Radiation curable precious metal preparation, transfers containing same and method for decoration

Abstract

The invention relates to a precious metal preparation capable of radiation curing, in particular a gold preparation for the production of decorations on substrates capable of decoration firing, containing a precious metal and a medium capable of radiation curing. The printing medium according to the invention contains one or more organic compounds in particle form, which are insoluble and incapable of swelling in the printing medium and burn away substantially completely in decoration firing, as means of increasing the pigment volume concentration (PVC), whereby decoration quality is improved. Preferred means of increasing the PVC are organic pigments and organic polymers, used in particular in combination. Transfers according to the invention contain the precious metal preparation in radiation-cured form.

1 - 8 . (canceled)  
     
     
         9 . A precious metal preparation capable of radiation curing, comprising: 
 a. one or more precious metals from among gold, silver, platinum and palladium in elementary and/or alloyed form and/or in the form of a compound,    b. one or more fluxes from among compounds of Mg, Al, K, Na, Ca, Bi, Si, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Zr, Rh, Ru, Sn, In, Sb, Pb and Bi,    c. a printing medium capable of radiation curing, and    d. at least one organic compound in particle form which is insoluble and incapable of swelling in the printing medium and burns substantially completely in decoration firing,    e. wherein the at least one organic compound is a medium for increasing the pigment volume concentration.    
     
     
         10 . The precious metal preparation of  claim 9 , wherein the medium for increasing the pigment volume concentration is selected from the group consisting of organic pigments, organic polymers, and blends thereof.  
     
     
         11 . The precious metal preparation of  claim 10  wherein medium for increasing the pigment volume concentration is selected from the group consisting of cross linked organic polymers and blends of an organic polymers and inorganic compounds.  
     
     
         12 . The precious metal preparation of  claim 11  wherein the medium for increasing the pigment volume concentration further comprises highly disperse silicic acid.  
     
     
         13 . The precious metal preparation of  claim 9  comprising up to 15% by weight of the medium for increasing the pigment volume concentration.  
     
     
         14 . The precious metal preparation of  claim 12  comprising from about 1 to about 10% by weight of the medium for increasing the pigment volume concentration.  
     
     
         15 . The precious metal preparation of  claim 14  wherein the medium for increasing the pigment volume concentration comprises 0.5 to 5% by weight of an organic pigment and 0.5 to 7% by weight of an uncrosslinked or crosslinked organic polymer.  
     
     
         16 . The precious metal preparation of 9 containing: 
 a. 10 to 50% by weight of gold in elementary form,    b. 0.1 to 20% by weight of flux,    c. 1 to 10% by weight of medium for increasing the pigment volume concentration, and    d. 30 to 80% by weight of a medium capable of radiation curing, wherein the medium capable of radiation curing comprises a polymer dissolved in a photo-polymerizable monomer and a photo-initiator in an amount of 0.1 to 20% by weight, based on the weight of the medium capable of radiation curing.    
     
     
         17 . The precious metal preparation of  claim 16 , containing: 
 a. 16 to 40% by weight of gold in elementary form,    b. 1 to 8% by weight flux,    c. 1 to 10% by weight of medium for increasing the pigment volume concentration,    d. 30 to 80% by weight of a medium capable of radiation curing, wherein the medium capable of radiation curing comprises a polymer dissolved in a photo-polymerizable monomer and a photo-initiator in an amount of 1 to 10% by weight, based on the weight of the medium capable of radiation curing.    
     
     
         18 . The precious metal preparation of 9 containing: 
 a. 10 to 50% by weight of a precious metal selected from the group consisting of silver, platinum and palladium, alloys thereof, and compounds thereof,    b. 0.1 to 20% by weight of flux,    c. 1 to 10% by weight of medium for increasing the pigment volume concentration, and    d. 30 to 80% by weight of a medium capable of radiation curing, wherein the medium capable of radiation curing comprises a polymer dissolved in a photo-polymerizable monomer and a photo-initiator in an amount of 0.1 to 20% by weight, based on the weight of the medium capable of radiation curing.    
     
     
         19 . A transfer for the production of precious metal decorations, comprising: 
 a. a transfer carrier,    b. an image coating and    c. a film coating,    d. wherein the image coating is obtained through application of a precious metal preparation capable of radiation curing, wherein the precious metal preparation comprises: 
 i. one or more precious metals from among gold, silver, platinum and palladium in elementary and/or alloyed form and/or in the form of a compound,  
 ii. one or more fluxes from among compounds of Mg, Al, K, Na, Ca, Bi, Si, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Zr, Rh, Ru, Sn, In, Sb, Pb and Bi,  
 iii. a printing medium capable of radiation curing, and  
 iv. at least one organic compound in particle form which is insoluble and incapable of swelling in the printing medium and burns substantially completely in decoration firing,  
 v. wherein the at least one organic compound is a medium for increasing the pigment volume concentration.  
   
     
     
         20 . The transfer of  claim 19  wherein the transfer carrier further comprises a base layer.  
     
     
         21 . The transfer of  claim 19  wherein precious metal is gold.  
     
     
         22 . A method of producing a precious metal decoration on a substrate capable of decoration firing, comprising 
 a. providing a substrate capable of decoration firing,    b. providing the precious metal preparation of  claim 9 ,    c. applying the precious metal preparation to the substrate, and    d. curing the precious metal preparation by irradiation using radiation having a wavelength of about 420 nm or less.    
     
     
         23 . A method of producing a precious metal decoration on a substrate capable of decoration firing, comprising: 
 a. providing a substrate capable of decoration firing,    b. providing the precious metal preparation of  claim 16 ,    c. applying the precious metal preparation to the substrate, and    d. curing the precious metal preparation by irradiation using radiation having a wavelength of about 420 nm or less.    
     
     
         24 . A method of producing a precious metal decoration on a substrate capable of decoration firing, comprising 
 a. providing a substrate capable of decoration firing,    b. providing the precious metal preparation of  claim 17 ,    c. applying the precious metal preparation to the substrate, and    d. curing the precious metal preparation by irradiation using radiation having a wavelength of about 420 nm or less.    
     
     
         25 . The method of producing a precious metal decoration according to  claim 23  wherein the radiation has a wavelength of about 300 to about 400 nm.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the precious metal preparation comprises gold, and wherein the precious metal decoration is burnished gold.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the precious metal preparation comprises gold, and wherein the precious metal decoration is burnished gold.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the precious metal preparation comprises gold, and wherein the precious metal decoration is burnished gold.