Element composed of glass displaying reduced electrostatic charging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11932573-B2
Application number	US-202016737185-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2020
Priority date	Jan 8, 2019
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

An element composed of glass displaying reduced electrostatic charging is provided. The element is suitable as a housing component for electronic elements, an element implantable in the human or animal body including glass tubes for reed switches or transponders and/or implants. The glass includes at least one alkali metal and/or an alkali metal oxide and has a surface. The concentration of at least one alkali metal and/or the alkali metal oxide increases from the surface in a direction of an interior of the element in such a way that a maximum concentration of the alkali metal and/or the alkali metal oxide occurs at a distance of not more than 60 nanometres, measured perpendicularly from the surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An element comprising:
glass having a surface and interior, the glass comprising at least one alkali metal and/or an alkali metal oxide,
wherein the glass comprises, at a distance of at least 50 nanometers measured perpendicularly from the surface, the following proportions in percent by weight on an oxide basis:
silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) from 50 to 77 percent,
aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) from 0 to 10 percent,
boron trioxide (B 2 O 3 ) from 0 to 10 percent,
iron(III) oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ) from 0 to 10 percent,
sodium oxide (Na 2 O) from 0 to 18 percent,
potassium oxide (K 2 O) from 0 to 17 percent,
lithium oxide (Li 2 O) from 0 to 6 percent,
wherein the glass has a concentration of the at least one alkali metal and/or the alkali metal oxide that increases from the surface in a direction of the interior in such a way that a maximum concentration of the at least one alkali metal and/or an alkali metal oxide is present at a distance of not more than 60 nanometers measured perpendicularly from the surface, and
wherein the combined total oxides of Ca, Mg, Ba, Sr and/or Zn is from 1 to 15 percent.

2. The element of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the at least one alkali metal and/or an alkali metal oxide at the surface is at least 2% of the maximum concentration.

3. The element of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the at least one alkali metal and/or an alkali metal oxide at the surface is at least 10% of the maximum concentration.

4. The element of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the at least one alkali metal and/or an alkali metal oxide at the surface is not more than 90% of the maximum concentration.

5. The element of claim 1 , wherein the glass comprises at least 0.5% by weight of sodium oxide and the sodium oxide has a concentration that increases from a minimum value at or close to the surface in the direction of the interior,
wherein the sodium oxide concentration reaches constant plateau value in the interior of the glass at a distance of not more than 50 nanometers from the surface, and
wherein the sodium oxide concentration has a minimum value at or close to the surface of at least 1% of the plateau value.

6. The element of claim 5 , wherein the sodium oxide concentration has a minimum value at or close to the surface that is not more than 10% of the plateau value.

7. The element of claim 1 , wherein the glass comprises at least 0.5% by weight of lithium oxide and the lithium oxide has a concentration that increases from a minimum value at or close to the surface in the direction of the interior, and
wherein the lithium oxide concentration reaches a constant plateau value in the interior of the glass at a distance of not more than 50 nanometers from the surface.

8. The element of claim 7 , wherein the lithium oxide concentration has a minimum value at or close to the surface that is at least 1.5% of the plateau value.

9. The element of claim 1 , wherein the glass comprises at least 0.5% by weight of potassium oxide and the potassium oxide has a concentration that increases from a minimum value at or close to the surface in the direction of the interior, and
wherein the potassium oxide concentration reaches a constant plateau value in the interior of the glass at a distance of not more than 50 nanometers from the surface.

10. The element of claim 9 , wherein the potassium oxide concentration has a minimum value at or close to the surface that is at least 1% of the plateau value.

11. The element of claim 1 , wherein the glass comprises Na 2 O and K 2 O, wherein the glass has a ratio of proportions in percent by weight of Na 2 O to K 2 O that is greater than 0.1.

12. The element of claim 11 , wherein the ratio is greater than 1.4.

13. The element of claim 1 , wherein the glass further comprises, measured at the distance of at least 50 nanometers measured perpendicularly from the surface, the following proportions in percent by weight on an oxide basis: fluorine (F) from 0 to 4 percent.

14. The element of claim 1 , wherein the distance of the maximum concentration of the at least one alkali metal and/or an alkali metal oxide is present at a distance of not more than 20 nanometers measured perpendicularly from the surface.

15. The element of claim 1 , further comprising a mean of the maximum concentration and the concentration at the surface that occurs at a distance of at least 1 nanometer and not more than 50 nanometers measured perpendicularly from the surface.

16. The element of claim 1 , further comprising a mean of the maximum concentration and the concentration at the surface that occurs at a distance of at least 5 nanometers and not more than 25 nanometers measured perpendicularly from the surface.

17. The element of claim 1 , wherein the element is configured as a cylindrical glass tube with an exterior surface, an interior surface, and a uniform wall thickness therebetween.

18. The glass tube of claim 17 , wherein the cylindrical glass tube has one or more of: diameter of the exterior surface of less than 6 millimeters, a ratio of the uniform wall thickness to the diameter the exterior surface of less than ⅓, and a ratio of length to the diameter of the exterior surface of less than 50.

19. The element of claim 1 , wherein the element is configured as a housing component for an electronic element, a housing for an element that is implantable in the human or animal body.

20. The element of claim 1 , wherein the element is configured as a glass tube for reed switches or transponders or implants.

21. An element comprising:
glass having a surface and interior, the glass comprising at least one alkali metal and/or an alkali metal oxide,
wherein the glass comprises, at a distance of at least 50 nanometers measured perpendicularly from the surface, the following proportions in percent by weight on an oxide basis:
silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) from 50 to 77 percent,
aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) from 0.5 to 7 percent,
boron trioxide (B 2 O 3 ) from 0.1 to 8 percent,
iron(III) oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ) from 0 to 8 percent,
sodium oxide (Na 2 O) from 0 to 18 percent,
potassium oxide (K 2 O) from 0 to 17 percent,
lithium oxide (Li 2 O) from 0 to 6 percent,
wherein the glass has a concentration of the at least one alkali metal and/or the alkali metal oxide that increases from the surface in a direction of the interior in such a way that a maximum concentration of the at least one alkali metal and/or an alkali metal oxide is present at a distance of not more than 60 nanometers measured perpendicularly from the surface, and
wherein the combined total oxides of Ca, Mg, Ba and Sr is from 0 to 15 percent.

22. An element comprising:
glass having a surface and interior, the glass comprising at least one alkali metal and/or an alkali metal oxide,
wherein the glass comprises, at a distance of at least 50 nanometers measured perpendicularly from the surface, the following proportions in percent by weight on an oxide basis:
silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) from 50 to 77 percent,
aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) from 0.5 to 7 percent,
boron trioxide (B 2 O 3 ) from 0.1 to 8 percent,
iron(III) oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ) from 0 to 8 percent,
sodium oxide (Na 2 O) from 0 to 18 percent,
potassium oxide (K 2 O) from 0 to 17 percent,
lithium oxide (Li 2 O) from 0 to 6 percent,
wherein the glass has a concentration of the at least one alkali metal and/or the alkali metal oxide that increases from the surface in a direction of the interior in such a way t

Assignees

• Schott Ag

Inventors

• Daimer Johann
• Zöttl Martin

Classifications

• C03C3/091 Primary

  containing aluminium · CPC title

• A61B90/98 Primary

  using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders · CPC title

• A61L31/026

  Ceramic or ceramic-like structures, e.g. glasses · CPC title

• C03C3/076

  with 40% to 90% silica, by weight {(C03C3/045 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C03C3/083

  containing aluminium oxide or an iron compound · CPC title