A method for encapsulating glass microbeads on a glass surface

Abstract

The application discloses a method for encapsulating glass microbeads on a glass surface, and belongs to the field of glass substrate surface treatment. After particle size screening and local surface modification, the glass microbeads and the thixotropic agent are combined, the glass microbeads are uniformly dispersed in the ink, the viscosity and fluidity of the ink are adjusted, and the printing effect and performance of the ink are improved. The glass microbeads have a concentrated particle size distribution, and after printing and solidification, the glass microbeads are basically coated on the surface of the adhesive layer in a single particle layer thickness to form a light guide dot pattern, material is saved, and light is uniformly guided. The light guide dots not only play a light guide role due to the dot distribution, but also further improve the brightness of the light source system light emitting surface due to the high reflectivity of the glass microbeads contained in the ink. Therefore, the method for encapsulating glass microbeads on a glass surface has good ink printing performance, a long service life, and a high brightness of a glass light guide plate obtained through silk screen printing, and has important application value in the fields of advertising light boxes, liquid crystal display backlight modules and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of glass substrate surface treatment technology, specifically, it relates to a method for encapsulating glass microspheres on a glass surface. Background Technology

[0002] Glass microspheres are spherical glassy materials with particle sizes in the micrometer range. They possess excellent sphericity, transparency, hardness, light reflectivity, and superior chemical stability, making them suitable for use as weight-reducing agents, reflective materials, and reinforcing fillers. They have wide applications in chemical, marine, optoelectronic display, transportation, and oil drilling industries. Light guide plates (LGPs) are products that transform point or line light sources into surface light sources. Compared to traditional light guide plates made from PMMA or PC sheets, glass light guide plates offer advantages such as resistance to yellowing, deformation, and expansion, high temperature resistance, moisture resistance, and a long service life. The dot matrix structure of the glass light guide plate is crucial for achieving uniform light distribution.

[0003] Screen printing is an important method for preparing light-guiding dots on glass surfaces. When glass microspheres are used as fillers in screen printing inks, their unique reflective properties significantly enhance the reflectivity of the light-guiding dots, making the printed patterns brighter and more eye-catching under light. Glass microspheres also possess excellent weather resistance and corrosion resistance, extending the lifespan of the light-guiding dots. Furthermore, the addition of glass microspheres gives screen printing inks more functions and properties, enabling their application in a wider range of fields, such as traffic safety, outdoor advertising, and architectural decoration.

[0004] When glass microspheres are used as fillers in inks due to their optical properties, they need to be uniformly dispersed in the binder. Uneven dispersion will affect the ink's ability to reproduce the dot structure during printing, resulting in inconsistent color depth and spots. To ensure uniform dispersion of glass microspheres in the ink, dispersants are added. There are three main types of dispersants: surfactants, polymers, and inorganics. Surfactants introduce salt impurities and may cause charge interference in some ink systems, leading to an imbalance in the interaction forces between components and resulting in ink stratification or glass microsphere precipitation. Polymers have poor weather resistance due to their functional groups and long molecular chains, and are prone to aging and discoloration under prolonged exposure to light and temperature / humidity, leading to a decline in ink performance. Inorganic dispersants increase electrostatic repulsion by charging the glass microspheres, preventing aggregation, but the impurity ions they introduce can also affect ink stability.

[0005] Besides dispersion uniformity, the addition of glass microspheres also affects the thixotropy of the ink. Screen printing inks need good thixotropy, meaning they maintain high viscosity when stationary to prevent ink sagging and penetration; and when subjected to external force (such as a squeegee), the viscosity rapidly decreases, facilitating smooth passage of the ink through the screen printing plate and uniform transfer to the substrate, such as glass. Improper viscosity control can lead to unclear printing dots or missed prints. Fumed silica, a commonly used thixotropic agent, has abundant silanol groups (Si-OH) on its surface, which can interact with nearby fumed silica aggregates to form hydrogen bonds, thus creating a three-dimensional network structure in the ink. This network structure forms or breaks down with changes in shear force within the ink, significantly affecting the ink's flowability and thixotropy. However, hydrophilic fumed silica tends to agglomerate in the ink. To simultaneously achieve thixotropy and dispersion uniformity, high-shear dispersion and the use of auxiliary dispersants are often employed. For high-shear dispersion, high shear force or excessive shearing can damage the surface structure of the glass microspheres; the high heat generated during the shearing process also adversely affects ink stability. When using dispersants, while improving the dispersibility of fumed silica in inks, the dispersants can also cover the hydroxyl groups on the surface of fumed silica, reducing its thixotropic effect. Therefore, it is urgent to solve the above problems in order to meet the higher demands of the glass substrate surface treatment technology field. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a method for preparing aluminum titanate nanofibers.

