In-situ quenched fluoride glasses
AssigneeInfrared Fiber Systems, Inc.
InventorDanh Tran
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Abstract
A process for producing high quality optical glass from fluoride glasses comprising preparing a melt of the glass and then cooling the melt in-situ inside the melt crucible. The in-situ quenching technique can be improved by narrowing the temperature range between the liquidus temperature and the glass transition temperature of the glass. The stability of the fluoride glass can be increased and the liquidus temperature of the glass can be lowered by doping the glass with a chloride dopant. Thorium tetrafluoride can be added to the chloride-doped glass in order to increase the chemical stability of the glass.
Claims16
A process for producing optical quality fluoride glass in large sizes comprising:
- introducing a fluoride glass composition into a crucible;
- melting said fluoride glass composition into a crucible;
- quenching said glass composition while said glass composition remains in said crucible so as to avoid formation of nucleation sites, said quenching being carried out by positively cooling said crucible and said glass.
A process for making optical quality fluoride glass in large sizes comprising:
- introducing a fluoride glass composition into a crucible, said fluoride glass composition having a lowered liquidus temperature by the presence of chloride therein;
- melting said glass composition in said crucible;
- cooling said glass composition while said glass composition remains in said crucible so as to avoid formation of nucleation sites.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.