US 5,599,371 AGranted

Method of using precision burners for oxidizing halide-free, silicon-containing compounds

AssigneeCorning Incorporated

InventorsMichael B. Cain, Robert B. Desorice, William J. Kiefer, Dale R. Powers

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Abstract

A precision burner for oxidizing halide-free, silicon-containing compounds, such as, octamethyl-cyclotetrasiloxane (OMCTS), is provided. The burner includes a subassembly (13) which can be precisely mounted on a burner mounting block (107) through the use of an alignment stub (158), a raised face (162) on the burner mounting block (107), and a recess (160) in the back of the subassembly (13). The burner's face includes four concentric gas-emitting regions: a first central region (36, 90) from which exits a mixture of OMCTS and O.sub.2, a second innershield region (38, 92) from which exits N.sub.2, a third outershield region (40, 42, 94, 96) from which exits O.sub.2, and a fourth premix region (44, 98) from which exits a mixture of CH.sub.4 and O.sub.2. The burner provides more efficient utilization of halide-free, silicon-containing raw materials than prior burners.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A method of forming a silicon dioxide containing preform comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an elongated starting member;
(b) providing a soot-producing burner having a burner face that comprises first, second, third, and fourth gas-emitting regions, the second region surrounding the first region, the third region surrounding the second region, and the fourth region surrounding the third region;
(c) providing a mixture comprising oxygen and a halide-free, silicon-containing material to the first region;
(d) providing an inert gas to the second region in an amount sufficient to inhibit soot from contacting the burner's face;
(e) providing oxygen to the third region;
(f) providing a mixture comprising oxygen and a combustible gas to the fourth region;
and
(g) depositing silicon dioxide containing soot on the starting member to form the preform by producing relative motion between the soot-producing burner and the starting member.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.