[0007] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0008] A method for encapsulating glass microspheres on a glass surface includes the following steps:

[0009] S1. Add glass microspheres G to UV-curable transparent ink and mix thoroughly to obtain ink A;

[0010] Glass microspheres can improve the optical properties of inks; in addition, glass microspheres can enhance the weather resistance and structural strength of inks; moreover, surface-modified glass microspheres can not only be fully dispersed in inks, but also work together with thixotropic agents in inks with their hydrophilic parts to help improve the uniformity of thixotropic agent dispersion, enhance the anti-settling properties of microspheres and the anti-sagging properties of inks, and improve the processing and performance of inks.

[0011] S2. Use organic solvents and deionized water to treat the glass plate surface under ultrasonic treatment to form a clean and flat surface. Then, coat the glass plate surface with a silane coupling agent and cure it to obtain a glass plate containing an adhesive layer.

[0012] The introduction of the adhesive layer can effectively solve the problems of ink falling off or peeling during the printing process and light guide points not being firm due to insufficient adhesion between ink and glass plate surface, and extend the service life of ink-printed light guide point patterns.

[0013] S3. Design and manufacture microbead matrix and corresponding screen printing plate according to the light guide plate dot design software; apply ink A to the glass plate containing the adhesive layer according to the designed printing speed, screen tension and pressure to form a light guide dot microstructure with a certain distribution pattern; put the printed glass plate into a UV radiation curing box for irradiation curing to obtain a glass plate containing light guide dots.

[0014] By controlling the aperture and thickness of the screen printing plate, it is possible to ensure that the ink containing microbeads can pass smoothly through the screen printing plate and be printed onto the glass surface of the light guide plate, and to form a single-layer light guide dot pattern of glass microbeads as much as possible; by adopting a uniform and full-coverage printing method, it is ensured that the patterned area and the non-patterned area are protected equally.

[0015] S4. Apply an encapsulation layer to the surface of the glass plate containing light guide dots, and then place it in a UV radiation curing chamber to cure the encapsulation layer and other films into one.

[0016] The encapsulation layer protects the light guide dots, improves their wear resistance, weather resistance, and dust resistance, and further extends the service life of the glass plate.

[0017] Further, the glass microspheres G mentioned in step S1 are solid glass microspheres or hollow glass microspheres; if hollow glass microspheres are used, their compressive strength tested by the air pressure method should meet the requirement that the breakage rate after holding at 30MPa for 10min is not greater than 20%; the median diameter of the glass microspheres ranges from 5 to 25μm, and the particle size distribution span is ≤0.2; the surface of the glass microspheres has undergone surface hydrophobic modification treatment, and the modified area accounts for 50%-80% of the total surface area of ​​the microspheres.

[0018] Furthermore, in step S1, the amount of glass microspheres G added accounts for 5%-40% of the total amount of UV-curable transparent ink; the UV-curable transparent ink meets the viscosity range of 900-3500 mPa·s (25℃).

[0019] Furthermore, in step S2, the organic solvent is one or more of methanol, ethanol, acetone, and diethyl ether.

[0020] Furthermore, in step S2, the silane coupling agent is one of KH-560, KH-550, KH-570, KH-792, and KH-590.

[0021] Furthermore, in step S2, the coating temperature is from room temperature to 80°C, and the curing temperature is from room temperature to 300°C.

[0022] Furthermore, in step S3, the aperture of the screen printing plate is not less than twice the D90 particle size of the glass microspheres, and the screen thickness is not greater than 1.5 times the D90 particle size of the glass microspheres.

[0023] Furthermore, in step S4, the encapsulation layer is formed by coating and curing with UV-curable transparent ink.

[0024] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0025] 1. After particle size sieving and local surface modification, the glass microspheres used, together with the thixotropic agent, are not only uniformly dispersed in the ink, but also improve the printing effect and performance of the ink by adjusting the ink viscosity and fluidity.

[0026] 2. The introduction of an adhesive layer can extend the service life of the ink-printed light guide dot pattern;

[0027] 3. Unlike the glass microspheres added to ordinary reflective inks, the glass microspheres in this invention have a concentrated particle size distribution. By selecting appropriate screen aperture and screen thickness, after printing and curing, they are coated on the surface of the adhesive layer with a single particle layer thickness to form a light-guiding dot pattern, which saves materials and provides uniform light guidance. The light-guiding dots not only play a light-guiding role due to their dot distribution, but also further improve the brightness of the light-emitting surface of the light source system due to the high reflectivity of the glass microspheres contained in the ink.

