Near net fused silica articles and method of making
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsWindsor P. Thomas, Daniel Warren Hawtof
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A near-net or net shape fused silica glass article, such as a radome. The article is formed by depositing silica soot onto a mandrel having a shape that corresponds to the shape of the fused silica glass article. In some embodiments, the mandrel is inductively heated to a temperature that is sufficient to consolidate or sinter the silica soot upon deposition onto the mandrel to form fused silica glass. The fused silica glass article may have an outer layer that is under compression and/or multiple layers comprising various dopants that can alter or affect physical, mechanical, electrical, and/or optical properties.
Claims30
A method of making a fused silica glass article having a near-net shape, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a mandrel, the mandrel having a shape that is complementary to the near-net shape;
- b. providing silica soot particles;
- c. depositing the silica soot particles in situ on the mandrel to form a silica soot body, the silica soot body comprising the silica soot particles;
- and
- d. sintering the silica soot body in situ on the mandrel to form the fused silica glass article.
A fused silica glass article, the fused silica article having an inner surface and an outer surface that are parallel to each other, wherein the outer layer is under compression.
A system for forming a fused silica glass article having a near-net shape, the system comprising:
- a. an inductive heating source;
- b. a susceptor mandrel inductively coupled to the inductive heating source, wherein the susceptor mandrel has a shape corresponding the near-net shape;
- and
- c. a silica soot source oriented to direct silica soot to the mandrel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.