AU690744B2 - A printable flexible sheet - Google Patents
A printable flexible sheetInfo
- Publication number
- AU690744B2 AU690744B2 AU34653/95A AU3465395A AU690744B2 AU 690744 B2 AU690744 B2 AU 690744B2 AU 34653/95 A AU34653/95 A AU 34653/95A AU 3465395 A AU3465395 A AU 3465395A AU 690744 B2 AU690744 B2 AU 690744B2
- Authority
- AU
- Australia
- Prior art keywords
- glass
- sheet
- particles
- substrate
- sheet according
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Ceased
Links
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 claims description 56
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 claims description 27
- 239000000758 substrate Substances 0.000 claims description 24
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 claims description 18
- 239000000976 ink Substances 0.000 claims description 18
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 13
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000002243 precursor Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 17
- 239000000919 ceramic Substances 0.000 description 7
- 239000001913 cellulose Substances 0.000 description 6
- 229920002678 cellulose Polymers 0.000 description 6
- 239000002985 plastic film Substances 0.000 description 6
- 229920006255 plastic film Polymers 0.000 description 6
- 238000007639 printing Methods 0.000 description 5
- 239000011230 binding agent Substances 0.000 description 4
- 238000010422 painting Methods 0.000 description 4
- 238000010304 firing Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000005357 flat glass Substances 0.000 description 3
- 239000000049 pigment Substances 0.000 description 3
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 description 3
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 description 3
- 238000007650 screen-printing Methods 0.000 description 3
- VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicium dioxide Chemical compound O=[Si]=O VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 229920002472 Starch Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 238000010521 absorption reaction Methods 0.000 description 2
- PNEYBMLMFCGWSK-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium oxide Inorganic materials [O-2].[O-2].[O-2].[Al+3].[Al+3] PNEYBMLMFCGWSK-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- VTYYLEPIZMXCLO-UHFFFAOYSA-L calcium carbonate Substances [Ca+2].[O-]C([O-])=O VTYYLEPIZMXCLO-UHFFFAOYSA-L 0.000 description 2
- 239000000084 colloidal system Substances 0.000 description 2
- 150000001875 compounds Chemical class 0.000 description 2
- 239000000945 filler Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000011159 matrix material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000002360 preparation method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000008107 starch Substances 0.000 description 2
- 235000019698 starch Nutrition 0.000 description 2
- 235000008733 Citrus aurantifolia Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- QPLDLSVMHZLSFG-UHFFFAOYSA-N Copper oxide Chemical class [Cu]=O QPLDLSVMHZLSFG-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229920001131 Pulp (paper) Polymers 0.000 description 1
- CDBYLPFSWZWCQE-UHFFFAOYSA-L Sodium Carbonate Chemical compound [Na+].[Na+].[O-]C([O-])=O CDBYLPFSWZWCQE-UHFFFAOYSA-L 0.000 description 1
- 235000011941 Tilia x europaea Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000005388 borosilicate glass Substances 0.000 description 1
- 235000010216 calcium carbonate Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 238000003490 calendering Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000015556 catabolic process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910010293 ceramic material Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000011248 coating agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000000576 coating method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229910017052 cobalt Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000010941 cobalt Substances 0.000 description 1
- GUTLYIVDDKVIGB-UHFFFAOYSA-N cobalt atom Chemical compound [Co] GUTLYIVDDKVIGB-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000004040 coloring Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000006731 degradation reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000018044 dehydration Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000006297 dehydration reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000003618 dip coating Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000001035 drying Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000975 dye Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000001704 evaporation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000008020 evaporation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000005329 float glass Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000006066 glass batch Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000003365 glass fiber Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000007496 glass forming Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000005484 gravity Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000002955 isolation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000004571 lime Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910044991 metal oxide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 150000004706 metal oxides Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000035515 penetration Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229920002689 polyvinyl acetate Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000011118 polyvinyl acetate Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000002310 reflectometry Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000011369 resultant mixture Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005096 rolling process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000003678 scratch resistant effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000006748 scratching Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000002393 scratching effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000377 silicon dioxide Substances 0.000 description 1
- LIVNPJMFVYWSIS-UHFFFAOYSA-N silicon monoxide Chemical class [Si-]#[O+] LIVNPJMFVYWSIS-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910052814 silicon oxide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000001179 sorption measurement Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005507 spraying Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000003892 spreading Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000007480 spreading Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000004544 sputter deposition Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000005315 stained glass Substances 0.000 description 1
- 150000003467 sulfuric acid derivatives Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 238000004383 yellowing Methods 0.000 description 1
Landscapes
- Pens And Brushes (AREA)
- Laminated Bodies (AREA)
- Materials For Medical Uses (AREA)
Description
TITLE A PRINTABLE FLEXIBLE SHEET FIELD OF THE INVENTION THIS INVENTION relates to a printable flexible sheet and particularly to a sheet containing components to provide it with sufficient paper-like qualities such as flexibility and prlntablllty but which sheet can be subsequently heated to fuse it to a substrate, such as glass or ceramic. BACKGROUND ART
Printing or otherwise applying decorative and/or functional designs to a glass or ceramic substrate finds innumerable practical applications. The applications include preparation of coloured sheet glass, artificial stained glass, tableware, framed glass pictures and tinted glass. The print to be applied to the glass can be purely decorative but can also have functional properties such as reflectivity and opacity.
