This work describes the coloration, chemical stability of SiO2 and SnO2-coated blue CoAl2O4 pigment. The CoAl2O4, raw materials, were synthesized by a co-precipitation method and coated with silica (SiO2) and tin oxide (SnO2) using sol-gel method, respectively. To study phase and coloration of CoAl2O4, we prepared nano sized CoAl2O4 pigments which were coated SiO2 and SnO2 using tetraethylorthosilicate, Na2SiO3 and Na2SiO3 as a coating material. To determine the stability of the coated samples and their colloidal solutions under acidic and basic conditions, colloidal nanoparticle solutions with various pH values were prepared and monitored over time. Blue CoAl2O4 solutions were tuned yellow color under all acidic/basic conditions. On the other hand, the chemical stability of SiO2 and SnO2-coated CoAl2O4 solution were improved when all samples pH values, respectively. Phase stability under acidic/basic condition of the core-shell type CoAl2O4 powders were characterized by transmission electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, CIE L*a*b* color parameter measurements.

Inorganic pigments have high thermal stability and chemical resistance at high temperature. For these reasons, they are used in clay, paints, plastic, polymers, colored glass and ceramics. CoAl2O4 nano-powder was synthesized by reverse-micelle processing the mixed precursor(consisting of Co(NO3)2 and Al(NO3)3). The CoAl2O4 was prepared by mixing an aqueous solution at a Co:Al molar ratio of 1:2. The average particle size, and the particle-size distribution, of the powders synthesized by heat treatment (at 900; 1,000; 1,100; and 1,200˚C for 2h) were in the range of 10-20 nm and narrow, respectively. The average size of the synthesized nano-particles increased with increasing water-to-surfactant molar ratio. The synthesized CoAl2O4 powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis(XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM) and color spectrophotometry. The intensity of X-ray diffraction of the synthesized CoAl2O4 powder, increased with increasing heating temperature. As the heating temperature increased, crystal-size of the synthesized powder particles increased. As the R-value(water/surfactant) and heating temperature increased, the color of the inorganic pigments changed from dark blue-green to cerulean blue.

Ink-jet printing technology has been widely attractive due to its facility for direct and fine printing on various substrates. Recent studies have focused on expanding the application of ink-jet printing technology from general consumer use and design companies to the prototype production of precision parts and parts manufacturing. The use of ink-jet printing technology in decorated tableware, tiles, and other ceramic products also has many advantages. The printing process is fast and can be adaptable to various kinds of objects because there is no direct contact point between the printer and the substrates to be printed. For application to ceramic product decoration, inks containing highly dispersed inorganic nano-pigments are required. Here we report the synthesis and characterization of blue CoAl2O4 nanopigment for ink-jet printing. Blue ceramic ink based on the obtained CoAl2O4 pigment was prepared by dissolving CoAl2O4 pigment in a mixed solution of ethylene glycol and ethanol with volume ratios of 7:3 and 8:2, respectively, to obtain the appropriate viscosity for ink-jet printing. The ink solution contained 15 wt% of CoAl2O4 pigment and Cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide(CTAB) and Sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS) as dispersive agents. The prepared blue ceramic ink was stably jetted and formed a sphere-shaped droplet from an ink-jet printer.