A method for ink permeation transfer printing of simulated textured artificial quartz stone plate

Abstract

This invention discloses a method for ink transfer printing of simulated textured artificial quartz stone slabs. The method includes: preparing nano-level thermal sublimation ink; cleaning, degreasing, and preheating a dense quartz stone slab with a Mohs hardness of 5-6; mirror printing the pattern onto thermal transfer paper; hot pressing at 200-230℃ and 0.6-1.2MPa for 30-50 minutes to allow the dye to penetrate the surface of the slab; and finally, cooling, paper removal, rough grinding, and fine polishing to obtain the finished product. This invention uses high temperature and high pressure to directly sublimate dispersed dyes and embed them into the interior of high-hardness dense quartz stone, forming a durable pattern without interfaces or coatings. The products obtained by this method have high texture resolution, realistic colors, and excellent wear resistance, scratch resistance, and UV resistance. They do not fade, blur, or peel when wiped with a damp cloth. At the same time, the process is environmentally friendly and controllable, adaptable to slabs of different thicknesses, and supports small-batch, multi-variety personalized flexible customization, significantly improving the decorative effect and added value of artificial quartz stone.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for ink transfer printing of simulated textured artificial quartz stone slabs. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional artificial quartz stone slab surface decoration mainly adopts processes such as screen printing, inkjet printing followed by coating or film application.

[0003] However, due to the dense surface, poor permeability, and high hardness of artificial quartz stone (especially dense, non-porous quartz stone slabs with a Mohs hardness of 5-6), existing technologies have the following shortcomings: conventional inks or coatings are difficult to adhere firmly, and problems such as fading, poor wear resistance, and blurred textures are prone to occur; screen printing patterns are limited and cannot achieve high-precision simulated textures; lamination or coating processes are prone to surface delamination and blistering, and are not scratch-resistant; in addition, some heat transfer methods are prone to head clogging, ink breakage, and uneven transfer due to poor ink-to-slab compatibility and improper control of transfer temperature and pressure, and cannot meet the processing needs of slabs of different thicknesses. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide a method for ink transfer printing of simulated textured artificial quartz stone slabs. This method can form highly adhesive, highly realistic, and scratch-resistant textures on the dense, non-porous surface of artificial quartz stone, while solving problems such as poor ink printing smoothness, easy fading and blurring of transferred patterns, narrow range of slab thickness adaptability, and low surface gloss in existing technologies.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is: A method for ink transfer printing of simulated textured artificial quartz stone slabs includes the following steps: S1. Ink preparation: Weigh out 3-5% disperse dye, 3-7% dispersant, 25-40% water-soluble organic solvent, 0.2-0.5% surfactant, 0.1-0.3% preservative, and 0.1-0.3% defoamer by mass percentage, with the remainder being deionized water. After mixing, grind until the dye particle size is less than 150nm. Then, filter and defoam to obtain thermal sublimation ink. S2. Pretreatment of blank: Select a dense and non-porous quartz slab with a Mohs hardness of 5~6, and perform surface cleaning and degreasing and preheating at 110~130℃ for 20~30 minutes to remove water. S3. Transfer Paper Printing: Mirror the image onto heat transfer paper resistant to temperatures above 220℃. Printing speed is 30~50mm / s, ink volume is 8~12mg / cm³. 2 The printing resolution is 300~600 dpi; S4. High-temperature hot-press transfer: The printed transfer paper is adhered to the surface of the pretreated quartz slab with the ink side facing inward, and hot-pressed for 30 to 50 minutes at a temperature of 200~230℃ and a pressure of 0.6~1.2MPa. S5. Post-processing: After hot pressing, the board is naturally cooled to below 40°C, the transfer paper is removed, and it is then subjected to rough grinding and fine polishing to obtain the finished product.

[0006] Furthermore, the dispersant mentioned in step S1 is a compound of naphthalene sulfonate and polyacrylate; Furthermore, the water-soluble organic solvent is a mixture of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol; Furthermore, the surfactant is an acetylenic diol or a polyether-modified organosilicon; Furthermore, the preservative is an isothiazolinone; the defoamer is an organosilicon or polyether.

[0007] Furthermore, the grinding in step S1 is carried out using a grinding machine with 2mm and 5mm zirconium beads at a grinding speed of 800~1000r / min, and the particle size is detected by a laser particle size analyzer after grinding; the filtration uses a 0.2~0.5μm filter membrane; the degassing is carried out by standing for more than 30 minutes.

