Decorating process

Claim 2

The process as defined in claim 1 wherein the body is formed of an aluminosilicate glass or glass ceramic.

Claim 3

A process for producing in situ crystallization within the surface layer region of an articlE formed of a thermally crystallizable glass or an article formed of a partially crystallized glass capable of conversion to a more highly surface crystallized condition, comprising the steps of: coating at least a selected surface portion of said article with a removable electromagnetic radiation absorbing coating composition possessing the characteristics of absorbing and converting high intensity electromagnetic radiation into heat; said composition being selected from the group consisting of graphite, metal oxide and powdered metal, exposing the resulting surface coating to a source of energy consisting essentially of infrared radiation having a wavelength of from 1.1 to about 2.5 microns for at least about 0.25 minutes which is of sufficiently high intensity to be absorbed and converted by said surface coating into sufficient heat to rapidly elevate the temperature of said surface coating to a temperature within the thermal crystallization temperature range of the article, and thereby heating the surface coated portion of said article by permitting such converted heat to flow from said surface coating to the underlying coated surface layer portion of said article, continuing said radiation for sufficient duration to initiate nucleation and thermally crystallize a substantial portion of said underlying surface layer in said selected portions of the article, said radiation heating being insufficient to fuse said coating composition to said article and said coating being removable from said article by washing.

Claim 4

A process as defined in claim 4, wherein said electromagnetic radiation absorbing composition comprises graphite.

Claim 5

A process as defined in claim 4, wherein said electromagnetic radiation absorbing composition comprises stannic oxide.

Claim 6

A process as defined in claim 4, wherein said electromagnetic radiation absorbing composition comprises strontium oxide.

Claim 7

A process as defined in claim 4, wherein said electromagnetic radiation absorbing composition comprises barium carbonate.

Claim 8

A process as defined in claim 4, wherein said electromagnetic radiation absorbing composition comprises ceric oxide.

Claim 9

A process as defined in claim 4, wherein said electromagnetic radiation absorbing composition comprises zinc oxide.

Claim 10

A process as defined in claim 4, wherein said electromagnetic radiation absorbing composition comprises chrome oxide.

Claim 11

A process a defined in claim 4, wherein said electromagnetic radiation absorbing composition comprises titanium dioxide.

Claim 12

A process as defined in claim 4, wherein said electromagnetic radiation absorbing composition comprises magnesium oxide.

Claim 13

A process as defined in claim 4, wherein said electromagnetic radiation absorbing composition comprises manganous oxide.

Claim 14

A process as defined in claim 4, wherein said electromagnetic radiation absorbing composition comprises nickelous oxide.

Claim 15

A process as defined in claim 4, wherein said glass-ceramic body is a glass-ceramic body selected from at least one of the group consisting of lithium alumino-silicate glass ceramics and magnesium lithium alumino-silicate glass-ceramics.

Claim 16

A process as defined in claim 4, including the step of removing said removable surface coating after thermally crystallizing said underlying coated surface portion of said glass body.