Abstract: A method of forming fused quartz glass is provided. The method includes the steps of: (a) providing a starting body made of fused quartz glass; (b) positioning the fused quartz glass starting body on a base plate; (c) inserting a first insert device into an interior cavity of the starting body to form an assembled structure; (d) heating the assembled structure to a predetermined temperature at which the fused quartz glass has a viscosity in a range of 105 to 1013 poise; and (e) deforming the fused quartz glass of the starting body at the predetermined temperature or in the viscosity range of 105 to 1013 poise around the first insert device to change a shape of the starting body. A method for making a large fused quartz glass vessel and a forming assembly for forming fused quartz glass are also provided.

Abstract: A method of reducing distortion in a glass sheet is described and comprises the steps of: forming a glass ribbon in a glass manufacturing process; separating a glass sheet from the glass ribbon, the glass sheet having a substantially flat surface; measuring a retardation through the surface of the glass sheet; defining a retardation parameter indicative of the retardation of the glass sheet; cutting the glass sheet into a plurality of sub-sheets; measuring a distortion of the sub-sheets; defining a distortion parameter indicative of the distortion of the sub-sheets; and determining a correlation between the retardation parameter and the distortion parameter such that the distortion parameter of sub-sheets of a subsequent glass sheet can be predicted based on the correlation.

Abstract: Ion transport membranes are integrated with a glass melting furnace and a float glass bath. Only feeds of air, steam and hydrocarbon are necessary for producing hot oxygen for the melting furnace and a mixture of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen for the float glass bath.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for precision glass roll forming a supply of molten glass at a glass temperature of 1000° C. or higher with a pair of hot forming rolls having a surface temperature of about 500° C. or higher located vertically below the glass feed. The forming rolls thin the supplied stream of molten glass to produce a formed glass ribbon. A pair of cold sizing and texturing rolls maintained at a surface temperature of about 400° C. or lower or 300° C. or lower is located vertically below the forming rolls. The sizing and texturing rolls thin and texture the formed glass ribbon to produce a sized glass ribbon having a desired texture, thickness and thickness uniformity. The sized and textured glass ribbon may have a thickness of 1 mm or less that varies in thickness by no more than +/?0.025 mm.

Abstract: Methods for producing glass articles of a wide range of geometrical shapes, including shapes that are heretofore difficult or impossible to make monolithically. The glass articles are made by first building the nascent glass article from glass powder and a binder using a three-dimensional printing free-form fabrication process followed by sintering the nascent glass article at a temperature that is hundreds of degrees above the glass powder composition's glass transition temperature while supporting the nascent glass article in a bed of an inert powder having a high flowability.

Abstract: The object of the invention is a continuous method for obtaining glass, comprising steps consisting of: charging raw materials upstream of a furnace, along which a plurality of burners is disposed, obtaining a mass of molten glass, and then leading said mass of molten glass to a zone of the furnace situated further downstream, at least one burner disposed in the region of this zone being fed with an over-stoichiometric quantity of oxidant, and then, forming a glass sheet, said glass sheet having a chemical composition that comprises the following constituents in an amount varying within the weight limits defined below: SiO2 60-75%? Al2O3 0-10% B2O3 0-5%, preferably 0? CaO 5-15% MgO 0-10% Na2O 5-20% K2O 0-10% BaO 0-5%, preferably 0, SO3 0.1-0.4%? Fe2O3 (total iron) 0 to 0.015%,?? Redox 0.1-0.3.

Abstract: There is a method for making. The method includes providing an untreated alkali aluminosilicate glass having an annealing point temperature that is at least about 580° C. The method also includes providing a mixed potassium and sodium salt bath having greater than about 50 mole % potassium salt and less than about 50 mole % sodium salt. The method also includes immersing the untreated glass in the mixed salt bath and maintaining the mixed salt bath with the immersed untreated glass within a temperature range from about 450° C. to less than the annealing point temperature of the untreated glass for a period greater than about 2 hours to produce a strengthened glass. The produced strengthened glass has a surface compression of at least about 100,000 psi and a compression case depth of at least about 600 microns.

