Abstract:
A sol-gel method of preparing a powder for use in forming a glass is provided, along with methods of preparing glasses and glass fibers from the powder. The inventive method allows for the incorporation of a wide range of elements and compositions into a homogeneous glass or glass fiber that is substantially free of hydroxide groups. In addition, dopants incorporated into glasses prepared by the inventive method are uniformly distributed throughout the glass structure.
Abstract:
Es wird ein Verfahren zur Herstellung von Glaskörpern aus dotiertem Quarzglas durch Flammenhydrolyse angegeben, bei dem mittels eines einzelnen Brenners (14), dem Brennstoff und Precursoren zur Bildung des Glases zugeführt werden, ein Formling (24) auf einem Target (28) erzeugt wird. Das so hergestellte dotierte Quarzglas zeichnet sich durch eine geringe Defektdichte und eine verringerte Schlierendicke aus. Vorzugsweise wird der Formling (24) anschließend zu einem zweiten Formling umgesenkt wird, der eine größere Breite und geringere Höhe als der erste Formling aufweist. Dadurch können die Defektdichte und die Schlierendicken weiter reduziert werden (Fig. 1).
Abstract:
A sol-gel method of preparing a powder for use in forming a glass is provided, along with methods of preparing glasses and glass fibers from the powder. The inventive method allows for the incorporation of a wide range of elements and compositions into a homogeneous glass or glass fiber that is substantially free of hydroxide groups. In addition, dopants incorporated into glasses prepared by the inventive method are uniformly distributed throughout the glass structure.
Abstract:
The invention reflects discovery of a liquid phase doping technique that, unlike previous techniques, exhibits very little fluorine depletion upon subsequent heating. The invention involves the steps of providing a silica sol comprising a tetraalkylammonium hydroxide and a di-, tri-, or tetra-alkylammonium fluoride, the sol having pH of about 10 to about 14, adding a gelling agent to the sol to induce gelation, casting or extruding the sol to form a gel body, and then drying, heat treating, and sintering the body. Advantageously, the fluorine-containing compound is tetramethylammonium fluoride.
Abstract:
A process for the manufacture of a synthetic silica product by vapour-phase oxidation of a silica precursor material in a flame not less than 60 % of the silica in the deposited product being derived by oxidation of: (A) one or more straight chain volatile silicon compounds of the general formula: R3Si.O(SiR2O)n.SiR3 and/or (B) one or more cyclic volatile silicon compounds of the general formula: SinOn(R)2n. Doped or undoped fume powder, porous silica soot or fully densified bodies made by the process are also claimed.
Abstract:
This invention relates to the production of high purity fused silica glass through oxidation and/or flame hydrolysis of a halide-free, organosilicon-R compound in vapor form having the following properties: (a) producing a gas stream of a halide-free silicon-containing compound in vapor form capable of being converted through thermal decomposition with oxidation or flame hydrolysis to SiO₂; (b) passing said gas stream into the flame of a combustion burner to form amorphous particles of fused SiO₂; (c) depositing said amorphous particles onto a support; and (d) either essentially simultaneously with said deposition or subsequently thereto consolidating said deposit of amorphous particles into a virtually nonporous body; the improvement comprising utilizing a halide-free, organosilicon-R compound in vapor form having the following properties: (1) a Si-R bond dissociation energy that is no higher than the dissociation energy of the Si-O bond; (2) a boiling point no higher than 350°C; and (3) which, upon pyrolysis and/or hydrolysis, will produce decomposition products beside SiO₂ which are deemed to be environmentally safe or the emissions are below acceptable governmental standards.
Abstract:
A process is described for making organometallic complexes suitable for use in the production of glass or ceramic articles by a vapour phase oxidation process. The complex has the formula M(hfa)₂.nTHF wherein M is Mg or Zn, hfa is hexafluoroacetylacetonate, THF is tetrahydrofuran and n is 2 which is prepared by (a) providing an adduct of the complex M(hfa)₂ which comprises one or more adducted water molecules; (b) dissolving the water-containing adduct in excess THF to form a reaction mixture wherein the adduct will react with the THF to replace the adducted molecules by THF; (c) evaporating the reaction mixture to dryness to form a solid residue; and (d) collecting the M(hfa)₂.nTHF product from the residue by sublimation of the residue.
Abstract:
A process for the production of a glass or ceramic article comprising a vapour phase oxidation wherein vaporized compounds are oxidized to form particulate oxide soot which is captured and consolidated to a unitary article by sintering, characterised in that at least one of the compounds is a β-diketonate complex of a metal selected from Groups IA, IB, IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB, IVA, IVB and the rare earth series of the Periodic Table is disclosed. A process for the production of a glass optical waveguide comprising a vapour phase oxidation wherein compounds of selected metals are vaporized, the vapours are transported to an oxidation site, the vapours are oxidized at the site to form particulate metal oxide soot, the soot is captured and consolidated into clear glass and the glass is drawn into optical waveguide fibre, characterised in that at least one of the compounds is a β-diketonate complex of a metal selected from Groups lA, IB, IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB, IVA, IVB and the rare earth series of the Periodic Table is also disclosed. The present invention offers advantages over the prior art.