A method of ink-extrusion printing an object, including providing a mixture including liquid crystal monomers and photo-catalyzing or heating the mixture to produce a liquid crystal ink. The ink is in a nematic phase. The method includes extruding the ink through a print-head orifice moving along a print direction to form an extruded film of the object. The extruded film exhibits birefringence. Also disclosed are a liquid crystal ink. The ink includes a mixture including liquid crystal monomers. The mixture when at a target printing temperature is in a nematic phase. Also disclosed is ink-extrusion-printed object. The object includes an extrusion-printed film including a nematic liquid crystal elastomer, wherein the film exhibits birefringence along an extrusion axis of the film.

A radiation curable gravure ink, comprising: cationic polymerizable compound comprising a hydroxyl-containing oxetane-based compound and an alicyclic epoxy-based compound; a cationic photoinitiator; a pigment; and filler.

A radiation curable gravure ink, comprising: cationic polymerizable compound comprising a hydroxyl-containing oxetane-based compound and an alicyclic epoxy-based compound; a cationic photoinitiator; a pigment; and filler.

The invention describes the unique finding that UV-curable flexo (and single pass inkjet) ink compositions can be more effectively cured by curing the pigmented ink compositions through two or more exposures to UV rather than a single exposure, where the total UV dose supplied by the multi-exposure approach is the same or less than the dose supplied by the single exposure.

The invention describes the unique finding that UV-curable flexo (and single pass inkjet) ink compositions can be more effectively cured by curing the pigmented ink compositions through two or more exposures to UV rather than a single exposure, where the total UV dose supplied by the multi-exposure approach is the same or less than the dose supplied by the single exposure.

A photocrosslinkable agent includes at least one methacrylate-modified nanoparticle that includes a plurality of molecules attached to surface of a nanoparticle. At least a portion of the molecules includes a molecule that includes a nanoparticle surface attachment ligand a terminal methacrylate ligand. At least a portion of the molecules may include a second molecule that includes a nanoparticle surface attachment ligand and a hydrophilic terminal ligand, wherein the methacrylate-modified nanoparticle has water solubility that is controlled by the relative amounts of the terminal methacrylate ligand and the hydrophilic terminal ligand. The photocrosslinkable agent may be crosslinked within a polymer network by a one-step process, with minimal disruption to the molecular network or crosslinking density and may be formulated for use as one or more of an imaging contrast agent, a therapeutic, or a reinforcement, a transducer.

A photocrosslinkable agent includes at least one methacrylate-modified nanoparticle that includes a plurality of molecules attached to surface of a nanoparticle. At least a portion of the molecules includes a molecule that includes a nanoparticle surface attachment ligand a terminal methacrylate ligand. At least a portion of the molecules may include a second molecule that includes a nanoparticle surface attachment ligand and a hydrophilic terminal ligand, wherein the methacrylate-modified nanoparticle has water solubility that is controlled by the relative amounts of the terminal methacrylate ligand and the hydrophilic terminal ligand. The photocrosslinkable agent may be crosslinked within a polymer network by a one-step process, with minimal disruption to the molecular network or crosslinking density and may be formulated for use as one or more of an imaging contrast agent, a therapeutic, or a reinforcement, a transducer.

An object is to provide a printing ink that has high environmental friendliness and is excellent in quick dry-curability of a coating when a plasma is used as a curing system. A solution is to provide an ink composition for plasma curing including a photocatalyst compound and/or a composite of a metal component and a photocatalyst compound and to provide an additive for an ink composition for plasma curing, the additive including a photocatalyst compound and/or a composite of a metal component and a photocatalyst compound.

Build materials for 3D printing applications are described herein which, in some embodiments, comprise a dye component operable to alter spectral characteristics of the printed part over the course of the build cycle. In some embodiments, for example, the dye component can provide desirable light penetration depth during article printing and sufficient optical clarity during final light curing processes.

An ink jet process includes an ejection step, in which a radiation-curable ink jet composition is ejected from an ink jet head to a recording medium, and a curing step, in which the ejected ink jet composition is irradiated with radiation to give a cured coating of the ink jet composition. The ink jet composition contains at least one polymerizable compound, at least one photopolymerization initiator, and C.I. Pigment Red 57:1. The C.I. Pigment Red 57:1 constitutes 4.0% by mass or more of the total amount of the ink jet composition, and the cured coating has a maximum thickness of 5 μm or less.