Method of joining glass elements with material continuity, glass component, and housing, and vacuum insulating glass panel comprising the glass component

A method of joining glass elements with material continuity, the method comprising:

• providing a first glass element and a second glass element, with each of the first glass element and the second glass element having at least one joining region having an outer edge to be joined;
• introducing a metallic material into the first glass element in the at least one joining region of the first glass element, comprising introducing ions into the first glass element by means of at least one of ion exchange or ion implantation, the introduced ions are reduced to the metallic material, and the metallic material is a cross-linked 3D structure;
• placing the first glass element and the second glass element onto one another such that the first glass element and the second glass element contact one another at least at the outer edge of the at least one joining region to be joined;
• and
• heating the metallic material in the first glass element so that the first glass element at least partially melts in the at least one joining region of the first glass element so that a connection with material continuity is produced between the first glass element and the second glass element.