Photosensitive colored glasses

Abstract

The instant invention relates to photosensitive glasses, i.e., glasses which, after an exposure to high energy or actinic radiations, can be heat treated in a certain manner to develop a colored transparent article, or which can be thermally opacified to produce a colored opal glass. More particularly, the instant invention is directed to alkali halide silver halide-containing photosensitive glasses which, through a unique sequence of shortwave radiation exposures and heat treatments, exhibit the total range of colors seen in the visible spectrum either in the transparent or in the opacified state and in three dimensions. The base glass composition can be varied widely, but the presence of silver, alkali oxide, fluorine, at least one of the group consisting of chlorine, bromine, and iodine, and, where ultra-violet radiations comprise the actinic radiations, cerium oxide is required. Multi-colored photographs and other unique decorative effects can be imparted into such glasses. Where desired, polarization effects can be secured in the glasses.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.