Ceramic inkjet ink for relief effect

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016016858-A1
Application number	US-201414333472-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 16, 2014
Priority date	Jul 16, 2014
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed are compositions, such as inkjet inks or glazes, for jetting onto a ceramic substrate, and associated methods and systems. The compositions are configured to produce a blister relief effect, wherein the incorporation of inkjet technology provides precise control over the location and degree of blistering. The enhanced compositions are configured to form gas bubbles when exposed to the elevated temperatures of a firing cycle, wherein the formed gas is trapped within the glaze, causing an expansion or blistering of the glaze, which results in a raised relief.

First claim

1 . A composition for application of a visual or textural effect to a ceramic substrate, the composition comprising:
a carrier compound that is jettable onto the ceramic substrate; and a reduction agent which, when mixed with the carrier compound and heated to a firing temperature, produces gas bubbles in the carrier compound.

2 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the carrier compound includes a pigment.

3 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the produced gas bubbles are formed and trapped within the composition when exposed to the firing temperature.

4 . The composition of claim 3 , wherein the trapped gas bubbles create a three-dimensional effect on the ceramic substrate.

5 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the reduction agent is jettable onto the ceramic substrate before the carrier compound.

6 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the reduction agent is jettable onto the ceramic substrate after the carrier compound.

7 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the carrier compound and the reduction agent comprise a single solution that is jettable onto the ceramic substrate.

8 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the firing temperature is greater than 1000 degrees C.

9 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the firing temperature has a range of 1050 degrees C. to 1300 degrees C.

10 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the reduction agent is reactive with oxygen, nitrogen, or both.

11 . The composition of claim 10 , wherein the oxygen or the nitrogen is present in the carrier compound, the reduction agent, or both.

12 . The composition of claim 10 , wherein the oxygen or the nitrogen is ambient in a kiln in which the ceramic substrate is to be fired.

13 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises a glaze.

14 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the reduction agent comprises silicon.

15 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the reduction agent comprises any of SiO, SiC, SiN, or BN.

16 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the amount of the reduction agent is controllable to vary the production of the gas bubbles.

17 . A method comprising:
jetting a carrier compound onto a ceramic substrate; and causing a three-dimensional effect to be produced on the ceramic substrate by heating a composition that includes the carrier compound and a reduction agent to a temperature at which the reduction agent produces gas bubbles within the composition; wherein at least some of the bubbles or physical effects thereof remain in the composition after the composition cools to room temperature.

18 . (canceled)

19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
combining the carrier compound with the reduction agent to form the composition, wherein the combining step is performed before the jetting step, and wherein the jetting step comprises the jetting of the composition onto the ceramic substrate.

20 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
jetting the reduction agent onto the ceramic substrate before the jetting of the carrier compound.

21 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
jetting the reduction agent onto the ceramic substrate after the jetting of the carrier compound.

22 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the composition comprises a ceramic glaze.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the reduction agent comprises any of SiO, SiC, SiN, or BN.

24 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the temperature at which the reduction agent produces gas bubbles within the composition has a range of 1050 degrees C. to 1300 degrees C.

25 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
controlling the amount of the reduction agent in the composition to vary the production of the gas bubbles.

26 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the gas bubbles comprise carbon dioxide.

27 . A printing system comprising:
a print head assembly for jetting a composition onto a ceramic substrate; and a print controller configured to receive a signal for a print job, and control the print head assembly in response to the received print job signal; wherein the composition includes a carrier compound, and a reduction agent which, when mixed with the carrier compound and heated to a firing temperature produces gas bubbles in the carrier compound; wherein the print job includes instructions for creating at a raised relief effect on a portion of the substrate; wherein the controller causes the print head assembly to jet the composition on the portion of the substrate; and wherein the printing system is configured to cause the raised relief to be formed when the composition is heated to the firing temperature.

28 . The printing system of claim 27 , wherein the print head assembly comprises a first print head for jetting the carrier compound, and a second print head for jetting the reduction agent.

29 . The printing system of claim 27 , wherein the print head assembly is configured to concurrently jet the carrier compound and the reduction agent.

30 . A method for manufacturing a composition that is jettable onto a ceramic substrate, the method comprising:
adding one of a carrier compound or a reduction agent to a jettable carrier; and adding the other of the carrier compound or the reduction agent to the jettable carrier; wherein the reduction agent, when mixed with the carrier compound and heated to a firing temperature produces gas bubbles in the carrier compound.

31 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the produced gas bubbles are formed and trapped within the composition when exposed to the firing temperature.

32 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the reduction agent comprises any of SiO, SiC, SiN, or BN.

Assignees

• Electronics For Imaging Inc

Inventors

• Zavada Mark
• Weber David
• Fage Louis
• Tennis Matthew

Classifications

• C04B41/009

  characterised by the material treated · CPC title

• C04B41/86 Primary

  Glazes; Cold glazes · CPC title

• B41M5/0047

  by ink-jet printing · CPC title

• B41M5/007

  on glass, ceramic, tiles, concrete, stones, etc. · CPC title

• C09D11/322 Primary

  Pigment inks · CPC title