Patents by Inventor Stefano Merolla

Stefano Merolla has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8999091
    Abstract: To provide a material for use at high temperatures of several 100° C. which is simple and quick to produce, the invention provides a composite having a layer structure and a process for producing it, which comprises the following steps: a) provision of at least two plates which each have at least one main area of extension, b) stacking of the plates in such a way that a main area of extension of one plate is essentially opposite a main area of extension of the subsequent plate in the stack, c) joining of the stacked plates to form a block using a sinterable composition, d) carrying out a heat treatment on the block so that at least sintering of the sinterable composition occurs and a strong composite body is formed from the block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Schott AG
    Inventors: Manfred Borens, Karsten von Westernhagen, Stefano Merolla
  • Patent number: 8863552
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for simple and rapid production of a shaped body comprising fused silica and a shaped body which leads to virtually no contamination of a melt in contact with the shaped body even at high temperatures. The disclosed process comprises the steps of: a) provision of fused silica in the form of essentially amorphous SiO2 grains of which not more than 5% have a diameter greater than 15 mm, b) addition of water to the fused silica grains to produce a slip, c) casting of the slip into a mold which comprises a hollow body having the inverse shape of the shaped body to be produced, and d) drying of the slip to give an intermediate body, which is then sintered and cooled. A shaped body producible in accordance with the aforementioned process is also disclosed, which comprises at least 99.0 mol % of SiO2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Schott AG
    Inventors: Manfred Borens, Karsten von Westernhagen, Stefano Merolla, Gerald Wasem, Stefan Postrach
  • Patent number: 8104309
    Abstract: The method provides an improved quartz glass body, especially an improved quartz glass crucible for melting non-metals, non-ferrous metals, or silicon. The quartz glass body is made by a method in which a quartz glass-water mixture is supplied to a gypsum casting mold comprising an outer part and an inner part, dried in the gypsum mold, and put under an overpressure via a system of ducts in the form of textile tubes embedded in the mold during the drying. Later a resulting green glass body is removed from the mold. At least a portion of the shaping surfaces of the inner part of the gypsum mold are surfaces of a water-impermeable substance. The method provides a cast body with a reduced tendency to crack and with a smaller open porosity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Schott AG
    Inventors: Manfred Borens, Franz-Peter Eckes, Janus Zborowski, Karsten V. Westernhagen, Stefano Merolla, Joerg Witte, Joachim Kuester, Marcus Holla
  • Publication number: 20080196448
    Abstract: For simple and rapid production of a shaped body comprising fused silica and a shaped body which leads to virtually no contamination of a melt in contact with the shaped body even at high temperatures, the invention provides a process comprising the steps: a) provision of fused silica in the form of essentially amorphous SiO2 grains of which not more than 5% have a diameter greater than 15 mm, b) addition of water to the fused silica grains to produce a slip, c) casting of the slip into a mould which comprises a hollow body having the inverse shape of the shaped body to be produced, d) drying of the slip to give an intermediate body, e) sintering of the intermediate body at a sintering temperature at which at least part of the fused silica is transformed from the amorphous modification into a crystalline modification, f) cooling of the sintered shaped body to a temperature below 300° C., so that a microstructure containing crystalline SiO2 is formed, and also a shaped body which comprises at least 99.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: SCHOTT AG
    Inventors: Manfred Borens, Karsten von Westernhagen, Stefano Merolla, Gerald Wasem, Stefan Postrach
  • Publication number: 20080176054
    Abstract: To provide a material for use at high temperatures of several 100° C. which is simple and quick to produce, the invention provides a composite having a layer structure and a process for producing it, which comprises the following steps: a) provision of at least two plates which each have at least one main area of extension, b) stacking of the plates in such a way that a main area of extension of one plate is essentially opposite a main area of extension of the subsequent plate in the stack, c) joining of the stacked plates to form a block using a sinterable composition, d) carrying out a heat treatment on the block so that at least sintering of the sinterable composition occurs and a strong composite body is formed from the block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Applicant: SCHOTT AG
    Inventors: Manfred Borens, Karsten von Westernhagen, Stefano Merolla
  • Publication number: 20080153688
    Abstract: The invention includes an improved quartz glass body, especially an improved quartz glass crucible for melting non-metals, non-ferrous metals, or silicon, and a method and casting mold for making it The quartz glass body is made by a method in which a quartz glass-water mixture is supplied to a casting mold comprising an outer part and an inner part, dried in the mold, and put under an overpressure during the drying. Later a resulting green glass body is removed from the mold. At least a portion of the shaping surfaces of the inner part of the mold are surfaces of a water-impermeable substance. The method provides a cast body with a reduced tendency to crack and with a smaller open porosity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Inventors: Manfred Borens, Franz-Peter Eckes, Janus Zborowski, Karsten V. Westernhagen, Stefano Merolla, Joerg Witte, Joachim Kuester, Marcus Holla