Glass material producing method and gel dipping apparatus

A method of making a glass material, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a wet gel prepared from a sol;
• immersing the wet gel in a solution containing at least one substance selected from the group consisting of an organic solvent, water, an acid, and an alkali, or in a solution having a metal salt dissolved in the at least one substance selected from the group, and diffusing at least one component into the gel from the solution while supplementing the at least one component diffused into the gel from the solution to maintain constant a concentration of the at least one component during said step of diffusing;
• and
• drying and sintering the gel having undergone said steps of immersing and diffusing to thereby obtain a glass material.

A method of making a glass material, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a wet gel prepared from a sol;
• immersing the wet gel in a solution containing at least one substance selected from the group consisting of an organic solvent, water, an acid, and an alkali, or in a solution having a metal salt dissolved in the at least one substance selected from the group, eluting at least one first component into the solution from the gel while removing by a trapping member the at least one first component eluted into the solution from the gel and/or any foreign substance which is produced or mixed in solution, said step of removing the at least one first component eluted into the solution being conducted so as to maintain constant a concentration of the at least one first component in the solution during said step of eluting so that the eluted first component does not impair a rate of elution of the at least one first component, and diffusing at least one second component into the gel from the solution while supplementing the at least one second component diffused into the gel from the solution to maintain constant a concentration of the at least one second component in the solution during said step of diffusing;
• and
• drying and sintering the gel having undergone said steps of immersing, eluting, and diffusing to thereby obtain a glass material.