It is known to apply prints directly to rigid glass panes using screen printing, or even by hand painting. If ceramic-type pigments are used, the painted or printed glass pane can be subject to heat treatment to fuse the pigments to the glass. There are many disadvantages with the above techniques. Firstly, hand painting is time-consuming, requires a great deal of skill and does not lend itself to mass production. Also, hand painting does not allow identical patterns to be reproduced. Screen printing allows some degree of reproducability, but requires the glass plate to be held in a horizontal position as the print is applied. For large sheets, this requires expensive manufacturing equipment. Another disadvantage with the direct application of inks to glass is that fine resolution is not available for a number of reasons, including spreading of the ink on the glass surface. Glass and ceramic substrates do not absorb inks into their structure so any application of ink is purely a surface effect rather due to absorption of the ink into the
substrate itself. Thus, this type of printing or painting does not lend itself to high quality decorative or functional designs. Another disadvantage is that the painted or printed glass pane must be more of less immediately fired to fuse the ink to the sheet, and cannot be stored or stacked without damage or smudging of the print.
It is also known to use sputtering principles, vacuum vapour evaporation, dip and spray coating techniques to coat glass panes with reflective or colouring elements. Each of these requires complicated and costly equipment, large floor areas to accommodate the equipment and does not generally lend itself to applying prints to only certain areas of the glass. The above techniques provide a layer of the desired product on the surface of the glass or ceramic substrate. Penetration of the coating into the substrate is negligible (eg. about 0.01 - 0.005 μm).
Some of the abovementioned disadvantages have been overcome by using a printed plastic film. The film can be pre-printed using known printing techniques and can be stuck onto the glass or other substrate. A disadvantage with plastic films is that they cannot be fired to fuse the ink onto the glass or other substrate. Instead, the ink remains within the film. As the plastic film is relatively soft, it is susceptible to scratching or dulling. Application of the film requires care to avoid formation of air bubbles. Many plastic films are not resistant to UV degradation, are not heat resistant, and do not have optical properties making them suitable for window glass. Thus, plastic films attached to glass panes only find limited uses.
It is known to apply a plastic print or decal to a glass or ceramic surface and to subsequently coat it with a glaze prior to firing. The glaze hardens and provides a scratch-resistant surface over the plastic print. While this overcomes some of the disadvantages of an exposed plastic film, there are additional steps
required to provide a glaze, and the plastic print can yellow, curl or carbonise during the firing step.
The present invention is directed to a flexible sheet which can be printed on with high definition, which can have desirable paper qualities of flexibility, ability to be stored on a roll, and which when applied to a substrate, can be fired to fuse the print to the substrate.
It is an object of the invention to provide a sheet which may overcome the abovementioned disadvantages or provide the consumer with a useful or commercial choice.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one form, the invention resides in a printable flexible sheet comprising heat fusible particles and a carrier phase for said particles.
The sheet can have the twin advantages of
"paper" type qualities of flexibility, ability to be handled and stored on a roll, and prlntablllty, together with glass qualities of being fusible to a substrate, such as a glass plane.
By having the "paper" type qualities, a high print resolution can be obtained, thereby allowing intricate decorative and/or functional designs to be printed or otherwise applied to the sheet. It is preferred that the sheet includes absorption or adsorption qualities to allow the ink to be absorbed or adsorbed into or onto the sheet to allow the printed sheet to be handled without appreciable smudging. In this manner the ink can penetrate into the sheet thus allowing the ink components to be more securely localised on or in the sheet.
