NIR absorbing inkjet ink, method of recording

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12460097-B2
Application number	US-202118258344-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2021
Priority date	Dec 21, 2020
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

A non-aqueous inkjet ink comprising a near infrared absorbing particle, a dispersant, a solvent, the dispersant is a polymer comprising an amine group or an acidic group and the solvent is selected from the group consisting of ketones, esters, ethers and alcohols. The non-aqueous inkjet ink can act as a fusing agent in a high speed sintering process. The non-aqueous inkjet ink is suitable for printing transparent or coloured 3D-objects.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A non-aqueous inkjet ink comprising a near infrared absorbing particle, a dispersant, a glycerol ester from one, two, or three long-chain fatty acids in an amount from 1 wt. % to 80 wt. % with respect to the total weight of the ink, and a solvent, wherein the dispersant is a polymer comprising a functional group being (i) an acidic group or a salt thereof or (ii) an amino group and wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of ketones, esters, ethers, and alcohols.

2 . The non-aqueous inkjet ink of claim 1 , wherein the ink further comprises an inorganic or organic rheology modifier.

3 . The non-aqueous inkjet ink of claim 1 , wherein the acidic group is a carboxylic acid group or a salt thereof.

4 . The non-aqueous inkjet ink of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(esters), poly(acrylics), poly(urethanes), poly(amides), poly(ethers) and poly(styrenes), and combinations thereof.

5 . The non-aqueous inkjet ink of claim 1 , further comprising a mineral oil hydrocarbon in an amount of 10 wt. % or less with respect to the total weight of the ink.

6 . The non-aqueous inkjet ink of claim 1 , wherein the near infrared absorbing particle comprises an inorganic material selected from the group consisting of doped tin oxides, doped indium oxides, alkali metal tungsten oxides, rare earth hexaborides, alkali and/or transition metal (poly)phosphates, alkali and alkaline earth copper silicates, and transparent inorganic conductive oxides.

7 . The non-aqueous inkjet ink of claim 1 , wherein the near infrared particles have a diameter of 1 μm or less.

8 . The non-aqueous inkjet ink of claim 1 . further comprising a coloured pigment.

9 . An ink set comprising a non-aqueous inkjet ink according to claim 1 and an inkjet ink comprising an organic solvent and a colorant.

10 . An ink set comprising a non-aqueous inkjet ink according to claim 4 and an inkjet ink comprising an organic solvent and a colorant.

11 . A 3D printing method, the method comprising the following steps:
a) applying a polymeric build material, b) selectively applying the non-aqueous inkjet ink as defined in claim 1 on at least a portion of the polymeric build material by means of a jetting method, and c) exposing the polymeric material to IR radiation to fuse the at least portion of the polymeric material in contact with the non-aqueous inkjet ink.

12 . A 3D printing method, the method comprising the following steps:
a) applying a polymeric build material, b) selectively applying the non-aqueous inkjet ink as defined in claim 4 on at least a portion of the polymeric build material by means of a jetting method, and c) exposing the polymeric material to IR radiation to fuse the at least portion of the polymeric material in contact with the non-aqueous inkjet ink.

13 . A 3D printing method, the method comprising the following steps:
a) applying a polymeric build material, b) selectively applying the ink set as defined in claim 9 on at least a portion of the polymeric build material by means of a jetting method, and c) exposing the polymeric material to IR radiation to fuse the at least portion of the polymeric material in contact with the non-aqueous inkjet ink.

14 . A 3D printing method, the method comprising the following steps:
a) applying a polymeric build material, b) selectively applying the ink set as defined in claim 10 on at least a portion of the polymeric build material by means of a jetting method, and c) exposing the polymeric material to IR radiation to fuse the at least portion of the polymeric material in contact with the non-aqueous inkjet ink.

Assignees

• Agfa Gevaert Nv

Inventors

• Lingier Sophie
• Loccufier Johan
• Wynants Sonny

Classifications

• C09D11/40

  Ink-sets specially adapted for multi-colour inkjet printing · CPC title

• C09D11/36 Primary

  based on non-aqueous solvents · CPC title

• C09D11/037

  characterised by the pigment · CPC title

• C09D11/033

  characterised by the solvent · CPC title

• B29K2995/0094

  Geometrical properties · CPC title