Method for making a glass article
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsLauren K. Cornelius, Linda H. Marks, Teresa C. Nolet, Paul A. Tick, Donald M. Trotter, Jr.
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Abstract
A method for foming glass articles of substantial thickness from unstable glass compositions which normally devitrify when formed by conventional casting or molding processes, is disclosed. The method includes the steps of quench-cooling the glass to form a crystal-free glass feedstock material, and then pressure-consolidating the feedstock at a temperature between the transition temperature and the crystallization temperature of the glass.
Claims12
A method for the manufacture of a devitrification-free glass article from an unstable halide, phosphate, borate or oxyfluoride glass which comprises the steps of:
- (a) forming a crystal-free melt of an unstable halide, phosphate, borate or oxyfluoride glass;
- (b) quench-cooling the melt to form a solidified glass feedstock material which is essentially free of crystals, the feedstock material being of sub-millimeter cross-section in at least one dimension;
- (c) heating the glass feedstock to a consolidation temperature at least equal to the glass transition temperature T.sub.g but below the peak glass crystallization temperature T.sub.xtal;
- (d) applying consolidation pressure to the glass feedstock at least while at the consolidation temperature, the consolidation pressure being at least sufficient to consolidate the feedstock into a void-free glass article within a time interval less than sufficient to initiate devitrification of the feedstock, and
- (e) cooling the void-free glass article
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.