Method and apparatus for forming soot for the manufacture of glass

A burner assembly for delivering a liquid precursor into a flame as an aerosol to form soot for making optical waveguides, said burner assembly comprising:

• a housing having a burner face defining a plurality of gas orifices and an atomization orifice, said housing defining an injector chamber and a plurality of gas passageways, the gas passageways being in fluid communication with the gas orifices and the injector chamber;
• and
• an injector having a first end defining an injector orifice in fluid communication with the liquid precursor and constructed to deliver the liquid precursor as a liquid stream, said injector being positioned within the injector chamber aid, together with said housing, defining a pressurization chamber wherein the injector orifice is remote from the atomization orifice.

A burner assembly for the liquid delivery of optical waveguide precursors, said burner assembly comprising:

• an injector constructed and arranged to deliver the liquid precursor as a liquid stream;
• and a housing substantially surrounding said injector, said housing having a burner face including an orifice rim defining an atomization orifice, the orifice rim being shaped such that turbulence is reduced as the liquid precursor is discharged from the atomization orifice.