Ceramic Ink Esters for Low Emission Digital Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ceramic inks used in digital inkjet printers for decorating ceramic objects release significant amounts of pollutants, including volatile organic substances, aldehydes, and odorous substances during the firing process, causing environmental impact and unpleasant odors in industrial areas.
Innovation Solution
Development of a ceramic ink with a liquid organic fraction comprising esters derived from benzoic acid and phenoxyethanol alcohol, which undergoes more energetic and complete combustion, reducing pollutant emissions. The ink includes dodecyl benzoate and phenoxyethyl ester as preferred components, optimized in concentration to maintain suitable viscosity and surface tension for digital inkjet printers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If traditional organic carriers (glycols, glycol ethers, esters from fatty acids) are used in ceramic inks, then the ink provides suitable viscosity and combustion properties for digital inkjet printing, but it releases significant amounts of volatile organic substances, aldehydes, and odorous substances during firing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the organic carrier by replacing traditional esters from fatty acids with esters from benzoic acid and/or phenoxyethanol alcohol. This parameter change fundamentally alters the combustion behavior during firing, enabling complete combustion that produces CO2 instead of intermediate organic compounds, thereby reducing emissions of volatile organic substances, aldehydes, and odorous substances while maintaining suitable viscosity and surface tension for digital inkjet printing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful incomplete combustion process into a beneficial complete combustion process. By selecting specific esters (from benzoic acid and/or phenoxyethanol alcohol) with appropriate molecular structures, the organic carrier undergoes complete combustion during firing, transforming what would be harmful intermediate organic compounds into harmless CO2 and water, thus converting a harmful process into a beneficial one
2Object-generated harmful factors
If esters derived from benzoic acid and phenoxyethanol alcohol are used as liquid carriers, then pollutant emissions are significantly reduced, but the ink formulation becomes more complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent simplifies the formulation complexity by focusing on a specific parameter change: the type of ester used as liquid carrier. By specifying esters from benzoic acid and/or phenoxyethanol alcohol with controlled chain lengths (C8-C18 for benzoic acid esters, C4-C8 for phenoxyethanol alcohol esters), the patent provides clear formulation guidelines that reduce the complexity of developing new ink formulations while achieving the desired environmental benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite organic carrier system by combining esters from benzoic acid with esters from phenoxyethanol alcohol in specific proportions (each component present in amounts of 1-50% by weight). This composite approach allows the ink to benefit from the complete combustion properties of both ester types while maintaining the viscosity and surface tension characteristics needed for digital inkjet printing, thus managing formulation complexity through a structured composite material approach
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Significantly reduces emissions of volatile organic substances, aldehydes, and odorous substances during the firing process, providing a more environmentally friendly decoration method while maintaining the versatility and quality of digital inkjet printing.
Implementation Method 1
during the firing step of the ceramic object, the esters derived from benzoic acid and the esters derived from phenoxyethanol alcohol have different combustion methods with respect to the liquid carriers in current ceramic inks, producing a lower amount of pollutants
Data Source
Figure 1a~1f
AI summary
A ceramic ink is described, comprising a suspension formed by a solid inorganic fraction dispersed in a liquid organic fraction, wherein the liquid organic fraction comprises: a first component consisting of an ester derived from benzoic acid or from a mixture of esters derived from benzoic acid, and/or a second component consisting of an ester derived from phenoxyethanol alcohol or a mixture of esters derived from phenoxyethanol alcohol.