Glass strengthening and patterning methods
High intensity plasma-arc heat sources, such as a plasma-arc lamp, are used to irradiate glass, glass ceramics and/or ceramic materials to strengthen the glass. The same high intensity plasma-arc heat source may also be used to form a permanent pattern on the glass surface—the pattern being raised above the glass surface and integral with the glass (formed of the same material) by use of, for example, a screen-printed ink composition having been irradiated by the heat source.
1. A method comprising:
strengthening an untreated glass sample by;
providing a soda-lime silicate glass have a first surface comprising a tin side, a second surface comprising an air side and edges;
providing a plasma-arc heat source capable of delivering a power density of at least 900 W/cm 2 in less than one second;
unidirectionally translating the glass under the plasma-arc heat source at a speed of 8 mm/s;
irradiating the first surface of the glass with the plasma-arc heat source at a power density of 900 W/cm 2 ; and
quenching the glass following irradiation;
thereby increasing an equibiaxial failure stress of the untreated glass by 25% or more and a uniaxial 4-point-bend failure stress of the untreated glass by 65% or more.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising annealing the strengthened glass using the plasma-arc heat source for a second stage of heating.
3. A method comprising:
patterning a glass sample by;
providing a soda-lime silicate glass have a first surface, a second surface and edges;
forming a first pattern of graphitic ink on the first surface of the glass using a screen printing method;
providing a plasma-arc heat source capable of delivering a power density of at least 900 W/cm 2 in less than one second;
unidirectionally translating the glass under the plasma-arc heat source at a speed of 8 mm/s; and
irradiating the first surface of the glass with the plasma-arc heat source at a power density of 900 W/cm 2 and substantially simultaneously evolving the ink thereby forming a second pattern on the first surface of the glass wherein the second pattern comprises a glass material raised from the first surface of the glass, the second pattern corresponding to the first pattern.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the graphitic ink comprises permanent black pen ink.
5. A method comprising:
patterning a glass or glass ceramic sample by forming a first pattern of ink on a first surface of the glass; and
irradiating the first surface of the glass with a plasma-arc heat source at a power density of 900 W/cm 2 thereby forming a second pattern on the first surface of the glass wherein the second pattern comprises a glass material raised from the first surface of the glass, the second pattern corresponding to the first pattern.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the ink is controllably patterned onto the glass or glass ceramic sample.
7. The method of claim 5 further comprising unidirectionally translating the glass under the plasma-arc heat source at a speed of 8 mm/s.
8. The method of claim 5 wherein the glass comprises a silicate glass.
9. The method of claim 5 wherein the ink comprises black pen ink.
10. The method of claim 5 wherein the second pattern comprises a glass material having a different density value than that of the non-raised, unpatterned glass.
11. The method of claim 5 wherein the second pattern comprises a glass material raised from the first surface of the glass such that the pattern is visible to the naked eye.
12. The method of claim 5 wherein the second pattern comprises a glass material raised from the first surface of the glass at a height such that the pattern is capable of detection by touching the glass surface.
13. The method of claim 5 wherein the second pattern comprises a UPC code, a part number and/or a word.
14. The method of claim 5 wherein the second pattern comprises a raised glass material integral with glass material at the first surface.