[0008] Furthermore, in step S2, the cleaning and degreasing process involves repeatedly wiping the board surface with a cleaning cloth soaked in degreasing agent to remove oil, residual adhesive and dust, and then wiping it dry with a clean cleaning cloth.

[0009] Furthermore, after printing, the transfer paper described in step S3 is laid flat on a dry and clean tray and allowed to air dry naturally for 10-15 minutes.

[0010] Furthermore, before the high-temperature hot pressing transfer described in step S4, the heat transfer machine needs to be preheated for 20 to 30 minutes to ensure that the temperature of the heating plate is uniform and the temperature difference is ≤ ±5℃; the transfer paper is fixed to the surface of the quartz stone slab with high-temperature tape around its perimeter.

[0011] Furthermore, the hot pressing process parameters in step S4 are adjusted according to the thickness of the quartz stone slab: Furthermore, when the plate thickness is 15~20mm, the temperature is 200~210℃, the pressure is 0.8~1.0MPa, and the time is 30~40 minutes; Furthermore, when the plate thickness is 20mm or more, the temperature is 210~230℃, the pressure is 1.0~1.2MPa, and the time is 40~50 minutes.

[0012] Furthermore, the cooling time mentioned in the steps is no less than 60 minutes; the coarse grinding uses an 800-grit grinding block, and the fine polishing uses a 2000-grit grinding block, resulting in a smooth and glossy surface after polishing.

[0013] Furthermore, the disperse dye in step S1 is a CI Disperse series dye with high sublimation fastness and high lightfastness, including one or more combinations of red, yellow, blue and black; the resistivity of the deionized water is ≥18MΩ·cm.

[0014] Furthermore, the ink obtained in step S1 can be used continuously in a printer without ink breaks or nozzle clogging, producing clear printed lines. After transfer, the pattern has strong adhesion and does not fade or become blurry when wiped with a damp cloth.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: by optimizing the thermal sublimation ink formula and high-temperature hot-press transfer process, a clear texture with high simulation, high adhesion and scratch resistance can be formed on the surface of dense and non-porous artificial quartz stone; at the same time, the process has good thickness adaptability and printing smoothness. Combined with post-processing steps such as preheating and dehydration, high-temperature tape fixation and rough grinding and fine polishing, problems such as clogging, air bubbles and color fading are effectively avoided, significantly improving the surface gloss, wear resistance and production yield of the product, and supporting digital pattern customization, combining environmental protection and practicality. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The present invention will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments, so that those skilled in the art can better understand the present invention and implement it, but the embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0017] A method for ink transfer printing of simulated textured artificial quartz stone slabs includes the following steps: S1. Ink preparation: Weigh out 3-5% disperse dye, 3-7% dispersant, 25-40% water-soluble organic solvent, 0.2-0.5% surfactant, 0.1-0.3% preservative, and 0.1-0.3% defoamer by mass percentage, with the remainder being deionized water. After mixing, grind until the dye particle size is less than 150nm. Then, filter and defoam to obtain thermal sublimation ink. S2. Pretreatment of blank: Select a dense and non-porous quartz slab with a Mohs hardness of 5~6, and perform surface cleaning and degreasing and preheating at 110~130℃ for 20~30 minutes to remove water. S3. Transfer Paper Printing: Mirror the image onto heat transfer paper resistant to temperatures above 220℃. Printing speed is 30~50mm / s, ink volume is 8~12mg / cm³. 2 The printing resolution is 300~600 dpi; S4. High-temperature hot-press transfer: The printed transfer paper is adhered to the surface of the pretreated quartz slab with the ink side facing inward, and hot-pressed for 30 to 50 minutes at a temperature of 200~230℃ and a pressure of 0.6~1.2MPa. S5. Post-processing: After hot pressing, the board is naturally cooled to below 40°C, the transfer paper is removed, and it is then subjected to rough grinding and fine polishing to obtain the finished product.

[0018] The dispersant mentioned in step S1 is a compound of naphthalene sulfonate and polyacrylate; The water-soluble organic solvent is a mixture of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol; The surfactant is an acetylenic diol or a polyether-modified organosilicon. The preservative is an isothiazolinone; the defoamer is an organosilicon or polyether.

[0019] The grinding in step S1 is carried out using a grinding machine with 2mm and 5mm zirconium beads at a grinding speed of 800~1000r / min. After grinding, the particle size is detected by a laser particle size analyzer. The filtration uses a 0.2~0.5μm filter membrane. The degassing is carried out by standing for more than 30 minutes.

