Composition for laser marking

• US 6,207,344 B1
• Filed: 09/29/1999
• Issued: 03/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SABIC Global Technologies BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Lillie, Terence John, Hoeks, Theodorus Lambertus, Ramlow, Anne
• Primary Examiner(s): Chu, John S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): THORNTON, YVETTE C
• Application Number:
  US09/408,032
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 430/270.1, 430/346, 430/495, 430/945, 430/286.1, 430/947, 430/281.1, 524/100, 524/173, 428/141, 428/142
• US Class Current: 430/270.1
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/267 Marking of plastic artifacts, e.g. with laser
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/04 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/24 Acids; Salts thereof C08K3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 69/00 Compositions of polycarbonates; Compositions of derivatives of polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 430/142 Dye mordant
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 430/146 Laser beam

Abstract

A resin composition having laser marking properties comprising a polycarbonate resin, an effective amount of a copper chromite having a spinel structure and up to 0.05% by weight of the total composition of carbon black, wherein said polycarbonate resin foams in laser struck areas to form light colored markings in the laser struck areas on a dark background.

Claims

1. A resin composition having laser marking properties comprising a polycarbonate resin, a copper chromite having a spinel structure and up to about 0.05% by weight of the total composition of a carbon black, wherein said polycarbonate resin foams in laser struck areas to form light colored markings in the laser struck areas on a dark background.

2. The resin composition having lasor marking properties according to claim 1, further comprising a marking agent.

3. The resin composition having laser marking properties according to claim 2 wherein said marking agent is a dye or pigment present in an amount up to about 1% by weight of the composition.

4. The resin composition having laser marking properties according to claim 2 wherein said marking agent is a dye or pigment present in an amount from about 0.001% to about 1.0% by weight of the composition.

5. The resin composition having laser marking properties according to claim 2 wherein said marking agent is a dye or pigment present in an amount from about 0.1% to about 0.3% by weight of the composition.

6. The resin composition having laser marking properties according to claim 2, wherein said dye is selected from the group consisting of:

pigment yellow 180, solvent yellow 145, solvent yellow 163, solvent yellow 114 and solvent red 135, solvent violet 122, solvent blue 97, solvent green 3, pigment green 7, solvent violet 36, solvent violet 13 and pearl luster pigment.

7. The resin composition having laser marking properties according to claim 1 wherein said copper chromite spinel is present in an amount of at least about 0.5% by weight of the total composition.

8. The resin composition having laser marking properties according to claim 1 wherein said copper chromite spinel is present from about 0.5% to 5% by weight of the total composition.

9. The resin composition having laser marking properties according to claim 1 wherein said copper chromite spinel is present from about 0.7% to about 1% by weight of the total composition.

10. The resin composition having laser marking properties according to claim 1 wherein said carbon black is present in the amount of about 0.001% to about 0.05% by weight of the total composition and the copper chromite spinel is present in an amount from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of the total composition.

11. The resin composition having laser marking properties according to claim 1 wherein said carbon black is present in the amount of about 0.025% to about 0.035% by weight of the total composition and the copper chromite spinel is present in an amount from about 0.2% to about 1% by weight of the total composition.

12. The resin composition having laser marking properties according to claim 1 wherein said polycarbonate resin is of the following formula:

wherein R1 and R2 are independently hydrogen, alkyl containing 1-6 carbon atoms, or phenyl and m is preferably between 30 and 300.

13. The resin composition having laser marking properties according to claim 1 wherein said polycarbonate resin is a bisphenol A polycarbonate.

14. The article molded from the resin composition of claim 1.

15. The resin composition having laser marking properties according to claim 1 wherein the background color consists of the copper chromite having a spinel structure.

16. The resin composition having laser marking properties according to claim 1 wherein said composition further comprises up to 5% by weight of the composition of one or more additional ingredients selected from the group consisting of:

glass fibers, flame retardants, stabilizers, lubricants, colorants, plasticizers, nucleants, antioxidants and UV absorbers.

17. The composition having laser marking properties according to claim 16 wherein said copper chromite spinel is present in an amount of at least about 0.5% by weight of the total composition.

18. The resin composition having laser marking properties according to claim 16 wherein said copper chromite spinel is present from about 0.5% to 5% by weight of the total composition.

19. A resin composition having laser marking properties according to claim 16 wherein said copper chromite spinel is present from about 0.7% to about 1% by weight of the total composition.

20. The resin composition having laser marking properties according to claim 1, wherein said copper chromite is about 0.05% to about 5% by weight of the total composition.

21. A method of marking a polycarbonate composition by exposing the polycarbonate composition to laser radiation from an Nd:

YAG laser, said composition comprises a polycarbonate resin, a copper chromitc having a spinel structure and up to about 0.05% by weight of a carbon black based on the composition, wherein said polycarbonate resin foams in laser struck areas to form light colored markings in the laser struck areas on the dark background coloration.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the copper chromite is about 0.05% to about 5% by weight of the total composition.