[0028] 4. The introduction of an encapsulation layer protects the light guide dots, further improving the service life of the glass plate;

[0029] Therefore, the method of encapsulating glass microspheres on the glass surface in this invention has good ink printing performance, long service life, and high brightness of the glass light guide plate obtained by screen printing, which has important application value in advertising light boxes, LCD backlight modules and other fields. Attached Figure Description

[0030] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the glass surface encapsulation technology for glass microbeads according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of partially hydrophobic glass microspheres in an embodiment of the present invention (microsphere G1, modified area = 50%; microsphere G2, modified area = 75%).

[0033] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of glass microspheres encapsulated on a glass surface according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein 1 is a glass plate, 2 is an adhesive layer, 3 is a dot layer, and 4 is an encapsulation layer;

[0034] Figure 4 for Figure 3A magnified view of the dashed circle area: 1 is the glass plate, 2 is the adhesive layer, 31 is the glass microspheres in the screen printing ink dot layer, 32 is the other components of the screen printing ink dot layer besides the glass microspheres, and 4 is the encapsulation layer. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] All embodiments of the present invention are in accordance with Figure 1 The described process involves encapsulating glass microspheres on a glass surface.

[0037] Example 1

[0038] S1. Solid glass microspheres G1 with a median diameter of 15 μm, a particle size distribution span of 0.13, and a surface hydrophobic modification area accounting for 50% of the total surface area of ​​the microspheres, such as... Figure 2 As shown in G1, glass microspheres (G1) are added to UV-curable transparent ink (commercially available UV-curable clear varnish ink, colorless and transparent, viscosity: 1800 mPa·s at 25℃), and thoroughly mixed using a high-speed disperser. Large particles and incompletely dispersed microspheres are then removed using a filtration system to obtain ink A. The amount of glass microspheres (G1) added accounts for 15% of the total ink volume.

[0039] S2. Use ethanol and deionized water to treat the surface of glass plate 1 under ultrasonic treatment to form a clean and flat surface. In an environment of 25°C and 60% RH humidity, apply silane coupling agent KH-550 to the surface of the glass plate and cure it at 120°C for 5 minutes to form an adhesive layer 2 on the surface of glass plate 1, thus obtaining a glass plate containing an adhesive layer.

[0040] S3. Design and fabricate a screen printing plate with a 300-mesh aperture and a thickness of (20±5)μm using light guide plate dot design software, and fix it on a semi-automatic screen printing machine C-86H; move the squeegee to apply ink A to the glass plate containing the adhesive layer, using a uniform and comprehensive printing method to form a light guide dot microstructure with a certain distribution pattern on the surface of the glass plate; place the printed glass plate into a UV radiation curing chamber and set the UV irradiation intensity to 1000mW / cm². 2 Irradiation time is 30 seconds to complete the curing and molding of the light-guiding dots, forming dot layer 3, resulting in a glass plate containing light-guiding dots; a partial schematic diagram of the light-guiding dots is attached. Figure 4 ;

[0041] S4. A UV-curable transparent ink encapsulation layer 4 is coated onto the surface of a glass plate containing light-guiding dots. The plate is then placed in a UV radiation curing chamber to cure the encapsulation layer and other layers together, resulting in a glass light guide plate encapsulating glass microspheres, as shown in the attached diagram. Figure 3 As shown.

[0042] Example 2

[0043] S1. Solid glass microspheres G2 with a median diameter of 24 μm, a particle size distribution span of 0.08, and a compressive strength of 30 MPa (10 min) tested by the air pressure method, a breakage rate of 20%, and a surface hydrophobic modification area accounting for 75% of the total surface area of ​​the microspheres, are used. Figure 2 As shown in G2, glass microspheres (G2) are added to UV-curable transparent ink (commercially available UV-curable varnish ink, colorless and transparent, viscosity: 3500 mPa·s at 25℃), and thoroughly mixed using a high-speed disperser. Large particles and incompletely dispersed microspheres are then removed using a filtration system to obtain ink A. The amount of glass microspheres (G2) added accounts for 20% of the total ink volume.

[0044] S2. Use ethanol and deionized water to treat the surface of glass plate 1 under ultrasonic treatment to form a clean and flat surface. In an environment of 35°C and 50% RH humidity, apply silane coupling agent KH-560 to the surface of the glass plate and cure it at 150°C for 3 minutes to form an adhesive layer 2 on the surface of glass plate 1, thus obtaining a glass plate containing an adhesive layer.