[0020] In step S2, the cleaning and degreasing process involves repeatedly wiping the board surface with a cleaning cloth soaked in degreasing agent to remove oil, residual adhesive and dust, and then wiping it dry with a clean cleaning cloth.

[0021] After printing, the transfer paper described in step S3 is laid flat on a dry and clean tray and allowed to air dry naturally for 10-15 minutes.

[0022] Before the high-temperature hot pressing transfer in step S4, the heat transfer machine needs to be preheated for 20 to 30 minutes to ensure that the temperature of the heating plate is uniform and the temperature difference is ≤ ±5℃; the transfer paper is fixed to the surface of the quartz stone slab with high-temperature tape around its perimeter.

[0023] The hot pressing process parameters in step S4 are adjusted according to the thickness of the quartz stone slab: When the plate thickness is 15~20mm, the temperature is 200~210℃, the pressure is 0.8~1.0MPa, and the time is 30~40 minutes; When the plate thickness is 20mm or more, the temperature is 210~230℃, the pressure is 1.0~1.2MPa, and the time is 40~50 minutes.

[0024] The cooling time in step S5 is no less than 60 minutes; the coarse grinding uses an 800-grit grinding block, and the fine polishing uses a 2000-grit grinding block, resulting in a smooth and glossy surface after polishing.

[0025] The disperse dye in step S1 is a CI Disperse series of high sublimation fastness and high lightfastness dye, including one or more combinations of red, yellow, blue and black; the resistivity of the deionized water is ≥18MΩ·cm.

[0026] The ink obtained in step S1 can print continuously in the printer without ink breaks or nozzle clogging, producing clear printed lines. After transfer, the pattern has strong adhesion and does not fade or become blurry when wiped with a damp cloth.

[0027] Example 1

[0028] The specific steps for preparing a 20mm thick quartz slab with a Carrara white marble texture are as follows: Sublimation ink was prepared with a total volume of 1 kg: 4% disperse dye, selected from CI Disperse Red 60, Yellow 54, and Blue 56 to simulate a light gray texture; 5% dispersant, a 3:2 mixture of sodium naphthalenesulfonate and sodium polyacrylate; 30% water-soluble organic solvent, an equal mass mixture of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol; 0.3% acetylenol surfactant; 0.2% methylisothiazolinone preservative; 0.2% polyether-modified silicone defoamer; and the remainder of 57.3% deionized water with a resistivity of 18 MΩ·cm. The above materials were added to a grinder and ground at 900 rpm with 2 mm and 5 mm zirconium beads for 4 hours. Laser particle size analysis showed the 90th percentile particle size of the dye particles was 128 nm. The ink was then filtered through a 0.45 μm polyethersulfone filter membrane and allowed to stand for 40 minutes to defoam, thus obtaining the sublimation ink. Select a 20mm thick artificial quartz slab with a Mohs hardness of 6 and a size of 3200X1600mm. Use a non-woven cloth dipped in industrial alcohol to repeatedly wipe the surface of the slab three times to remove oil stains, fingerprints and dust. Then wipe it dry with a dry cloth. Place the slab in a 120℃ oven and heat for 25 minutes to remove moisture. After taking it out, let it cool naturally to about 60℃ before use. Using 120g / m² high-temperature resistant transfer paper, the pattern imitating Carrara white marble texture is mirror-printed at a printing speed of 40mm / s, an ink volume of 10mg / cm², and a resolution of 600 dots per inch. After printing, the transfer paper is laid flat on a stainless steel tray and allowed to air dry naturally for 12 minutes. After drying, place the ink side of the transfer paper tightly against the surface of the pre-treated quartz stone slab, secure it around the edges with high-temperature tape, place it on the top and bottom with release paper, and then place it in a flatbed heat transfer machine. Preheat the heating plate of the heat transfer machine for 25 minutes, set the temperature to 205℃, and control the temperature difference within ±3℃. Heat press for 35 minutes at a temperature of 205℃ and a pressure of 0.9MPa. After the heat pressing is completed, allow the slab to cool naturally for 70 minutes until the temperature drops to 38℃. After cooling, the transfer paper was manually removed without any noticeable residue. First, it was coarsely ground with an 800-grit abrasive block at a water-jet mill linear speed of 8 meters per second and a feed rate of 0.5 meters per minute, in a single pass. Then, it was finely polished to a mirror finish with a 2000-grit polymer elastic abrasive block, achieving a gloss level of 35-45 gloss units. The finished product had a smooth, pore-free surface with clear texture, simulating the effect of Carrara white marble. The transition between white and gray veins was natural. Adhesion was rated at level zero in a cross-cut adhesion test. After 100 cycles of wiping with a damp cloth, there was no color fading or blurring. In a Tiber abrasion test, after 500 revolutions, the weight loss was only 0.03 grams, and the pattern remained clear. Immersion in a 5% acetic acid or 5% sodium carbonate solution for 24 hours showed no corrosion or fading. Maintaining a dry heat of 200℃ for 30 minutes resulted in no yellowing or blistering.