The sheet, either in an unprinted or printed form, can be stored for future use, and can be cut and sized to shape. The sheet can be placed onto a substrate, such as a glass or ceramic object, and subjected to heat treatment. The heat treatment can fuse the glass particles and some of the ink components to the
substrate. It is preferred that the carrier phase which provides flexibility and prlntablllty can substantially volatlse or does not leave an appreciable undesirable residue during the heating step. Preferably, the fusible particles are glass particles and these may be in the form of powdered glass. Glass frit may be a suitable source of glass particles. The glass particles may comprise or include chopped glass fibres. The particle size and shape can vary to suit the process of forming the glass sheet, and the use of the glass sheet. In cases where the fused particles may be required to provide some structural integrity such as in the shaped article described below, chopped fibres or a combination of fibres and frits may be used. The fusible particles may comprise glass precursor compounds which, upon heating, will fuse into a glass. These precursor compounds (or glass batch materials) may include calcium carbonates, aluminium oxides and sulphates, and silicon oxides. The carrier phase preferably comprises one or more components. Typically, components are those used in paper manufacture. These components may include starch, cellulose and silica. A binder may be present to provide flexibility and tear resistance to the sheet. Additional components may be used to provide improved prlntablllty, flexibility, tear resistance, anti-yellowing properties, and the like, to the sheet.
The amount of the one or more components is preferably kept to a minimum as it is desirable that the or each component is subsequently removed during heating of the sheet. For components that can be easily removed, for instance, by volatisation, a larger amount of the components may be present. Conversely, for components which are not easily removed or which may leave a residue during heating, it is desirable to keep such components to a minimum or to eliminate the components altogether. The choice and amount of the components would be apparent to a person skilled in the art without requiring undue
experimentation.
The sheet can be formed by addition of glass particles to a pulp, or by adding the glass particles to an already prepared carrier paper. In this latter form the glass particles may be incorporated into a binder such as polyvinylacetate, a cellulose colloid and the like.
The sheet may be printed in a conventional manner, such as by screen printing, or other applications. A good print resolution can be observed relative to printing directly onto glass. The inks may of course also be applied to the sheet by hand. The ink components are those which can be subjected to heat treatment and these may include known ceramic dyes and pigments such as metal oxides of nickle, cobalt and copper oxides or mixtures thereof. These can be dispersed in a binder or a liquid medium in a known manner, and it is preferred that the binder or liquid medium is one which volatises upon heating. Alternatively, the ink may form one of the one or more components. A sheet prepared in this manner will impart a uniform colour over the whole surface to which it has been applied. Such a sheet may be cut to a shape before application. The sheet material can be formed by following or adapting general paper-making techniques. Thus, glass particles can be added to a paper pulp with the pulp being subsequently applied to a porous screen and subjected to the usual drying and rolling steps to form the flexible glass sheet.
Alternatively, glass particles may be added to a gel which can then be converted to a sheet material by appropriate techniques.
The formed sheet can then be printed, applied to a substrate and subjected to heat treatment to fuse the glass particles and the inks to the substrate. During the heating process, the "paper" components, such as starch and the like, volatlse and do not appreciably
remain in the fused product.
Although the sheet material can be applied to a substrate and subsequently fired, it is also possible to subject the sheet material, and typically a printed sheet material to a heat treatment step in isolation to form a thin but rigid glass product. The sheet material can be configured prior to firing and will set in the desired configuration. To impart greater strength to the formed rigid glass product, it is envisaged that the amount of glass particles in the sheet material will be increased if the sheet material is to be used in this manner. Alternatively, a number of layers may be used. They may be fired together or sequentially.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An example of preparation and printing of a sheet material according to an embodiment of the invention is as follows:
EXAMPLE 1 A lead borosilicate glass matrix is prepared conventionally and ground into a frit. The frit is mixed into a cellulose colloid complex and/or a sol gel. The resultant mixture is processed to form sheet material using a Fourdrinier machine. The machine comprises a means for flowing the cellulose and/or sol gel optionally including fillers onto a moving porous web. Polymerisation and dehydration of the pulp components containing the glass frit is completed using successive gravity drainage, vacuum drainage, felt roll contact and steam heating calendering. Suitable cellulose fibrils are selected so that they hold glass forming fillers in a uniform matrix during heat treatment processing and either leave no residue or such residue is incorporated in the fused product. Heat treatment temperatures are in the range 480βC - 1200βC, with atmosphere control. A preferred process incorporates many of the functions and equipment used to thermally toughen glass sheets.
