Abstract: A method for the production of a mirror element (10) that has a reflective coating (10a) for the EUV wavelength range and a substrate (10b). The substrate (10b) is pre-compacted by hot isostatic pressing, and the reflective coating (10a) is applied to the pre-compacted substrate (10b). In the method, either the pre-compacting of the substrate (10b) is performed until a saturation value of the compaction of the substrate (10b) by long-term EUV irradiation is reached, or, for further compaction, the pre-compacted substrate (10b) is irradiated, preferably homogeneously, with ions (16) and/or with electrons in a surface region (15) in which the coating (10a) has been or will be applied. A mirror element (10) for the EUV wavelength range associated with the method has a substrate (10b) pre-compacted by hot isostatic pressing. Such a mirror element (10) is suitable to be provided in an EUV projection exposure system.

Abstract: A process of extracting at least one target component from a plant material is provided. The process includes homogenizing a plant material in the presence of an extraction solvent to reduce the plant material to a plant liquid component and a plant pulp component. Each of the components may be further processed to extract specific components therefrom. Specifically, the plant liquid component can be processed to extract a plant-derived starch material, plant-derived proteins, plant-derived sugars, plant-derived sugars, and the like. The plant pulp material can be processed to extract pectin and cellulose. An associated system is also provided.

Abstract: A method of forming high strength glass fibers in a continuous system is provided. The method includes supplying a glass batch to a glass melting furnace lined with a material substantially free of noble metals. The glass batch comprises about 50-about 75 weight percent SiO2, about 15-about 30 weight percent Al2O3, about 5-about 20 weight percent MgO, about 0-about 10 weight percent CaO, about 0.25-about 5 weigh percent R2O. The method further includes melting the glass batch in the furnace and forming a pool of molten glass in contact with the furnace glass contact surface, transporting the molten glass from the furnace to the bushing using a forehearth that is at least partially lined with a material substantially free of noble metal materials, discharging the molten glass from the forehearth into the bushing; and forming the molten glass into continuous fibers.

Abstract: An electronic cigarette atomization device is built in a disposable electronic cigarette or disposable smoke capsule electronic cigarette. The electronic cigarette atomization device comprises a tar storage (2) between the smoke capsule shell (4) of the electronic cigarette and a hollow tubular bracket (3), a smoking channel corresponding to the hollow tubular bracket (3), and a heating element (5) electrically connected to a battery (10) of the electronic cigarette at outlet of the tar storage in the channel. The heating element (5) and the axis of the hollow tubular bracket (3) form an angle of 10-90°, connection wires (8) at two ends of the heating element (5) are provided between the hollow tubular bracket (3) and the smoke capsule shell (4), electrically connected to the battery (10).

Abstract: The method of environmentally friendly melting and refining a glass melt of a crystallizable glass, which is used for making a lithium aluminum silicate (LAS) glass ceramic, includes the steps of providing a glass batch with a main batch composition within a lithium aluminum silicate (LAS) glass system, in which 0.1-<0.6% by weight of tin oxide has been added as main refining agent, but which does not contain arsenic oxide and/or antimony oxide as refining agent, formulating a raw material mixture for the glass batch, so that less than 40% by weight of the raw material mixture is quartz sand and then refining a glass melt formed from the glass batch at temperatures of at least 1600° C.

Abstract: Provided is a tempered glass substrate formed by a float method, comprising a bottom surface and a top surface, wherein a compression stress value of the bottom surface is larger than a compression stress value of the top surface.

Abstract: An improved system and method is disclosed for providing cooling air to mating mold halves during the entire cycle and an additional degree of cooling during the portion of the cycle when hot glass material is enclosed within mating mold halves. Countercurrent cooling air flows are established in separate arrays of cooling passages located in each mold half, with one of the cooling air flows being capable of actively cooling the mold halves over the full cycle rather than only when the mold halves are in their closed position. The cooling air flowing in the separate arrays of cooling passages allows separate timing and control of the cooling air flows supplied to the arrays of cooling passages in the molds.

Abstract: A melter apparatus includes a floor, a ceiling, and a wall connecting the floor and ceiling at a perimeter of the floor and ceiling, a melting zone being defined by the floor, ceiling and wall, the melting zone having a feed inlet and a molten glass outlet positioned at opposing ends of the melting zone. Melter apparatus include an exit end having a melter exit structure for discharging turbulent molten glass formed by one or more submerged combustion burners, the melter exit structure fluidly and mechanically connecting the melter vessel to a molten glass conditioning channel. The melter exit structure includes a fluid-cooled transition channel configured to form a frozen glass layer or highly viscous glass layer, or combination thereof, on inner surfaces of the fluid-cooled transition channel and thus protect the melter exit structure from mechanical energy imparted from the melter vessel to the melter exit structure.

Abstract: A soda-lime-silica glass for solar collector cover plates and solar mirrors has less than 0.010 weight percent total iron as Fe2O3, a redox ratio of less than 0.350, less than 0.0025 weight percent CeO2, and spectral properties that include a visible transmission, and a total solar infrared transmittance, of greater than 90% at a thickness of 5.5 millimeters, and reduced solarization. In one non-limiting embodiment of invention, the glass is made by heating a pool of molten soda-lime-silica with a mixture of combustion air and fuel gas having an air firing ratio of greater than 11, or an oxygen firing ratio of greater than 2.31. In another non-limiting embodiment of the invention, streams of oxygen bubbles are moved through a pool of molten glass. In both embodiments, the oxygen oxidizes ferrous iron to ferric iron to reduce the redox ratio.