Abstract: Vacuum-insulated glass (VIG) windows (10) that employ glass-bump spacers (50) and two or more glass panes (20) are disclosed. The glass-bump spacers are formed in the surface (24) of one of the glass panes (20) and consist of the glass material from the body portion (23) of the glass pane. Thus, the glass-bump spacers are integrally formed in the glass pane, as opposed to being discrete spacer elements that need to be added and fixed to the glass pane. Methods of forming VIG windows are also disclosed. The methods include forming the glass-bump spacers by irradiating a glass pane with a focused beam (112F) from a laser (110). Heating effects in the glass cause the glass to locally expand, thereby forming a glass-bump spacer. The process is repeated at different locations in the glass pane to form an array of glass-bump spacers. A second glass pane is brought into contact with the glass-bump spacers, and the edges (28F, 28B) sealed.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for feeding preheaters having heating elements for the feedstock of glass melting installations. In order to distribute the feedstock in an extremely thin, but uniform layer thickness on and between the upper heating elements, thereby effectively suppressing or avoiding agglutination of particles and accumulation of the feedstock, a distributor device is arranged above the topmost heating elements including at least three pivotable distributor plates, the pivoting axes of which run in the horizontal edges of a virtual prism. The topmost distributor plate throws the feedstock alternately onto one of the distributor plates arranged underneath, which throws the caught feedstock to one of its sides sternwards. The movements of the distributor plates are controlled by sensors with an evaluation and control circuit and actuators assigned to the distributor plates with the aim of a uniform area distribution of the feedstock over the cross section of the preheater.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a glass sheet according to the present invention comprises the steps of creating split flows of molten glass in a forming body 10 and causing the molten glass to flow down, subsequently merging the flows at a merging point to form a glass sheet G and causing the glass sheet to flow downward in the vertical direction. In this method of manufacturing a glass sheet, a partition member 20 is disposed facing the glass sheet G in the vicinity of a location below the forming body 10, and a facing surface of the partition member 20 is shaped so as to correspond to a sheet thickness variation of the glass sheet G, so that a gap between the glass sheet G and the partition member 20 is substantially uniform.

Abstract: Provided is a manufacturing device (1) of a glass film, the device including: a forming apparatus (10) of a glass film ribbon (G) for forming molten glass or a glass base material for secondary processing into a glass film ribbon (G); a winding apparatus (20) for winding, into a roll shape, the glass film ribbon (G), which is drawn downward while being cooled; and a width direction cutting apparatus (30) for cutting the glass film ribbon (G) along its width direction at a position before being wound by the winding apparatus (20). A vertical distance (h) from the glass film ribbon (G) forming start position by the forming apparatus (10) to a glass film ribbon (G) cutting position by the width direction cutting apparatus (30) is set as five times or more of a dimension in the width direction of the glass film ribbon (G).

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a top plate hermetically attached to an upper opening of a tubular shaped container body for forming a processing container of a plasma processing apparatus is provided. The manufacturing method includes the steps of; preparing a top plate body comprised of a dielectric body for transmitting an electromagnetic wave, and having a gas ejection hole for ejecting a gas into the processing container; forming a discharge prevention member having a discharge prevention member body comprised of a dielectric body having a permeability, and a dense member comprised of a dielectric body without a permeability covering at least a side face of the discharge prevention member body; and attaching the discharge prevention member in the gas ejection hole of the top plate body.

Abstract: A rare earth ion doped silicate luminescence glass and preparation method thereof are provided. The luminescence glass is the material with the following formula: aM2O.bM?2O3.cSiO2.dRE2O3, wherein M is at least one of Na, K and Li, M? is at least one of Y, Gd, La, Sc and Lu, RE is at least one of Ce, Tm, Tb, Ho, Dy, Er, Nd, Sm, Eu and Pr. The preparation method is: grinding the raw material until mixed uniformly, calcining the raw material at 1200-1500° C. for 1-5 h, cooling to room temperature, annealing at 600-1100° C. for 0.5-24 h, cooling to room temperature again, molding then getting the product. The performance of the product is stable. The product is homogenous, and the luminescence performance is good. The light transmittance is high. The process of the preparation method is simple and with low cost.

