Burners for producing boules of fused silica glass
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsLaura J. Ball, Raymond E. Lindner, Mahendra Kumar Misra, Dale R. Powers, Michael H. Wasilewski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Burners (14) are used to make glass bodies (19) from OMCTS. The burners have six concentric regions. Putting certain gases through the regions results in thicker bodies than can be achieved with existing techniques and with improved efficiency.
Claims22
A method for forming a silica-containing boule comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a substantially planar surface;
- (b) providing a soot-producing burner having a burner face that comprises first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth gas-emitting regions, the second region surrounding the first region, the third region surrounding the second region, the fourth region surrounding the third region, the fifth region surrounding the fourth region, and the sixth region surrounding the fifth region;
- (c) providing a mixture comprising an inert gas and a halide-free, silicon-containing material to the first region;
- (d) providing oxygen to the second region;
- (e) providing a mixture of a combustible gas and oxygen to the third region;
- (f) providing a mixture of a combustible gas and oxygen to the fourth region;
- (g) providing a mixture of a combustible gas and oxygen to the fifth region;
- (h) providing oxygen to the sixth region;
- and
- (i) collecting silica-containing soot on the substantially planar surface to form the boule.
A method for forming a silica-containing boule comprising:
- (a) providing a furnace which comprises:
- (i) a cavity;
- (ii) at least one burner which produces a stream of soot particles;
- and
- (iii) a substantially planar surface within the cavity for collecting the soot particles to form the boule;
- (b) providing a halide-free, silicon-containing material to the at least one burner;
- and
- (c) collecting the soot particles produced by the at least one burner to form the boule;
- wherein the width of the stream of soot particles is controlled to enhance the efficiency of step (c).
A soot-producing burner comprising a burner face which comprises first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth gas-emitting regions, the second region surrounding the first region, the third region surrounding the second region, the fourth region surrounding the third region, the fifth region surrounding the fourth region, and the sixth region surrounding the fifth region, wherein:
- (a) the first region is coupled to a source of a mixture of a halide-free, silicon-containing material and an inert gas;
- (b) the second region is coupled to a source of oxygen;
- (c) the third region is coupled to a source of a mixture of a combustible gas and oxygen;
- (d) the fourth region is coupled to a source of a mixture of a combustible gas and oxygen;
- (e) the fifth region is coupled to a source of a mixture of a combustible gas and oxygen;
- and
- (f) the sixth region is coupled to a source of oxygen.
An apparatus for producing silica-containing soot comprising:
- (a) a source of a mixture of combustible gas and oxygen;
- (b) a burner for producing silica-containing soot;
- and
- (c) a source-to-burner conduit for carrying the mixture of a combustible gas and oxygen from the source to the burner;
- wherein the burner comprises:
- (i) a burner face which comprises three concentric gas-emitting regions, each of which emits the mixture of combustible gas and oxygen;
- (ii) three gas-carrying conduits, one conduit connected to each of said three gas-emitting regions;
- and
- (iii) a baffle between the source-to-burner conduit and the three gas-carrying conduits.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.