Method for the production of laser-active quartz glass and use thereof

US7637126B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• HERAEUS QUARZGLAS GMBH & CO. KG · DE

Inventors

• Rainer Koeppler · Seligenstadt, DE
• Bodo Kuehn · Gelnhausen, DE
• Waltraud Werdecker · Hanau, DE
• Ulrich Kirst · Mainz, DE
• Walter Lehmann · Leipzig, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 30, 2004
• Grant date: Dec 29, 2009
• Expiry date: Oct 27, 2026

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C03C2203/52
• WIPO field: Other special machines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the economic production of a blank for a component made from laser-active quartz glass in any form or dimension. The method comprises the following method steps: a) preparation of a dispersion with a solids content of at least 40 wt. %, comprising SiO2 nanopowder and doping agents, including a cation of the rare earth metals and transition metals in a fluid, b) granulation by agitation of the dispersion, with removal of moisture to form a doped SiO2 granulate of spherical porous granular particles with a moisture content of less than 35 wt. % and a density of at least 0.95 g/cm3, c) drying and purification of the SiO2 granulate, by heating to a temperature of at least 1000° C. to form doped porous SiO2 grains with an OH content of less than 10 ppm and d) sintering or fusing the doped SiO2 grains in a reducing atmosphere to give the blank made from doped quartz glass.