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AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsHarold P. Bovenkerk, Paul D. Gigl, Francis R. Corrigan
Estimating the term…
Optical windows for hostile environments have been made from diamond and adamantine boron nitride compacts. The compact windows can comprise a single layer of large crystals bonded in a matrix. For example, they are made by exposing a sample of diamond (425-1700 micron) in a diamond and graphite matrix to high pressure-high temperature conditions (e.g., 50 Kbar at 1400.degree. C. to 85 Kbar at 1800.degree. C.). A typical boron nitride reaction zone assembly (cell) is shown in FIG. 1, in which carbon heater tube 1 is surrounded by tantalum foil sleeve 2. The sample of pyrolytic boron nitride 3 is disposed between carbon discs 5, tantalum foil discs 4 and hot pressed boron nitride plugs 6. The optical windows produced are capable of transmitting infrared light and visible light.
An improved optical window for adverse environments wherein the improvement comprises a window consisting essentially of a single layer of large diamond crystals from 425 to 1700 microns in largest dimension bonded in a polycrystalline matrix made of the same material as the large crystals, said window having a light transmittance of at least 20% for infrared light at wave lengths of up to 50 microns.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.