Abstract: To provide a process for producing glass raw material granules which are less likely to be formed into fine powders which cause a change of the glass composition at a time of forming a glass melt or defects of glass, and which can be preferably used for producing glass. A process for producing glass raw material granules, which comprises a granulation step of adding boric acid to either one of or both of a glass raw material powder and an alkaline solution having a pH of at least 9 and mixing the glass raw material powder together with the alkaline solution. The glass raw material powder preferably contains at least 10 mass % of boric acid.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a glass melting furnace, comprising a channel-shaped melting tank, the batch material being charged at an upstream end, the molten glass being recovered at the downstream end, said furnace being heated by means of burners, in which 80% of the combustion energy is produced by oxycombustion, oxygen being supplied continuously from a production plant located nearby or via a gas pipe from remotely located plants, characterized in that the furnace is fitted with oxygen storage means such that, should continuous supply cease, the furnace can operate at least in a temperature-maintaining mode for a maximum time of eight hours.

Abstract: A thickness of at least one preselected portion of a substrate, such as glass substrate for example, is controlled. A laser beam is directed to the at least one preselected portion of the substrate in a viscous state, thereby increasing a temperature and reducing a viscosity of the at least one preselected portion of the substrate in a viscous state sufficiently to cause the at least one preselected portion of the glass substrate to attain a desired thickness. The laser beam after it is generated can be directed to a reflecting surface from which the laser beam is reflected to the at least one preselected portion of the substrate in the viscous state. The substrate can comprise a glass ribbon produced in a downdraw glass forming process for example, and the laser beam can be directed onto a plurality of preselected portions of the glass ribbon.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing strengthened glass containers, and more particularly the construction and operation of a cooling tube mechanism in an apparatus for thermally strengthening glass containers in a glass container manufacturing line at a location intermediate the hot end and the cold end. Glass containers formed at an I. S. machine are conveyed through a special tempering Lehr that heats them uniformly to a high temperature that is short of temperatures at which they may become deformed. Subsequently, the glass containers are rapidly thermally strengthened in a cooling station in which the outer and inner surfaces including all areas of the glass containers are simultaneously cooled to a temperature below the Strain Point of the glass used in the glass containers, with the cooling tube mechanism being used to cool the inner surfaces of the glass containers.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a surface-treated glass plate having a concave portion on the order of nanometers, in which the depth of the concave portion is sufficiently large for the size thereof and which is free from an abnormal bump portion and excellent in the transparency to visible light. The present invention relates to a surface-treated glass plate having a plurality of the concave portions provided in a glass surface, in which a plane of the glass surface, excluding a region in which the concave portions are formed, is a flat plane, and the concave portions have an average open pore diameter of 10 nm to less than 1 ?m in a cross-sectional view thereof.

Abstract: An aspect of the present invention is to provide an economical production technology for obtaining a dense boron carbide ceramic product without impairment to excellent mechanical properties, which boron carbide ceramics are inherently equipped with, by conducting heating under normal pressure without application of pressure and without needing addition of a large amount of a sintering additive to a raw material or needing any special additive or treatment. The present invention provides a production process in which, upon heating a boron carbide green body under normal pressure without application of pressure after pressing a boron carbide powder material to obtain the boron carbide green body, the boron carbide green body is heated with one of a powder, green body or sintered body, which contains at least one of aluminum and silicon, being disposed in a furnace.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods of producing Ni/YSZ porous anode bodies for solid oxide fuel cells. According to the methods, a small amount of a nickel compound or salt is used as a pore former. Upon heating in air, the nickel compound or salt is decomposed into nickel oxide and releases gases, resulting in volume shrinkage. Therefore, Ni/YSZ porous bodies having a uniform pore size and reduction products thereof can be produced in an economical manner.