Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing semi-solid material castings from its liquid state in a shot chamber of a die casting machine where the liquid material is poured into a shot chamber and rapidly cooled from its liquid state to temperatures below its liquidus. High-intensity ultrasonic vibration is coupled to the plunger, shot plate, or sprue-spreader while the cast material is injected by the plunger to fill the die cavity. The combined action of rapid cooling from the shot chamber, vigorous pushing by the plunger, and radiation of ultrasonic vibration on the cast material in the shot chamber directly turns the initial liquid material directly into a semi-solid slurry by breaking up dendrites and making these dendritic fragments globular. The slurry is then injected into the die cavity to form a casting.

Abstract: Provided is apparatus for fabricating materials, including: a first mold including a first forming unit pressing a first material, and a second forming mold arranged at a bottom surface of the first forming unit to have an opening exposing the first material and to form at least a part of the first material by being meshed at a part with the first forming unit; a second mold arranged at a bottom surface of the first mold to support a second material; and an interlocking mold including a fixing unit interposed between the first and second molds to fix the second material arranged at the second mold by pressing the second material, and an interlocking unit ascendably and descendibly coupled to the fixing unit to form the second material by pressing the second material in association with the forming of the first material.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for tempering glass sheets. The glass sheets are heated to a tempering temperature in a furnace, in which the glass sheets are moved back and forth while supported upon rolls. The heated glass sheets are fed into a quench unit which is divided into two quenching zones with separately controlled blasting pressures. The glass sheets are driven without stopping through the first quenching zone into the second quenching zone, in which the glass is moved back forth upon the rolls. In the first quenching zone, cooling air is blasted onto glass sheet surfaces with slit nozzles. In the second quenching zone, cooling air is blasted onto glass sheet surfaces with hole-type nozzles.

Abstract: A production process for producing a glass fiber fabric that has good smoothness and is excellent in resin impregnation property is provided wherein glass fiber yarns are woven to obtain a glass fiber fabric.

Abstract: A production process for producing a glass fiber fabric that has good smoothness and is excellent in resin impregnation property is provided wherein glass fiber yarns are woven to obtain a glass fiber fabric.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems and methods for improving chemical strengthening of glass are disclosed. In one embodiment, a mechanical stress can be induced on a glass article while undergoing chemical strengthening. In another embodiment, vibrations, such as ultrasonic vibrations, can be induced during chemical strengthening of a glass article. The use of mechanical stress and/or vibrations during chemically strengthening of a glass article can enhance the effectiveness of the chemical strengthening process. Accordingly, glass articles that have undergone chemical strengthening processing are able to be not only thin but also sufficiently strong and resistant to damage. The strengthened glass articles are well suited for use in consumer products, such as consumer electronic devices (e.g., portable electronic devices).

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a silica glass block is provided in which, by markedly reducing the bubbles within the silica glass block, the quality of a silica glass block can be improved, contamination of the silica glass block can be prevented, and the yield of the silica glass block can be improved. The method comprises preparing a natural or synthetic silica raw material powder, packing the silica raw material powder into a glass fusing furnace, preheat treating the silica raw material powder packed into the fusing furnace, heating and fusing the heat preheat-treated silica raw material powder, and cooling a silica glass melt fused in the fusing furnace. The silica raw material powder packed into the fusing furnace is closely packed in the packing step, and an evacuation and a rare gas or H2 gas introduction treatment is performed in the preheat treating step.

Abstract: A method of controlling reaction paths of glass batch components added to a resident glass melt is provided, including the steps of providing a plurality of raw material batch components according to a batch recipe, selectively combining a portion of the batch components into a first combination material having a melting temperature in a range of 60 to 90% of a resident melt temperature (K) and a viscosity3 a melt viscosity/100, and selectively combining another portion of the batch components into a second combination material having a reaction temperature in a range of 60 to 100% of the resident melt temperature, the second combination material being capable of forming an intermediate compound via a solid state reaction before reacting with the glass melt. The first and second combination materials and any remaining batch components are mixed and introduced into a glass melter.

Abstract: A crystal puller for growing monocrystalline silicon ingots according to the Czochralski method includes a housing and a crucible in the housing for containing molten silicon. The crucible has a side wall having a transmittance of at least about 80% generally throughout a light wavelength range of about 500 to about 2500 nanometers. A pulling mechanism is included for pulling a growing ingot upward from the molten silicon. In operation, polycrystalline silicon is charged to the crucible and the crucible is heated to melt the polycrystalline silicon for forming a molten silicon melt in the crucible. A seed crystal is then brought into contact with the molten silicon in the crucible and a monocrystalline silicon ingot is pulled up from the molten silicon.

