Glass foam
AssigneeOwens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.
InventorsScott Cooper, Varun Mukheja, Tilak Gullinkala
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A glass foam and methods of producing the same are disclosed. The glass foam is produced from a dried glass precursor gel having nanometer-sized pores and a bulk amorphous oxide-based matrix with an inorganic network of primary constituent oxides. One method includes obtaining the dried glass precursor gel, heating the dried glass precursor gel to a temperature below the melting point of the gel, maintaining the temperature for a time sufficient to expand the dried glass precursor gel, and expanding the dried glass precursor gel to form the glass foam.
Claims23
A method of producing a glass foam, the method comprising:
- obtaining a dried glass precursor gel comprising nanometer-sized pores and a bulk amorphous oxide-based matrix having an inorganic network of primary constituent oxides, the primary constituent oxides comprising 30 mol % to 90 mol % silica (SiO2) and one or more of the following:
- (A) 0.1 mol % to 25 mol % of one or more alkali oxides in sum total, (B) 0.1 mol % to 30 mol % of one or more alkaline earth oxides in sum total, (C) 1 mol % to 25 mol % boric oxide, (D) 5 mol % to 80 mol % lead oxide, or (E) 0.1 mol % to 15 mol % aluminum oxide;
- heating the dried glass precursor gel to a temperature below the melting point of the gel;
- and
- maintaining the temperature for a time sufficient to expand the dried glass precursor gel;
- and
- expanding the dried glass precursor gel to form a glass foam.
A method of producing an insulating material, the method comprising:
- obtaining a dried glass precursor gel comprising nanometer-sized pores and a bulk amorphous oxide-based matrix having an inorganic network of primary constituent oxides, the primary constituent oxides comprising 30 mol % to 90 mol % silica (SiO2) and one or more of the following:
- (A) 0.1 mol % to 25 mol % of one or more alkali oxides in sum total, (B) 0.1 mol % to 30 mol % of one or more alkaline earth oxides in sum total, (C) 1 mol % to 25 mol % boric oxide, (D) 5 mol % to 80 mol % lead oxide, or (E) 0.1 mol % to 15 mol % aluminum oxide;
- heating the dried glass precursor gel to a temperature below the melting point of the gel;
- and
- maintaining the temperature for a time sufficient to expand the dried glass precursor gel;
- expanding the dried glass precursor gel to form a glass foam;
- and
- incorporating the glass foam into the insulating material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.