The ink used in glass screen printing usually cannot be directly wiped off after tempering, as the tempering process causes the ink to adhere firmly to the glass surface .
1. Characteristics of ink after tempering
High-temperature curing: Tempered glass needs to be heated to approximately 600 to 700 degrees Celsius. The screen printing ink (usually high-temperature ceramic ink) will be sintered on the surface of the glass, forming a hard glaze layer.
Strong adhesion: The ink undergoes physical and chemical bonding with the glass, and common solvents (such as alcohol, acetone) cannot dissolve it.
Wear-resistant and scratch-resistant: The silk-screened layer after tempering is scratch-resistant and will not fall off during daily cleaning.
2. Try the method of erasing (low success rate)
If you must try, you can test the following methods, but they may damage the glass:
Physical polishing
Local grinding with diamond sandpaper or grinding paste will damage the luster of the glass surface and is difficult to completely remove.
Corrosion by hydrofluoric acid (HF)
It can dissolve the surface layer of glass (including the ink part), but the operation is dangerous (highly toxic and highly corrosive), and professional protection and equipment are required.
Laser cleaning
Professional laser equipment can remove ink, but it is costly and may leave marks.
3. More feasible solutions
Coverage processing
Cover the original pattern with new ink, film or paint.
Replace the glass
If permitted, it is more economical and safe to directly replace the glass that has not been silk-screened or tempered.
Preventive measures in advance
Before tempering, confirm the screen printing content. If any modification is needed, it should be removed with a dedicated cleaning agent (such as a cleaning agent for unsintered screen printing ink) before tempering.
4. Key Precautions
Irreversibility: The silk-screen printing after tempering is a permanent mark, and caution should be exercised during the design stage.
Safety first: Avoid using strong acids or violent scratches to prevent a decrease in glass strength or breakage.
Summary: The silk-screen printing ink on tempered glass cannot be removed by ordinary methods. It is recommended to solve the problem by covering or replacing the glass. If the pattern needs to be modified, it must be processed before tempering.
