Water-Based Copolymer Admixture for High-Loading Printing Inks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current additive manufacturing technologies require considerable amounts of organic solvents and are not environmentally friendly and the use of additives, and the use of chemicals in the additive manufacturing process is environmentally harmful and environmentally harmful.
Innovation Solution
A water-based admixture comprising a grafted copolymer with a backbone including at least one electrically charged monomer, which enhances the steric hindrance and electrostatic repulsion between particles, allowing for the formulation of inks with high inorganic particle loadings without the need for organic solvents or binders.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If organic dispersants and polymeric binders are used to achieve highly loaded stable suspensions, then the stability and loadability of the ink are improved, but the environmental harm and complexity of the formulation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters by replacing organic dispersants and binders with a water-based system containing a specific copolymer (polyacrylic acid-polyethyleneimine graft copolymer). This parameter change maintains suspension stability while eliminating harmful organic chemicals, directly resolving the contradiction between stability and environmental harm
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a water-based copolymer as an intermediary substance that mediates between the inorganic particles and the aqueous medium. This intermediary provides both dispersant and binder functions without requiring harmful organic chemicals, achieving stable high-loading suspensions in an environmentally friendly manner
2Stability of the object's composition
If mechanical ball milling, ultrasonication, and roll milling are used to enhance ink homogeneity, then the homogeneity of the ink is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The copolymer formulation enables the ink system to achieve homogeneity through self-assembly and natural mixing processes. The amphiphilic nature of the copolymer allows it to spontaneously organize around particles, providing steric and electrostatic stabilization without requiring high-energy mechanical processing, thus resolving the contradiction between homogeneity and energy consumption
3Object-affected harmful factors
If binder removal steps are implemented to eliminate organic content, then the environmental friendliness is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the need for binder removal steps by designing an ink formulation that uses a water-based copolymer instead of organic binders. Since the copolymer is water-soluble and environmentally benign, no extraction or removal process is needed, directly resolving the contradiction between reducing organic content and maintaining manufacturing simplicity
4Manufacturing precision
If high colloidal volume fraction is used to minimize drying-induced shrinkage, then the resolution and shrinkage control are improved, but the viscosity control becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite copolymer structure combining polyacrylic acid and polyethyleneimine segments. This composite material provides both thickening and dispersing functions simultaneously, enabling effective viscosity control even at high colloidal volume fractions. The dual-function copolymer resolves the contradiction between achieving high resolution through high solid content and maintaining manageable viscosity
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 admixture enables the production of environmentally friendly, easy-to-prepare, and viscosity-controlled inks for additive manufacturing and inkjet printing, eliminating the need for binder burnout steps and reducing dimensional changes, while supporting the weight of deposited materials during assembly.
Implementation Method 1
one or more copolymer having with a backbone including at least one electrically charged monomer
Implementation Method 2
which enhances the steric hindrance and electrostatic repulsion between particles
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~1(i)
AI summary
The present invention proposes an admixture comprising one or more copolymer having a backbone including at least one electrically charged monomer. The present invention further proposes an additive manufacturing ink, a filament of the additive manufacturing ink, and an inkjet printing ink comprising such admixture.