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining density or density gradient of molten foamed glass in a glass melter, an apparatus downstream of a glass melter, or both. A molten foamed glass is generated having molten glass and bubbles entrained therein and/or a layer of glass foam on a top surface thereof in a melter. At least a portion of the molten foamed glass is transferred into an apparatus positioned downstream of the melter, and the density or density gradient of the molten foamed glass in the melter or downstream apparatus is determined as a function of distance from a structural feature of the melter or downstream apparatus, or both, using one or more electromagnetic (EM) wave-based sensors.

Abstract: A cigarette filter containing a mesoporous silicate molecular sieve modified by an aminoalkylsilyl group. The modified molecular sieve reacts with selected components of cigarette smoke to remove or reduce the concentration of the components without adversely affecting desirable flavor constituents of the smoke. The modified molecular sieve preferably is SBA-15, MCM-41 or MCM-48 modified by 3-aminopropylsilyl groups. The modified molecular sieve may be incorporated into the filter by inclusion into a space therein or into one or more of the filter elements or into a fibrous component.

Abstract: Processes of controlling submerged combustion melters, and systems for carrying out the methods. One process includes feeding vitrifiable material into a melter vessel, the melter vessel including a fluid-cooled refractory panel in its floor, ceiling, and/or sidewall, and heating the vitrifiable material with a burner directing combustion products into the melting zone under a level of the molten material in the zone. Burners impart turbulence to the molten material in the melting zone. The fluid-cooled refractory panel is cooled, forming a modified panel having a frozen or highly viscous material layer on a surface of the panel facing the molten material, and a sensor senses temperature of the modified panel using a protected thermocouple positioned in the modified panel shielded from direct contact with turbulent molten material. Processes include controlling the melter using the temperature of the modified panel. Other processes and systems are presented.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for characterizing attributes of a moving glass sheet comprising complementary mechanical material handling technologies that progressively stabilize, position, capture, flatten, and release the lower portion of glass sheets traveling past the apparatus while posing minimal constraint on the top section of the sheet. The apparatus includes a pressure-vacuum (PV)-type device comprising distinct regions such that the glass sheets experience a non-contact but gradual increase in constraining force until the point where measurements can be performed, then a gradual decrease in constraining force until the glass sheets are released from the inspection station. This graduated force technique is applied along the direction of travel of the sheets and may also be applied vertically upwards along the height of the sheet to restrict the motion of the sheet without constraining it at pinch points near the conveyor.

Abstract: A conduit structure for molten glass, in which molten glass is flown through a double-pipe structure, with little stress loading even for a long time operation. A supporting rib connecting an inner pipe and an outer pipe is employed in the double pipe structure having the inner pipe and outer pipe in the conduit structure for molten glass, wherein excessive stress concentration hardly occurs in an inner pipe-joint portion, an outer pipe-joint portion and the rib when the rib is applied with a stress load due to the weight of the inner pipe.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for precision bending a glass sheet that includes an oven for heating the glass sheet to a temperature near the softening temperature of the glass sheet. A stage for supporting the glass sheet. A pair of reference surfaces on the stage for precisely locating the glass sheet on the stage. At least one bending mechanism on a pair of arms inside the oven for bending an edge portion of the glass sheet. Inward facing first stop surfaces on the arms that contact reference surfaces on the stage for precisely locating the bending mechanism on the arms relative to the stage and the glass sheet.

Abstract: A precious metal structure which has an internal gas permeable membrane is described herein for a glass manufacturing vessel configured to have molten glass flow therein. The internal gas permeable membrane can be supplied with an atmosphere of gas (or gases) to control the flux of hydrogen into our out of the molten glass or otherwise improve the production of the molten glass. In this manner, the undesirable detrimental reactions that can occur at the interface of the molten glass and precious metal interface which can cause defects in the molten glass such as bubbles or solid inclusions can be stopped or at least substantially reduced.

Abstract: It is an objective of the present invention to provide a method for sintering a porous glass base material that can experience an earthquake or large vibration without the base material falling or decreasing in quality when performing sintering, dehydration, and transparent vitrification on the porous glass base material. Provided is a method of sintering a porous glass base material including sintering by lowering the porous glass base material vertically through a furnace from above while rotating the porous glass base material, the method comprising changing rotational speed of the porous glass base material during the sintering.

Abstract: Stir chambers for stirring molten glass are disclosed. The stir chambers include a support frame, a sealing article, and a removable cover panel. The stir chambers also include a gland coupled to one of the support frame or the removable cover panel, and into which the sealing article is inserted. The stir chambers further include a seal land coupled to one of the support frame or the removable cover panel. The sealing article includes a plurality of ceramic filaments bundled together to form a core portion and a jacket portion that includes a plurality of ceramic filaments woven together. The removable cover panel is coupled to the support frame such that at least a portion of the seal land is positioned inside the gland to compress the sealing article.

Abstract: A glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic bead is described, with an internal porous scaffold microstructure that is surrounded by an amorphous shield. The shield serves to protect the internal porous microstructure of the shield while increasing the overall strength of the porous microstructure and improve the flowability of the beads either by themselves or in devices such as biologically degradable putty that would be used in bone or soft tissue augmentation or regeneration. The open porosity present inside the bead will allow for enhanced degradability in-vivo as compared to solid particles or spheres and also promote the growth of tissues including but not limited to all types of bone, soft tissue, blood vessels, and nerves.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for steering flexible glass webs are disclosed. In one embodiment, a steering device for non-contact steering of a glass web having a conveyance direction and a cross direction normal to the conveyance direction includes a fluid injection bar having an elongate axis oriented in a cross direction of the glass web. The steering device also includes a pivot bearing assembly coupled to the fluid injection bar such that the fluid injection bar is pivotable in a plane perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the glass web, an actuator coupled to the fluid injection bar for adjusting the orientation of the fluid injection bar with respect to the glass web, and an edge detection device positioned proximate to an edge of the glass web for evaluating a position of an edge of the glass web.