Production of pigments having a defined size and shape

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12129386-B2
Application number	US-202117504925-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2021
Priority date	Oct 20, 2020
Publication date	Oct 29, 2024
Grant date	Oct 29, 2024

Abstract

A process for producing pigments having a defined size and shape and also pigments produced by this process. The process has the steps: a) production of a three-dimensional surface structure on a substrate, with surface regions which are in each case partly bounded by a plurality of three-dimensional structural elements and are arranged in gaps being formed; b) application of a pigment material layer to the surface structure; c) detachment of the pigment material layer from the surface structure and production of pigments.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for producing pigments having a defined size and shape, comprising the steps:
a) production of a three-dimensional surface structure on a substrate, with surface regions which are in each case partly bounded by a plurality of three-dimensional structural elements and are arranged in gaps being formed;
b) application of a pigment material layer to the surface structure;
c) detachment of the pigment material layer from the surface structure and production of pigments;
wherein in step a) adjacent surface regions are connected to one another.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the surface regions are in each case bounded to an extent of from 1% to 99%, by the three-dimensional structural elements; and/or
the surface structure and/or the surface regions are occupied to an extent of from 0.1 to 10%, by the three-dimensional structural elements.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional structural elements are arranged separately from one another; and/or
the three-dimensional structural elements are, in plan view onto the surface structure, arranged at corners and/or sides of the surface regions.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein each boundary between adjacent surface regions is provided with at least two of the three-dimensional structural elements which are arranged along the boundary; and/or
at least part of the adjacent surface regions is formed with a partially contiguous surface.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein at least part of the three-dimensional structural elements are formed, in plan view onto the surface structure, as a regular pattern which partially bounds the surface regions; and/or
at least part of the three-dimensional structural elements are, in plan view onto the surface structure, formed as a pattern selected from among a polygonal pattern, a pattern of mutually complementary shapes and a free-form pattern.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein at least part of the surface regions is formed parallel to a base level of the surface structure; and/or
at least part of the surface regions is formed with a gradient which runs obliquely to a base level of the surface structure.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein at least part of the surface regions is formed on the same height level; and/or
at least part of the surface regions is formed on different height levels; and/or
at least part of adjacent surface regions is formed on different height levels.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein at least part of the three-dimensional structural elements are formed as raised regions arranged between the surface regions; and/or
at least part of the three-dimensional structural elements are formed as depressions arranged between the surface regions; and/or
at least part of the three-dimensional structural elements are formed as deaeration structures arranged between the surface regions.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein at least part of the three-dimensional structural elements are formed with a width of from 0.2 μm to 4 μm, and/or a height of from 1 μm to 10 μm; and/or
at least part of the three-dimensional structural elements are formed with identical or different dimensions.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein at least part of the surface regions are formed with the same size and/or same shape.

11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein at least part of the surface regions are, in plan view onto the surface structure, formed with a contour selected from among a polygon contour, a mutually complementary contour and a free-form contour; and/or
at least part of the surface regions are provided with one or more markings.

12. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the production of the three-dimensional surface structure in step a) is at least partly carried out by an embossing process; and/or
the production of the three-dimensional surface structure in step a) is carried out by a method selected from among:
a1) an embossing process comprising the steps: application of a soluble embossing layer as release layer to the substrate and performance of a lithographic, hot embossing or UV embossing; and
a2) an embossing process comprising the steps: provision of a substrate which can be deformed by means of hot embossing or application of an insoluble embossing layer to the substrate, performance of hot embossing or UV embossing; and
application of a soluble release layer.

13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein a pigment material layer comprising one or more inorganic materials and/or one or more organic materials is applied to the surface structure in step b).

14. Pigments produced by a process according to claim 1 .

15. The use of pigments according to claim 14 in a printing ink.

16. A process for producing pigments having a defined size and shape, comprising the steps:
a) production of a three-dimensional surface structure on a substrate, with surface regions which are in each case partly bounded by a plurality of three-dimensional structural elements and are arranged in gaps being formed;
b) application of a pigment material layer to the surface structure;
c) detachment of the pigment material layer from the surface structure and production of pigments;
wherein the surface regions are in each case bounded to an extent of from 1% to 99%, by the three-dimensional structural elements; and
wherein the surface structure and/or the surface regions are occupied to an extent of from 0.1 to 10%, by the three-dimensional structural elements.

Assignees

• Giesecke & Devrient Currency Technology Gmbh

Inventors

• Scherer Maik Rudolf Johann
• Scherer Kai Herrmann

Classifications

• C09C3/00

  Treatment in general of inorganic materials, other than fibrous fillers, to enhance their pigmenting or filling properties · CPC title

• C09B67/006

  Preparation of organic pigments · CPC title

• C01P2004/62

  Submicrometer sized, i.e. from 0.1-1 micrometer · CPC title

• C01P2004/61

  Micrometer sized, i.e. from 1-100 micrometer · CPC title

• C01P2004/30

  extending in three dimensions · CPC title