[0045] S3. Design and fabricate a screen printing plate with a 250-mesh aperture and a thickness of (30±5)μm using light guide plate dot design software, and fix it on a semi-automatic screen printing machine C-86H; move the squeegee to apply ink A to the glass plate containing the adhesive layer, and use a uniform and full-coverage printing method to form a light guide dot microstructure with a certain distribution pattern on the surface of the glass plate; place the printed glass plate into a UV radiation curing chamber and set the UV irradiation intensity to 1200mW / cm². 2 Irradiation time is 30 seconds to complete the curing and molding of the light-guiding dots, forming dot layer 3, resulting in a glass plate containing light-guiding dots; a partial schematic diagram of the light-guiding dots is attached. Figure 4 ;

[0046] S4. A UV-curable transparent ink encapsulation layer 4 is coated onto the surface of a glass plate containing light-guiding dots. The plate is then placed in a UV radiation curing chamber to cure the encapsulation layer and other layers together, resulting in a glass light guide plate encapsulating glass microspheres, as shown in the attached diagram. Figure 3 As shown.

[0047] Comparative Example 1

[0048] Without adding glass microspheres, the remaining steps are the same as in Example 1 to obtain a glass light guide plate.

[0049] Comparative Example 2

[0050] Using unmodified glass microspheres, the remaining steps are the same as in Example 1 to prepare a glass light guide plate.

[0051] The glass light guide plates prepared in Examples 1-2 and Comparative Examples 1-2 were installed into the backlight unit and placed in a darkroom. The power was turned on to preheat the backlight unit for 15 minutes to maintain stable brightness. A complete image of the light guide plate was captured using a high-definition camera to ensure that the image had no obvious noise or blurring. The image was then imported into image analysis software for image preprocessing and analysis area definition to obtain brightness and average brightness data. The solvent wiping resistance and abrasion resistance of the light guide plate were tested according to the methods specified in JC / T2764—2023 Light Guide Plate Glass.

[0052] The measurement results are shown in the table below:

[0053]

[0054] As shown in the table above, the ink exhibits higher solvent resistance, abrasion resistance, and brightness than the comparative example after the addition of modified glass microspheres in the embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, the glass light guide plate prepared by the method of the present invention has important application value in fields such as advertising light boxes and LCD backlight modules.

[0055] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "an embodiment," "example," "specific example," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0056] The above description is merely an example and illustration of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications or additions to the specific embodiments described, or use similar methods to replace them, as long as they do not deviate from the invention or exceed the scope defined in the claims, they should all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of encapsulating glass microbeads on a glass surface, characterized by, Comprising the following steps: S1, glass beads are added to UV-curable transparent ink, mixed thoroughly to obtain ink A; S2, the surface of the glass plate is treated with organic solvent, deionized water under ultrasonic wave to form a clean and smooth surface, then a silane coupling agent is coated on the surface of the glass plate, and cured to obtain a glass plate containing an adhesive layer; S3, according to the light guide plate dot design software, the micro-bead array is designed and the corresponding screen printing plate is designed and made; according to the designed printing speed, screen tension and pressure, the ink A is coated on the glass plate containing the adhesive layer to form a light guide dot microstructure; The printed glass plate is placed in a UV radiation curing box for irradiation and curing to obtain a glass plate containing light guide dots; S4, a packaging layer is coated on the surface of the glass plate containing light guide dots, and then placed in a UV radiation curing box to cure the packaging layer and other layers into one body; In step S1, the glass beads are hollow glass beads, and the pressure resistance strength thereof tested by air pressure method should satisfy that the broken ball rate after pressure maintaining for 10 min is not more than 20%; the median diameter of the glass beads ranges from 5 to 25 microns, and the particle size distribution span is less than or equal to 0.2; the surface of the glass beads is subjected to hydrophobic modification treatment, and the modified area accounts for 50% to 80% of the total surface area of the glass beads. In step S4, the packaging layer is formed by coating and curing UV-curable transparent ink.

2. The method of encapsulating glass microbeads on a glass surface according to claim 1, wherein In step S1, the amount of glass beads added accounts for 5% to 40% of the total amount of UV-curable transparent ink; and the viscosity of the UV-curable transparent ink at an ambient temperature of 25℃ satisfies the range of 900 to 3500 mPa·s.

3. The method of encapsulating glass microbeads on a glass surface according to claim 1, wherein In step S2, the organic solvent is one or more of methanol, ethanol, acetone and diethyl ether.

4. The method of encapsulating glass microbeads on a glass surface according to claim 1, wherein In step S2, the silane coupling agent is one of KH-560, KH-550, KH-570, KH-792 and KH-590.

5. The method of encapsulating glass microbeads on a glass surface according to claim 1, wherein In step S2, the coating temperature is room temperature to 80℃, and the curing temperature is room temperature to 300℃.

6. The method of encapsulating glass microbeads on a glass surface according to claim 1, wherein In step S3, the aperture of the screen printing plate is not less than 2 times the D90 particle size of the glass beads, and the thickness of the screen is not greater than 1.5 times the D90 particle size of the glass beads.

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