Method of producing optical quality glass having a selected refractive index

Patent · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2000

OSTI ID:873430

Poco, John F ^[1]; Hrubesh, Lawrence W ^[1]

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1. Livermore, CA

Optical quality glass having a selected refractive index is produced by a two stage drying process. A gel is produced using sol-gel chemistry techniques and first dried by controlled evaporation until the gel volume reaches a pre-selected value. This pre-selected volume determines the density and refractive index of the finally dried gel. The gel is refilled with solvent in a saturated vapor environment, and then dried again by supercritical extraction of the solvent to form a glass. The glass has a refractive index less than the full density of glass, and the range of achievable refractive indices depends on the composition of the glass. Glasses having different refractive indices chosen from an uninterrupted range of values can be produced from a single precursor solution.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• Assignee: Regents of University of California (Oakland, CA)
• Patent Number(s): US 6158244
• OSTI ID: 873430
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

method
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optical
quality
glass
selected
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index
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stage
drying
process
sol-gel
chemistry
techniques
dried
controlled
evaporation
volume
reaches
pre-selected
value
determines
density
finally
refilled
solvent
saturated
vapor
environment
supercritical
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form
range
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indices
depends
composition
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uninterrupted
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single
precursor
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precursor solution
supercritical extraction
refractive index
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saturated vapor
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sol-gel chemistry
drying process
selected refractive
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