[0029] Example 2

[0030] The specific steps for preparing a 20mm thick imitation walnut wood grain quartz slab are as follows: Sublimation ink was prepared with a total volume of 1 kg: 5% disperse dye, selected from CI Disperse Brown 19, Orange 44, and Blue 79 blended to simulate walnut wood color; 7% dispersant, a 1:1 blend of sodium naphthalenesulfonate and sodium polyacrylate; 35% water-soluble organic solvent, a 2:1 blend of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol; 0.5% polyether-modified silicone surfactant; 0.3% benzisothiazolinone preservative; 0.3% silicone defoamer; and the remainder 47.9% deionized water with a resistivity greater than or equal to 18 MΩ·cm. The material was added to a grinder and ground at 1000 rpm for 5 hours. The 90th percentile particle size of the dye particles was measured to be 135 nm. The ink was then filtered through a 0.35-micron filter membrane and allowed to stand for 45 minutes to defoam. Select a 20mm thick, Mohs hardness 6 artificial quartz slab with dimensions of 3200X1600mm. Wipe the slab surface with acetone for degreasing treatment, wipe it clean with a dry cloth, put the slab in a 130℃ oven and heat for 30 minutes to remove moisture. After taking it out, immediately transfer the printing when the temperature drops to about 70℃. High-temperature resistant transfer paper is used to mirror print the imitation walnut wood grain pattern. Due to the high density of the wood grain pattern, the printing speed is controlled at 35mm per second to ensure uniform ink volume. The ink volume is 12mg per square centimeter, and the accuracy is 300 dots per inch to improve production efficiency. After printing, let it air dry for 15 minutes. Place the transfer paper, ink side inward, onto the surface of the board and secure it around the edges with high-temperature tape. Preheat the heating plate of the heat transfer machine to 220℃ for 30 minutes to ensure the temperature difference does not exceed ±5℃. Hot press for 48 minutes at 220℃ and 1.1MPa. After hot pressing, allow it to cool naturally for 90 minutes until the board temperature drops below 40℃. After cooling, the transfer paper is removed. Due to the longer transfer time for thick slabs, a small amount of sublimation may adhere to the surface. Therefore, two rounds of coarse grinding are performed using an 800-grit abrasive block, followed by fine polishing with a 2000-grit abrasive block. After polishing, the gloss level reaches 35-45 gloss units. The finished product exhibits walnut wood-colored stripes of varying shades, with clear texture. There is no raised feel when touched by fingers, and no difference in color intensity. For quartz slabs thicker than 20mm, a temperature of 220℃ can ensure that the dye penetration depth reaches approximately 0.2 to 0.3mm. A pressure of 1.1MPa ensures that the transfer paper adheres tightly to the slab surface, preventing sublimation gases from causing the pattern to become blurred. A 48-minute hot-pressing time allows heat to be fully transferred to the interior of the slab and completes the surface dye fixation, ultimately achieving an excellent transfer effect consistent with that of thin slabs.

[0031] Specifically, the equipment used in Embodiments 1 and 2 of this invention is a general-purpose flatbed thermal transfer printer. The cost of the ink raw materials is controllable, and the transfer paper is a commercially available, conventional product. The overall equipment investment and production cost are lower than traditional decorative processes using ceramic inkjet printing. Furthermore, due to its strong adhesion, wear resistance, and weather resistance, the product boasts high quality stability, a low rework rate, and a long service life, giving it a high market premium. This invention upgrades dense, non-porous artificial quartz stone slabs from a "functional material" to a "decorative and functional integrated material," which can be widely used in high-end kitchen countertops, bathroom panels, commercial space walls, furniture veneers, and other fields, demonstrating significant economic benefits and market competitiveness.

