Glass precursor gel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9890072-B2
Application number	US-201514676372-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2015
Priority date	Apr 1, 2015
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

A glass precursor gel and a method of making a glass product from the glass precursor gel are disclosed. The glass precursor gel includes a bulk amorphous oxide-based matrix that is homogeneously chemically mixed and includes 30 mol % to 90 wt. % silica and at least one of the following: (A) 0.1 mol % to 25 mol % of one or more alkali oxides in sum total, (B) 0.1 mol % to 25 mol % of one or more alkaline earth oxides in sum total, (C) 1 mol % to 20 mol % boric oxide, (D) 5 mol % to 80 mol % lead oxide, or (E) 0.1 mol % to 10 mol % aluminum oxide. A method of making a glass product from the glass precursor gel involves obtaining the glass precursor gel, melting the glass precursor gel into molten glass, and forming the molten glass into a glass product.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of making a glass product, the method comprising:
obtaining a glass precursor gel that comprises a homogeneously chemically mixed bulk amorphous oxide-based matrix and an extending swelling agent, the bulk amorphous oxide-based matrix having an inorganic network of primary constituent oxides within which the extending swelling agent is entrapped, the primary constituent oxides comprising 30 mol % to 90 mol % silica and one or more of the following: (A) 0.1 mol % to 25 mol % of one or more alkali oxides in sum total, (B) 0.1 mol % to 25 mol % of one or more alkaline earth oxides in sum total, (C) 1 mol % to 20 mol % boric oxide, (D) 5 mol % to 80 mol % lead oxide, or (E) 0.1 mol % to 10 mol % aluminum oxide;
melting the glass precursor gel into molten glass; and
forming the molten glass into a glass product.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein the step of obtaining the glass precursor gel comprises:
providing a silicate solution that includes a dissolved alkali silicate, the dissolved alkali silicate having a molar ratio of an alkali oxide to silica;
adding an alkaline earth salt to the silicate solution to displace some of the alkali oxide with an alkaline earth oxide and to derive a wet precipitate having a molar ratio of the alkali oxide to the alkaline earth oxide to silica; and
removing liquid solvent from the wet precipitate to obtain the glass precursor gel.

3. The method set forth in claim 2 , further comprising:
adjusting the molar ratio of the alkali oxide to silica in the dissolved alkali silicate by neutralizing some of the alkali oxide with an acid such that the molar ratio of the alkali oxide to silica is reduced.

4. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of the alkali oxide to the alkaline earth oxide to silica is between 0.8:0.8:6 and 1.4:1.3:6.

5. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein the step of melting the glass precursor gel is performed at 1200° C. to 1450° C. for a period of 30 minutes to 16 hours.

6. A method of making a glass product, the method comprising:
providing a silicate solution that includes a dissolved sodium silicate, the dissolved sodium silicate comprising a molar ratio of Na 2 O: SiO 2 ;
adding a soluble calcium salt to the silicate solution to displace some of the sodium oxide in the dissolved sodium silicate with calcium oxide and to derive a wet precipitate that comprises a molar ratio of Na 2 O:CaO:SiO 2 ;
removing solvent from the wet precipitate to obtain a soda-lime-silica glass precursor gel, the gel comprising a bulk amorphous oxide-based matrix having an inorganic network of oxides that comprises 60 mol % to 85 mol % silica, 8 mol % to 18 mol % sodium oxide, and 5 mol % to 15 mol % calcium oxide;
melting the soda-lime-silica glass precursor gel into molten glass; and
forming the molten glass into a glass product.

7. The method set forth in claim 6 , wherein providing the silicate solution comprises dissolving quartz sand in a sodium-based solvent at a temperature between 25° C. and 300° C. and a pressure of 10 atmospheres to 100 atmospheres for 3 hours to 24 hours.

8. The method set forth in claim 6 , further comprising:
adjusting the molar ratio of Na 2 O:SiO 2 in the dissolved sodium silicate by neutralizing some of the sodium oxide with an acid such that the molar ratio of Na 2 O: SiO 2 is reduced.

