Decorative method and material

Details Decorative method and material Decorative method and material

1996-12-05

1998-02-03

Ryan, Patrick

Stock material or miscellaneous articles

Structurally defined web or sheet

Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond

428207, 428209, 428210, 428325, 428384, 428402, 428432, 428433, 428457, 428697, 428702, 423594, 423607, 423632, 4271266, 427226, 427266, 156 89, 156230, 106 20, 106429, B32B 900

Patent

active

057142360

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
This application is a national stage application, according to Chapter II of the Patent Cooperation Treaty. This application claims the priority date of Jun. 14, 1994, U.K. Patent No. 9411857.7.
This invention concerns a method of decorating firable articles and particularly but not exclusively ceramic articles; and a material usable in such a method.


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventionally the majority of firable inks used for decorating ceramic articles and other firable materials have contained pigments held in suspension. The pigments provide heat stable colours with sufficient colour intensity for decorating for example tableware. It has become appreciated that when decorating such articles considerable advantages can be provided by non-contact printing, and especially using ink jet printing. However, difficulties have been encountered in providing suspended pigment inks which can be used in ink jet printers, especially over a wide range of colours. Inks have also been used comprising a soluble metallic salt which provides a required colour by oxide formation and/or reacting with the decorated article upon firing. Problems have though again been encountered with such inks and particularly with providing inks usable with ink jet printers with a required colour intensity for a wide range of colours.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention there is provided a method of decorating a firable article, the method comprising mixing a metallic salt with a fuel material which can supply oxygen to the salt in a reaction, and applying a solution of this mixture onto a ceramic article, the mixture being such that upon drying the mixture reacts to form an oxide of the metal to provide a decorative colour on the article.


DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The mixture is preferably such that the metal oxide formed after application onto the article has a very small particle size, and the particles may be nano sized.
The mixture is preferably such that the reaction only occurs upon heat being applied to the article. The heat may be applied during firing of the article, or prior thereto.
The mixture is preferably applied on to the article by ink jet printing.
The fuel material preferably increases the solubility of the metallic salt, and the solubility may be increased by virtue of complex formation.
The invention also provides a decorative material comprising a mixture usable in a method according to any of the preceding five paragraphs.
The fuel material preferably comprises an amino acid and may comprise glycine. Alternatively, the fuel material may comprise urea or acetonyl acetone.
The material may comprise a mixture of salts, and the salts may comprise any of nitrates, citrates, oxalates or acetates.
In one arrangement the metal colourant ions are complexed using a citric acid and ethylene glycol mixture.
The salt or salts are preferably in solution, and an aqueous solution may be used. Alternatively alcohol may be used as a solvent.
The material may comprise soluble precursors to produce a flux. The precursors may comprise any of borax, a boron salt, an aqueous silicate, or a phosphate.
The material may include additives including a gum, a semi-permanent binder, and/or finely divided colloidal material such as silica sols or fumed silica.
The material may comprise a base such as aqueous ammonia.
Modifying additives may be provided in the material to provide any of the required viscosity, surface tension or conductivity for ink jet printing.
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only.
A decorative material according to the invention for application by an ink jet printer onto a ceramic material was formed from the following constituents.


______________________________________ Cobalt Nitrate 29.1 g Chromium Nitrate 40.0 g Manganese Nitrate 28.7 g Iron Nitrate 40.4 g Glycine 60.0 g ______________________________________
These constituents were added to 40 ml of ionised water. 50 ml of concentrated ammonia solution was added

REFERENCES:
patent: 3994727 (1976-11-01), Polichette et al.
patent: 4880772 (1989-11-01), Pederson et al.
patent: 4894092 (1990-01-01), Nishihara et al.
patent: 4959247 (1990-09-01), Moser et al.
patent: 5034244 (1991-07-01), Berrer et al.
patent: 5091003 (1992-02-01), Boaz
patent: 5114702 (1992-05-01), Pederson et al.
patent: 5273575 (1993-12-01), de Saint Romain
patent: 5407474 (1995-04-01), Airey et al.
patent: 5541265 (1996-07-01), Gomi et al.

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