PROCESS, USE AND ARTICLE
A process for the production of an article of glass with an applied electrically conductive grid comprising: a) applying a conductive paste to a glass substrate; b) firing the paste to form the electrically conductive grid; and c) soldering an electrical connector to the electrically conductive grid via a lead-free solder; wherein the conductive paste comprises finely divided particles of a conductive metal, particles of glass frit, and an organic medium; and wherein the particles of the glass fit have a particle size D 90 of less than 4 microns.
1 . A process for the production of an article of glass with an applied electrically conductive grid comprising:
a) applying a conductive paste to a glass substrate;
b) firing the paste to form the electrically conductive grid;
c) soldering an electrical connector to the electrically conductive grid via a lead-free solder;
wherein the conductive paste comprises finely divided particles of a conductive metal, particles of glass frit, and an organic medium; and wherein the particles of the glass frit have a particle size D 90 of less than 4 microns.
2 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the particles of the glass frit have a particle size D 90 of less than 3 microns, preferably less than 2 microns.
3 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the glass frit comprises bismuth and/or zinc borosilicate compounds.
4 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said glass frit is present in an amount of 0.1-10% by weight of the total weight of said paste.
5 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said conductive metal is present in an amount of 50-90% by weight of the total weight of said paste.
6 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said conductive metal is silver.
7 . The process as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said silver has an average particle size of 0.1 to 15 microns.
8 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said organic medium comprises of ethyl cellulose, terpineol, and butyl carbitol.
9 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said organic medium is present in an amount of 5-50% by weight of the total weight of said paste.
10 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the paste further comprises a transition metal oxide in an amount of 3-15% by weight of the total weight of said paste.
11 . The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lead-free solder comprises tin, silver, and copper.
12 . The process as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the lead-free solder further comprises nickel, cobalt, zinc or bismuth.
13 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step a) is carried out by screen printing.
14 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step a) is carried out by ink-jet printing.
15 . (canceled)
16 . A method for improving the strength of adhesion of an electrical connector to a conductive grid on a glass substrate, comprising: utilizing a conductive paste comprising: finely divided particles of a conductive metal, particles of glass frit having a particle size D 90 of less than 4 microns, and an organic medium.
17 . An article of glass with an applied electrically conductive grid, which electrically conductive grid is powered through a connector comprising a lead-free solder and comprises a fired conductive paste comprising finely divided particles of a conductive metal, particles of glass frit having a particle size D 90 of less than 4 microns, and an organic medium.
18 . A vehicle comprising an article of glass with an applied electrically conductive grid, wherein the article of glass is obtained or obtainable by the process as claimed in claim 1 .
19 . (canceled)