Abstract: A substrate for p-Si TFT flat panel displays made of a glass having a high low-temperature-viscosity characteristic temperature and manufactured while avoiding erosion/wear of a melting tank during melting through direct electrical heating. The glass substrate comprises 52-78 mass % of SiO2, 3-25 mass % of Al2O3, 3-15 mass % of B2O3, 3-20 mass % of RO, wherein RO is total amount of MgO, CaO, SrO, and BaO, 0.01-0.8 mass % of R2O, wherein R2O is total amount of Li2O, Na2O, and K2O, and 0-0.3 mass % of Sb2O3, and substantially does not comprise As2O3, wherein the mass ratio CaO/RO is equal to or greater than 0.65, the mass ratio (SiO2+Al2O3)/B2O3 is in a range of 7-30, and the mass ratio (SiO2+Al2O3)/RO is equal to or greater than 5. A related method involves melting glass raw materials blended to provide the glass composition; a forming step of forming the molten glass into a flat-plate glass; and an annealing step of annealing the flat-plate glass.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for cutting a continuous glass ribbon involving the use of edge restrainers such as suction cups and clamps connected to an actuator of a robot tooling through a flexible linkage capable of reciprocal motion in the direction of the ribbon velocity. The use of the flexible linkage reduces peak pulling-force when the glass ribbon is pulled or pushed laterally to during bending and separation along a pre-formed score-line. The invention can be advantageously used in the bottom of the draw of a vertical down-draw forming process.

Abstract: After a glass film ribbon is formed while allowing a glass to descend, the glass film ribbon is annealed while allowing the glass film ribbon to descend in an annealer to remove an internal strain. Then, when the glass film ribbon having a thickness at a center portion excluding both widthwise ends of 300 ?m or less is cut, after processing in the annealer is executed and before a cutting step is executed, main tensile rollers that play a role as principal tensile rollers hold the descending glass film ribbon and are driven to rotate, to thereby provide at least the glass film ribbon in the annealer with tension in a vertical direction.

Abstract: Methods of drawing glass sheet via a downdraw process are provided. In certain aspects, the methods utilize rapid cooling below the root (70) of the forming apparatus (10). Such rapid cooling can, for example, facilitate the use of glass having a liquidus viscosity less than about 100,000 poise. In other aspects, the methods utilize slow cooling between the viscosities of 1011 poises and 1014 poises. Such slow cooling can facilitate the production of glass substrates which exhibit low levels of compaction. In further aspects, substrates are removed from the glass sheet at elevated temperatures which can facilitate increases in the production rates of downdraw machines. In still further aspects, rapid cooling below the root, slow cooling between the viscosities of 1011 poises and 1014 poises, and/or substrate removal at elevated temperatures are combined. Such combinations can facilitate economically effective utilization of downdraw equipment.

Abstract: A method of forming a glass sheet includes obtaining a preform generated from a glass composition and conveying the preform through a channel having a temperature that decreases along a length of the channel to form a glass sheet having a predetermined width and thickness.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for making ornamental glass. A molten glass mixture, formed into a continuous plastic sheet, is subjected to a single or multiple bilateral stretching before being annealed.