Abstract: In a method for producing a streak-free quartz glass sheet with a highly homogeneous degree of refraction, a quartz glass rod is lowered into a melting pot parallel to a longitudinal axis of the quartz glass rod. A cross-section of the melting pot is larger than a cross-section of the quartz glass rod and determines a contour of the quartz glass sheet. The quartz glass rod is heated in the melting pot to a flow temperature whereupon the quartz glass rod is lowered until the quartz glass rod melts and a height of the quartz glass flowing in the melting pot reaches a desired quartz glass sheet thickness. The melting pot and the quartz glass rod move relative to each other in a direction which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the quartz glass rod during the melting process. Preferably, the movement involves a rotational and a transverse movement.

Abstract: A method for molding optical glass elements including the steps of injecting molten glass material into a mold cavity through an injection port, runner and gate; cooling molten glass material in the mold cavity to a solidified state; and applying vibrations to solidified glass material in the mold cavity through a gate-forming member inserted into the mold assembly to form a gate to make a gate cut by concentration of stresses at boundary regions between the gate and the mold cavity.

Abstract: A process of removing flash from a molded silicone intraocular lens includes a step of tumbling (grinding) the lens body in a tumbling media. The tumbling media includes conditioned 0.5 mm diameter glass beads or a mixture of 0.5 mm and 0.3 mm diameter glass beads, alcohol and water. This process applies to single piece and multipiece silicone IOLs.

Abstract: Flexible coherent optical glass fiber bundles are manufactured from rigid coherent optical glass fiber bundles by selecting the fiber bonding agent to be an acid-leachable glass having a silica content in the range 8-15% molecular and removing acid-leachable glass from the rigid bundle by immersion of the bundle in a mineral acid leaching solution having a concentration in the range 5-30% by volume.

Abstract: A method for heat sealing an electron gun mount, having a glass stem, into a neck of a cathode-ray tube includes a mount socket for supporting the mount within the neck and a plurality of burners for applying heat to the outside of the neck proximate the stem. The neck softens, thins and then seals to the stem, causing excess neck material that is lower than the stem, known as cullet, to be cut off. Prior to applying heat, a sleeve is disposed around the mount socket within the neck adjacent to the cullet, with a clearance between the sleeve and both the socket and the neck. A vibrating coil is attached to the sleeve for vibrating the sleeve while applying heat to the outside of the neck.

Abstract: A glass sheet heating system (10) is disclosed as including a cradled roll conveyor (48) incorporated with a furnace (12) having roll contacting seals (58) that directly engage conveyor rolls (60) to prevent heat loss from the furnace. Each roll contacting seal (58) preferably includes a pair of rigid refractory seal holders (64,66) and a pair of soft blanket seals (68,70) made of refractory fibers. Sets of cradle rolls (72) on each side of the furnace have high traction drive elements (78) and cooperate in pairs to rotatably support the conveyor rolls (60) in planarity with each othe to convey glass sheets. A drive mechanism (80) provides driving of the cradle rolls 72 with sufficient friction to overcome the friction generated between the roll contacting seals (58) and the conveyor rolls (60).

Abstract: A method for the manufacture of glass bodies, in which a thixotropic suspension, being the starting material for the glass body, is used to form a porous green body which is subsequently purified and sintered, the starting material being liquefied in a mould by subjecting it to mechanical forces, and subsequently freeing it of the influence of the said forces, after which it solidifies again to form a green body.

Abstract: In the manufacture of a quartz glass crucible of low bubble content, a first layer of granular quartz material is disposed on the interior of a rotating mold through the walls of which a vacuum can be drawn. A second layer of finer quartz material is then disposed on the first layer. The quartz material is then heated, melted and fused to form a crucible.

Abstract: An apparatus for converting molten glass containing radioactive waste into molded pellets or spheres comprising means for generating a flowing stream of the molten glass and a rotating wheel disposed beneath the flowing stream. The wheel is preferably mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and has a series of mold cavities formed in the circumferential wall of the wheel, into which cavities the stream is directed by gravity. The mold cavities have flared side walls so that when the stream strikes the inclined wall it is deflected toward the center of the cavity through a focal point. The side walls of adjacent mold cavities form a knife edge at the surface of the wheel to preclude the bridging of glass from one cavity to another.

Abstract: In the method of making hollow glass articles wherein the article is subjected to an operation such that glass particles are deposited and held on the interior of the glass article, the method of removing such particles which comprises contacting the glass article with a resonator of an ultrasonic generator system and subjecting the article to ultrasonic vibrations from the ultrasonic generator.

Abstract: A piece of glass may be embossed by initially heating the glass to at least its annealing temperature. A die is heated to a temperature higher than the temperature of the glass. The die is then vibrated against the glass so that it continuously makes and breaks contact with the glass so as to prevent the glass from sticking to the hot tool.