A preferred substrate material to which the
"paper" is applied, is architectural flat glass with co¬ efficient of thermal expansion 7.9 - 8.0 x 10"6/cm/°C. A preferred "glass paper" material comprises a material having thermal expansion characteristics within 4.0 x 10" /cm/°C of the substrate material. Yet a further preferred embodiment of said prepared "glass paper" comprises vitreous and/or glass/ceramic material having thermal expansion characteristics within 0.4 x 10"6/cm/βC of the substrate material. An alternative preferred substrate material is a soda/lime glass such as is available for architectural purposes and is generally produced using the "float glass" process.
While not wishing to be bound by theory, it appears that the glass particles (including precursor components) can cross link or polymerise with the cellulose pulp or sol gel components to form an at least partially stable complex which, in part, assists in keeping the glass particles from settling out of the pulp or gel.
It should be appreciated that many other changes or modifications can be made to the embodiments described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims (12)
1. A printable flexible sheet comprising heat fusible particles and a carrier phase for said particles.
2. A sheet according to claim 1 wherein said particles are dispersed in said carrier phase.
3. A sheet according to claim 1 wherein said carrier phase substantially volatilises upon heating.
4. A sheet according to claim 3 wherein said carrier phase comprises a cellulosic paper.
5. A sheet according to claim 3 wherein said particles are selected from glass particles, glass precursors and a mixture thereof.
6. A sheet according to claim 1 having one or more inks printed thereon.
7. A process for preparing a sheet according to claim 5 comprising mixing glass particles with a cellulosic pulp and forming said pulp into said sheet.
8. A method for modifying a surface of a heat fusible substrate comprising applying to said surface a sheet according to claim 6 and heating said substrate such that at least some of said particles and said ink fuses to said surface.
9. A method according to claim 8 wherein said substrate is glass.
10. A substrate having a surface modified by the method according to claim 7.
11. A process for preparing a shaped article comprising forming the sheet according to claim 1 into a shape and heating said sheet such that said particles fuse.
12. A shaped article prepared by the process of claim 11.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU34653/95A AU690744B2 (en) | 1994-09-06 | 1995-09-06 | A printable flexible sheet |
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUPM7879 | 1994-09-06 | ||
| AUPM7879A AUPM787994A0 (en) | 1994-09-06 | 1994-09-06 | A printable flexible sheet |
| PCT/AU1995/000579 WO1996007551A1 (en) | 1994-09-06 | 1995-09-06 | A printable flexible sheet |
| AU34653/95A AU690744B2 (en) | 1994-09-06 | 1995-09-06 | A printable flexible sheet |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| AU3465395A AU3465395A (en) | 1996-03-27 |
| AU690744B2 true AU690744B2 (en) | 1998-04-30 |
Family
ID=25622956
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU34653/95A Ceased AU690744B2 (en) | 1994-09-06 | 1995-09-06 | A printable flexible sheet |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| AU (1) | AU690744B2 (en) |
Citations (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AU6111773A (en) * | 1972-11-20 | 1975-04-10 | The Meyerkord Co | Ceramic decalcomania and method of making |
| AU8671491A (en) * | 1990-10-24 | 1992-04-30 | Societe Anonyme : Hexcel-Genin | Process for printing by marking a substrate based on glass fibers and novel substrate obtained |
-
1995
- 1995-09-06 AU AU34653/95A patent/AU690744B2/en not_active Ceased
Patent Citations (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AU6111773A (en) * | 1972-11-20 | 1975-04-10 | The Meyerkord Co | Ceramic decalcomania and method of making |
| AU8671491A (en) * | 1990-10-24 | 1992-04-30 | Societe Anonyme : Hexcel-Genin | Process for printing by marking a substrate based on glass fibers and novel substrate obtained |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| AU3465395A (en) | 1996-03-27 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MK14 | Patent ceased section 143(a) (annual fees not paid) or expired |