Manufacturing process for striae-free multicomponent chalcogenide glasses via multiple fining steps

US11731896B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy · US

Inventors

• Vinh Q. Nguyen · Fairfax, US
• Mikhail Kotov · Silver Spring, US
• Daniel J. Gibson · Greenbelt, US
• Shyam S. Bayya · Ashburn, US
• Jasbinder S. Sanghera · Greenbelt, US
• Gryphon A. Drake · Potomac, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 27, 2021
• Grant date: Aug 22, 2023
• Expiry date: Feb 1, 2042

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C03B2201/86
• WIPO field: Other special machines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

The present invention provides for synthesizing high optical quality multicomponent chalcogenide glasses without refractive index perturbations due to striae, phase separation or crystal formation using a two-zone furnace and multiple fining steps. The top and bottom zones are initially heated to the same temperature, and then a temperature gradient is created between the top zone and the bottom zone. The fining and cooling phase is divided into multiple steps with multiple temperature holds.