) a multifunctional (meth)acrylate compound having no siloxane structure,
the component (B) and the component (C) being in a total amount of 1 to 500 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the component (A), and
(D) a photopolymerization initiator in an amount of 0.1 to 20 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the component (A),
and wherein the organopolysiloxane as the component (A) is contained in the composition in an amount of 15 to 80% by mass.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the general formula (1), n represents a number satisfying 60≤n≤1,000.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the general formula (1), n represents a number satisfying 20≤n≤500.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the general formula (1), when R 1 is a monovalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group, it is independently a monovalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the general formula (1), when R 1 is a monovalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group, it is independently a monovalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the general formula (1), when R 1 is a monovalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group, it is independently selected from the group consisting of a methyl group, an ethyl group, a propyl group, a butyl group, a pentyl group, a hexyl group and an octyl group.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the general formula (1), 80% or more of all the R 1 groups are methyl groups.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the general formula (1), there is a methacrylic acid propyl group or an acrylic acid propyl group at each of the two ends of the molecule.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the component (B) is selected from the group consisting of isoamylacrylate, lauryl acrylate, stearyl acrylate, ethoxy-diethylene glycol acrylate, methoxy-triethylene glycol acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl-diglycol acrylate, phenoxy ethyl acrylate, phenoxydiethylene glycol acrylate, tetrahydrofurfuryl acrylate, isobornyl acrylate, and mixtures thereof.
10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the component (C) is selected from the group triethylene glycol diacrylate, polytetramethylene glycol diacrylate, neopentyl glycol diacrylate, 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate, dimethylol-tricyclodecane diacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, and mixtures thereof.
11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the component (B) and the component (C) are added in a total amount of 10 to 400 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the component (A).
12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the ultraviolet curable silicone composition further comprises:
(E) an organopolysiloxane being in an amount of 0.1 to 1,000 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the component (A), and represented by the following general formula (2)
wherein each R 2 independently represents a group selected from a monovalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an acryloyl group, a methacryloyl group, an alkyl acrylate group and an alkyl methacrylate group, while the component (E) has per molecule one group selected from an acryloyl group, a methacryloyl group, an alkyl acrylate group and an alkyl methacrylate group; m represents a number satisfying 10≤m≤1,000.
13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the component (E) is in an amount of 1 to 100 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the component (A).
14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the ultraviolet curable silicone composition has a viscosity of not higher than 2,000 mPa·s at 23° C. and has a surface tension of not smaller than 21 mN/m.
15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the ultraviolet curable silicone composition has a viscosity of not higher than 1,000 mPa·s at 23° C.
16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the ultraviolet curable silicone composition has a surface tension of not larger than 36 mN/m.
17. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising curing the ultraviolet curable silicone composition to form a cured product.
18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the curing comprises irradiating with a UVLED lamp, a high-pressure mercury lamp, a super-high pressure mercury lamp, a metal halide lamp, a carbon-arc lamp or a xenon lamp.