High purity glass bodies formed by zero shrinkage casting

A method for forming a glass body, the method comprising

• providing glass particles, the particles including relatively fine glass soot particles mixed with relatively coarse glass particles;
• mixing the glass particles with a liquid to form a slurry;
• providing a mold having a porous glass substrate;
• pressure casting the slurry in the mold to form a porous pre-form;
• and
• consolidating the porous pre-form to form a glass object.

A method for forming a glass body, the method comprising:

• providing a glass aggregate;
• mixing the glass aggregate with a liquid to form a slurry;
• pressure costing the slurry in a mold to form a porous pre-form;
• disposing the porous pre-form in a chlorine gas atmosphere heated to a predetermined temperature, the chlorine gas reacting with impurities in the porous preform for a pre-determined time, whereby the impurities are vaporized and carried out of the porous pre-form;
• and
• consolidating the porous pre-form to form a glass object.

A method for forming a glass body, the method comprising:

• providing a glass particles, the particles including relatively fine glass soot particles mixed with relatively coarse glass particles;
• mixing the glass particles with a liquid to form a slurry;
• pressure casting the slurry in a mold to form a porous pre-form;
• disposing the porous pre-form in a chlorine gas manosphere heated to a predetermined temperature, the chlorine gas reacting with the impurities in the porous pre-form for a pre-determined time, whereby the impurities are vaporized and carried out of the porous pre-form;
• and
• consolidating the porous pre-form to form a glass object.

A method for forming a glass body, the method comprising:

• providing a glass aggregate;
• mixing the glass aggregate with a liquid to form a slurry;
• casting die slurry in a mold to form a porous pre-form, the mold including a porous glass substrate baying the same composition as the glass aggregate;
• and
• consolidating the porous pre-form into the glass body.

A method for forming a glass body, the method comprising:

• forming soot particles as a by-product of a flame hydrolysis process;
• mixing the soot particles with a coarse glass cullet to form an aggregate;
• mixing the aggregate with a liquid to form a slurry;
• vacuum casting the slurry in a mold to form a porous pre-form, the mold including a porous glass substrate;
• and
• consolidating the porous pre-form into the glass body.