9. The method set forth in claim 6 , wherein the step of adding a soluble calcium salt includes displacing sodium oxide in the dissolved sodium silicate with calcium oxide such that the molar ratio of Na 2 O:CaO:SiO 2 in the wet precipitate is between 0.8:0.8:6 and 1.4:1.3:6.

10. The method set forth in claim 6 , wherein forming the molten glass into a glass product comprises:
thermally conditioning the molten glass at a temperature of about 1050° C. to about 1200° C. after the molten glass has been removed from a furnace;
delivering a gob of the molten glass to an individual section machine; and
forming the molten glass into a glass container in the individual section machine, the glass container having a glass body defining an interior accessible at a mouth located at one axial end of the glass body.

11. The method set forth in claim 6 , wherein the soluble calcium salt includes at least one of calcium nitrate, calcium chloride, or calcium hydroxide.

12. The method set forth in claim 6 , wherein the silicate solution is concentrated to at least 5 wt. % of the dissolved sodium silicate at the time the soluble calcium salt is added to the silicate solution.

13. The method set forth in claim 6 , wherein the step of melting the soda-lime-silica glass precursor gel evolves oxygen gas between 450° C. and 1500° C.

14. The method set forth in claim 6 , wherein the step of melting the soda-lime-silica glass precursor gel does not release carbon dioxide gas.

15. The method set forth in claim 6 , wherein the step of melting the soda-lime-silica glass precursor gel evolves water vapor above 125° C.

16. A method of making a glass product, the method comprising:
melting a soda-lime-silica glass precursor gel into molten glass, the soda-lime-silica glass precursor gel comprising a bulk amorphous oxide-based matrix having an inorganic network of primary constituent oxides and water chemically-entrained within the inorganic network of primary constituent oxides, the primary constituent oxides comprising 60 mol % to 85 mol % silica, 8 mol % to 18 mol % sodium oxide, and 5 mol % to 15 mol % calcium oxide; wherein the bulk amorphous oxide-based matrix is homogenously chemically mixed and, further, wherein the glass precursor gel has a density of less than 2.0 g/cm 3 ;
forming the molten glass into a glass product.

17. The method set forth in claim 16 , wherein the inorganic network of primary constituent oxides further comprises aluminum oxide.

18. The method set forth in claim 16 , further comprising:
providing a silicate solution that includes a dissolved sodium silicate, the dissolved sodium silicate comprising a molar ratio of Na 2 O: SiO 2 ;
adding a soluble calcium salt to the silicate solution to displace some of the sodium oxide in the dissolved sodium silicate with calcium oxide and to derive a wet precipitate that comprises a molar ratio of Na 2 O:CaO:SiO 2 ; and
removing solvent from the wet precipitate to obtain the soda-lime-silica glass precursor gel.

19. The method set forth in claim 16 , wherein, during melting of the soda-lime-silica glass precursor gel, water vapor is evolved above 125° C. and oxygen gas is evolved between 450° C. and 1500° C.

20. The method set forth in claim 16 , wherein forming the molten glass into a glass product comprises:
thermally conditioning the molten glass at a temperature of about 1050° C. to about 1200° C. after the molten glass has been removed from a furnace;
delivering a gob of the molten glass to an individual section machine; and
forming the molten glass into a glass container in the individual section machine, the glass container having a glass body defining an interior accessible at a mouth located at one axial end of the glass body.

Assignees

• Owens Brockway Glass Container

Inventors

• Cooper Scott P
• Remington Michael P
• Weil Scott
• Gullinkala Tilak
• Bhaduri Sutapa

Classifications

• C03C3/078

  containing an oxide of a divalent metal, e.g. an oxide of zinc · CPC title

• C03B19/12

  by liquid-phase reaction processes · CPC title

• C03C3/102

  containing lead · CPC title

• C03B9/193

  in "press-and-blow" machines · CPC title

• C03C2203/24

  using alkali silicate solutions · CPC title