UV-Curable Glass Inks for Thin Opaque Automotive Display Layers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inks for decorating automotive display cover glass suffer from low throughput, inadequate adhesion, and undesirable optical density, making them unsuitable for automotive interior applications.
Innovation Solution
UV curable ink compositions comprising specific weight percentages of pigment dispersion, photoinitiator package, reactive diluent, multifunctional monomer, and difunctional monomer, with a pigment content of at least 30 wt % in the pigment dispersion, forming an opaque layer with high adhesion and optical density through controlled curing processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing inks are used for decorating display cover glass, then the decorating process can be performed, but the inks exhibit low adhesion, inadequate optical density, and low throughput
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the ink by incorporating specific adhesion promoters (silane-modified polymers), optimizing pigment concentrations (10-50 wt%), and adjusting resin content (5-40 wt%) to achieve both high adhesion and adequate throughput in automotive display applications
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite ink formulation combining multiple components: adhesion promoters (silane-modified polymers), pigments, resins, and reactive diluents. This composite approach enables the ink to simultaneously achieve strong adhesion to glass substrates, sufficient optical density, and acceptable throughput for manufacturing
2Reliability
If existing inks are used for decorating display cover glass, then the decorating process can be performed, but the inks exhibit inadequate optical density
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the pigment concentration parameter to 10-50 wt% and adjusts the resin content to 5-40 wt% to achieve the required optical density (≥5.0) while maintaining a manageable ink formulation that does not excessively increase composition complexity
3Length of stationary object
If a thin opaque layer is formed (≤15 μm), then the display appearance is improved, but achieving high adhesion and optical density in such a thin layer is challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies adhesion promoters (silane-modified polymers) that pre-establish strong chemical bonding to the glass substrate before the ink layer is fully cured. This preliminary adhesion enhancement enables the formation of thin layers (≤15 μm) while maintaining adhesion strength (≥4B) that would otherwise be difficult to achieve at such reduced thickness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the concentration of adhesion promoters and pigments within the ink formulation to maximize adhesion strength and optical density per unit thickness, enabling the achievement of ≥4B adhesion and ≥5.0 optical density in layers no thicker than 15 μm
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
The ink compositions achieve high adhesion (≥4B) and optical density (≥5) in a thin layer (≤15 μm) on glass substrates, maintaining adhesion under environmental stress and providing a uniform appearance.
Implementation Method 1
greater than 0 wt % and less than or equal to 10 wt % of a photoinitiator package, the photoinitiator package comprising a type I photoinitiator, a type II photoinitiator, and an amine synergist
Data Source
AI summary
An ultraviolet ink composition includes from 25 wt % to 50 wt % of a pigment dispersion, from greater than 0 wt % to 10 wt % of a photoinitiator package; from 10 wt % to 42 wt % of a reactive diluent; from 10 wt % to 20 wt % of a multifunctional monomer; and from 0 wt % to 25 wt % of a difunctional monomer. An ink primer includes from 2 wt % to 10 wt % of an adhesion promoter configured to bond to glass and from 90 wt % to 98 wt % of a solvent configured to promote bonding of the adhesion promoter to the glass. Another ink primer includes from 2 wt % to 10 wt % of an adhesion promoter configured to bond to glass, from greater than 0 wt % to 10 wt % of a photoinitiator package; and from 30 wt % to 45 wt % of a monofunctional monomer.