Staining plastic surfaces

Claim 2

The process of claim 1 wherein said dye has the formula:

Claim 3

The procEss of claim 1 wherein said dye is an anthraquinone dye.

Claim 4

an atactic or isotactic, pyrolyzable poly (alkylene oxide) and a Lewis Acid decomposition catalyst in a volatile vehicle, wherein the alkylene group has from two to 30 carbon atoms, said volatile vehicle being so selected that it will evaporate when heated to a temperature range of 150*-310* F. for about 2-35 minutes, II. heating said surface having said decorative composition to a temperature of about 150*-310* F. for about 2-35 minutes to vaporize the pyrolyzable materials in said decorative composition and to cause said dye to penetrate said surface.

Claim 5

A process for providing a decorable plastic article with a permanent sub-surface marking wherein said plastic is selected from polycarbonates, and polymers and copolymers of monoethylenically unsaturated monomers, said method comprising: I. applying a decorative composition onto the surface of said article, said composition consisting essentially of A. a plastic-surface penetrating dye, B. a carrier for said dye selected from the group consisting of:

Claim 6

The method of claim 4 wherein said decorative composition further includes a consistency adjusting amount of a particulate silica or bentonite clay and wherein said method further includes the step of (III) removing residual material from the surface of said article.

Claim 7

The method of claim 5 wherein step III is effected by the use of an air stream.

Claim 8

The method of claim 6 wherein said carrier is a liquid, pyrolyzable poly-alpha-methylstyrene.

Claim 9

The method of claim 6 wherein said carrier is a polymer of octadecene sulfone in a volatile article.

Claim 10

A process for providing a permanent sub-surface marking on a decorable plastic article selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene and polymers and copolymers of monomers selected from the group consisting of butene-1, pentene-1, hexene-1, 3-methylbutene-1, 4-methylpentene-1, 5-methylhexene-1, vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate, said method comprising a. applying a decorative composition to the surface of said article, said decorative composition consisting essentially of a dye capable of penetrating the surface of said article and a pyrolyzable carrier for said dye selected from the group consisting of poly(alpha-alkylstyrene) wherein the alkyl group has from one to nine carbon atoms, polyolefin sulfones containing up to 30 carbon atoms in a solvent for said sulfones, atactic and isotactic poly(alkylene oxide) wherein the alkylene radical has from two to 30 carbon atoms in a solvent for said oxide, and b. heating said surface of said plastic article for a time and at a temperature sufficient to pyrolyze said carrier and to diffuse at least a portion of said dye into said surface of said article, and c. removing residual decorative composition from said surface of said article.