Abstract: A method of making foam glass by impregnating diatomaceous earth, fly ash or mixtures thereof, and insoluble modifiers, if any, with at least one water soluble glass former in an amount expressed as its oxide of about 2.5 to 20 weight percent of the impregnated diatomaceous earth, fly ash or mixtures thereof; at least one water soluble flux in an amount expressed as its oxide of about 8 to 20 weight percent of the impregnated diatomaceous earth, fly ash or mixtures thereof; and at least one gas generator. The diatomaceous earth, fly ash or mixtures thereof is impregnated by mixing diatomaceous earth, fly ash or mixtures thereof and an impregnating solution comprising at least one water soluble glass former in an amount expressed as its oxide of about 3 to 14 weight percent; at least one water soluble flux in an amount expressed as its oxide of about 10 to 20 weight percent; at least one gas generator, and water in an amount of about 50 to 80 weight percent.

Abstract: This invention relates to radioactive materials which are fixed, stored, entrapped, encapsulated, or otherwise rendered immobile in a glass matrix for extremely long periods of time. Radioactive material such as radioactive wastes are incorporated into a glass matrix by a process of "molecular stuffing" a porous glass either with a radioactive gas which is tapered in the porous glass by dissolution during sintering of the pores of the glass, or with a salt solution containing radioactive material such as CsNO.sub.3, Sr(NO.sub.3), etc., or with a combination of both salt solution and radioactive gas, followed by drying and sintering of the pores of the glass whereby these radioactive materials upon chemical change to their oxides, excepting of course the noble gases which remain in molecular form, become a part of the integrated glass structure.

Abstract: A sensor for measuring stress, temperature, pressure, sound, etc. comprising an optical waveguide, preferably an optical fiber waveguide, a light source which injects light into one end of the waveguide, a deformer contacting and deforming the waveguide to cause light to couple from originally excited modes to other modes, and an optical detector to detect the change in light coupling caused by deformation of the waveguide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of leaching a glass preform made of alkali borosilicate glass in which the concentration of boric acid in a leaching solution is reduced by precipitating boric acid out of the leaching solution in a cold trap. The preform temperature is kept above 80.degree. C. and the cold trap is at least 20.degree. C. below the temperature of the preform.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new glass material applicable in those situations where thermal and/or mechanical shock would limit the use of other glass materials presently available. Dopants are deposited into the interconnected pores of a porous glass in a non-uniform manner such that upon consolidation and cooling the final article has its surface under compressive stress. Dopants may also be added to control color and other appearance features. A porous silicate glass is washed with sodium hydroxide followed by immersing the washed glass in a liquid solution of a dopant in a liquid solvent therefor to stuff the pores of the washed glass with the solution. Thereafter, the solvent is removed from the pores and the pores are collapsed by a heating step.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a glass composition for forming glass articles suitable for forming or being converted to articles or devices for use in the guided transmission of light, for both imaging and communications purposes. Base glass compositions are purified by phase separation, leached to remove impurities, and dopants are then deposited into interconnected pores of porous glass in such a fashion that properties of the glass are varied, e.g., for optical purposes, the index of refraction is controlled.

Abstract: This invention relates to radioactive materials which are fixed, stored, entrapped, encapsulated, or otherwise rendered immobile in a glass matrix for extremely long periods of time. Radioactive material such as radioactive wastes are incorporated into a glass matrix by a process of "molecular stuffing" a porous glass either with a radioactive gas which is trapped in the porous glass by dissolution during sintering of the pores of the glass, or with a salt solution containing radioactive material such as CsNO.sub.3, Sr(NO.sub.3), etc., or with a combination of both salt solution and radioactive gas, followed by drying and sintering of the pores of the glass whereby these radioactive materials upon chemical change to their oxides, excepting of course the noble gases which remain in molecular form, become a part of the integrated glass structure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new glass material applicable in those situations where thermal and/or mechanical shock would limit the use of other glass materials presently available. Dopants are deposited into the interconnected pores of a porous glass in a non-uniform manner such that upon consolidation and cooling the final article has its surface under compressive stress. Dopants may also be added to control color and other appearance features.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new glass material applicable in those situations where thermal and/or mechanical shock would limit the use of other glass materials, presently available. Dopants are deposited into the interconnected pores of a porous glass in a non-uniform manner such that upon consolidation and cooling the final article has its surface under compressive stress. Dopants may also be added to control color and other appearance features.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a glass composition for forming glass articles suitable for forming or being converted to articles or devices for use in the guided transmission of light, for both imaging and communications purposes. Base glass compositions are purified by phase separation, leached to remove impurities, and dopants are then deposited into interconnected pores of porous glass in such a fashion that properties of the glass are varied, e.g., for optical purposes, the index of refraction is controlled.

Abstract: Procedures are disclosed for producing both core-cladding optical fibers and self-focusing optical fibers from porous germinate and/or silicate glasses obtained after phase separation and removal of the soluble phase. A glass which is separable into at least two phases one of which is soluble, is heated to cause phase separation. The soluble phase is leached out removing undesired impurities. The pores are collapsed and this glass is used to produce cores and/or cladding layers, or self focusing fibers. According to one aspect of the invention, preforms of the porous glass have their interconnected pores stuffed with a dopant. In the production of core-cladding optical fibers, the dopant modifies the index of refraction of the core and/or cladding so that the index of refraction of the core is greater than that of the cladding. The control of this index of refraction can be accomplished by addition of non silicate network formers such as GeO.sub.2 to the original melt before phase separation.