Continuous production of photo-sensitive glass bodies

A method of production of a photo-sensitive glass body, comprising the steps of:

• providing a mixture of raw materials for a glass;
• melting the mixture into a melt;
• transferring the melt into a mold;
• and
• pressing the melt in the mold to a glass body,
• wherein the melt at the time of transferring it into the mold has a temperature above 1000° C.,
• wherein the melt cools down in the mold in such a way that a temperature range of 990° C. to 600° C. is passed through in a time span of less than 15 minutes,
• wherein the glass comprises Si4+, a crystal-agonist, a crystal-antagonist, and a pair of nucleating agents,
• wherein the crystal-agonist is selected from the group consisting of Na+, K+, Li+, and any combinations thereof,
• wherein the crystal-antagonist is selected from the group consisting of Al3+, B3+, Zn2+, Sn2+, Sb3+, and any combinations thereof,
• wherein the pair of nucleating agents comprises cerium and an agent selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, copper, any combinations thereof, and
• wherein the crystal-agonist has a molar proportion in cat.-% in relation to a molar proportion of Si4+ of at least 0.3 and at most 0.85,
• the method further comprising the step of subjecting the melt to a sensitization step comprising cooling from a first temperature to a second temperature with an average cooling rate K of 10° C./h to 200° C./h, wherein the first temperature is at least above a glass transition temperature of the glass and the second temperature is at least 150° C. below the first temperature.