Firing Pbo-Free Glass Enamels Using The Cw-Co2 Laser

The firing of glass enamels, which are applied to decorate glass products, is usually done in a furnace. A new and suitable technique for firing glass enamels is to make use fo the high-power cw-CO2 laser. Its beam induces a very fast heating of the enamelled glass within a small surface layer. This makes it possible to fire glass enamels at temperatures above 1000 deg C, without any deformation of the substrate glass body. In this temperature range an amount of the harmful component PbO in the glass enamel is no longer necessary. The PbO-free glass flux of the enamel is made easily by milling the substrate glass (float glass). The gloss and smoothness of the laser-fired enamel are comparable to the conventionally fired enamels.