[0032] The above embodiments of the present invention are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. The implementation of the present invention is not limited thereto. All other modifications, substitutions or alterations made to the above structure of the present invention based on the above content of the present invention, in accordance with ordinary technical knowledge and common practice in the field, without departing from the basic technical idea of ​​the present invention, shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for ink transfer printing onto simulated textured artificial quartz stone slabs, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Ink preparation: Weigh out 3-5% disperse dye, 3-7% dispersant, 25-40% water-soluble organic solvent, 0.2-0.5% surfactant, 0.1-0.3% preservative, and 0.1-0.3% defoamer by mass percentage, with the remainder being deionized water. After mixing, grind until the dye particle size is less than 150nm. Then, filter and defoam to obtain thermal sublimation ink. S2. Pretreatment of blank: Select a dense and non-porous quartz slab with a Mohs hardness of 5~6, and perform surface cleaning and degreasing and preheating at 110~130℃ for 20~30 minutes to remove water. S3. Transfer Paper Printing: Mirror the image onto heat transfer paper resistant to temperatures above 220℃. Printing speed is 30~50mm / s, ink volume is 8~12mg / cm³. 2 The printing resolution is 300~600 dpi; S4. High-temperature hot-press transfer: The printed transfer paper is adhered to the surface of the pretreated quartz slab with the ink side facing inward, and hot-pressed for 30 to 50 minutes at a temperature of 200~230℃ and a pressure of 0.6~1.2MPa. S5. Post-processing: After hot pressing, the board is naturally cooled to below 40°C, the transfer paper is removed, and it is then subjected to rough grinding and fine polishing to obtain the finished product.

2. The method for ink transfer printing of simulated textured artificial quartz stone slabs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dispersant mentioned in step S1 is a compound of naphthalene sulfonate and polyacrylate; The water-soluble organic solvent is a mixture of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol; The surfactant is an acetylenic diol or a polyether-modified organosilicon. The preservative is an isothiazolinone; the defoamer is an organosilicon or polyether.

3. The method for ink transfer printing of simulated textured artificial quartz stone slabs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The grinding in step S1 is carried out using a grinding machine with 2mm and 5mm zirconium beads at a grinding speed of 800~1000r / min. After grinding, the particle size is detected by a laser particle size analyzer. The filtration uses a 0.2~0.5μm filter membrane. The degassing is carried out by standing for more than 30 minutes.

4. The method for ink transfer printing of simulated textured artificial quartz stone slabs according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S2, the cleaning and degreasing process involves repeatedly wiping the board surface with a cleaning cloth soaked in degreasing agent to remove oil, residual adhesive and dust, and then wiping it dry with a clean cleaning cloth.

5. The method for ink transfer printing of simulated textured artificial quartz stone slabs according to claim 1, characterized in that, After printing, the transfer paper described in step S3 is laid flat on a dry and clean tray and allowed to air dry naturally for 10-15 minutes.

6. The method for ink transfer printing of simulated textured artificial quartz stone slabs according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before the high-temperature hot pressing transfer in step S4, the heat transfer machine needs to be preheated for 20 to 30 minutes to ensure that the temperature of the heating plate is uniform and the temperature difference is ≤ ±5℃; the transfer paper is fixed to the surface of the quartz stone slab with high-temperature tape around its perimeter.

7. The method for ink transfer printing of simulated textured artificial quartz stone slabs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hot pressing process parameters in step S4 are adjusted according to the thickness of the quartz stone slab: When the plate thickness is 15~20mm, the temperature is 200~210℃, the pressure is 0.8~1.0MPa, and the time is 30~40 minutes; When the plate thickness is 20mm or more, the temperature is 210~230℃, the pressure is 1.0~1.2MPa, and the time is 40~50 minutes.

8. The method for ink transfer printing of simulated textured artificial quartz stone slabs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling time in step S5 is no less than 60 minutes; the coarse grinding uses an 800-grit grinding block, and the fine polishing uses a 2000-grit grinding block, resulting in a smooth and glossy surface after polishing.

9. The method for ink transfer printing of simulated textured artificial quartz stone slabs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The disperse dye in step S1 is a CI Disperse series of high sublimation fastness and high lightfastness dye, including one or more combinations of red, yellow, blue and black; the resistivity of the deionized water is ≥18MΩ·cm.

10. The method for ink transfer printing of simulated textured artificial quartz stone slabs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ink obtained in step S1 can print continuously in the printer without ink breaks or nozzle clogging, producing clear printed lines. After transfer, the pattern has strong adhesion and does not fade or become blurry when wiped with a damp cloth.