US4021253A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for manufacturing glass frit
Assignee: KMS Fusion Inc
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Filing: 1974-04-05
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Granted: 1977-05-03
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Expires: 1994-04-05
Abstract
Abstract A method of manufacturing a glass frit for use in the manufacture of uniform glass microspheres to serve as containers for laser fusion fuel to be exposed to laser energy which includes the formation of a glass gel which is then dried, pulverized, and very accurately sized to particles in a range of, for example, 125 to 149 micrometers. The particles contain an occluded material such as urea which expands when heated. The sized particles are washed, dried, and subjected to heat to control the moisture content prior to being introduced into a system to form microspheres.
Inventors
- 👤 Ronald G. Budrick
- 👤 Frank T. King
- 👤 Robert L. Nolen, Jr.
- 👤 David E. Solomon
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 20:13
CPC Classifications
C; C03; C03C; C03C11/00; C03C11/002; C03C12/00; C03C3/00; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E30/00; Y02E30/10; Y10; Y10S; Y10S376/00; Y10S376/916; Y10S65/00; Y10S65/901
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
112 words
A method of manufacturing glass frit to serve as a raw material for the making of glass microspheres for use as laser fusion pellets which comprises: (a) forming a glass gel containing an occluded material which expands upon heating, (b) drying the gel at temperatures below the vaporization temperature of the occluded material to avoid driving off the occluded material and to form a block of dehydrated material, (c) crushing the dehydrated block to form a glass frit, (d) sieving the resulting glass frit to obtain a frit of a predetermined particle size, (e) washing the sized frit in a volatile liquid, and (f) drying the frit to control the moisture content.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
112 words
A method of manufacturing glass frit to serve as a raw material for the making of glass microspheres for use as laser fusion pellets which comprises: (a) forming a glass gel containing an occluded material which expands upon heating, (b) drying the gel at temperatures below the vaporization temperature of the occluded material to avoid driving off the occluded material and to form a block of dehydrated material, (c) crushing the dehydrated block to form a glass frit, (d) sieving the resulting glass frit to obtain a frit of a predetermined particle size, (e) washing the sized frit in a volatile liquid, and (f) drying the frit to control the moisture content.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
118 words
A method of manufacturing glass frit to serve as a raw material for the making of glass microspheres for use as laser fusion pellets which comprises: (a) forming a glass gel utilizing a mixture of silicon dioxide, sodium methoxide and boric acid mixed with urea, (b) drying the gel at a temperature below the vaporization temperature of the urea to avoid driving off the occluded material and to form a block of dehydrated material, (c) crushing the dehydrated block to form a glass frit, (d) sieving the resulting glass frit to obtain a frit having a predetermined particle size, (e) washing the sized frit in a volatile liquid, and (f) drying the frit to control the moisture content.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
118 words
A method of manufacturing glass frit to serve as a raw material for the making of glass microspheres for use as laser fusion pellets which comprises: (a) forming a glass gel utilizing a mixture of silicon dioxide, sodium methoxide and boric acid mixed with urea, (b) drying the gel at a temperature below the vaporization temperature of the urea to avoid driving off the occluded material and to form a block of dehydrated material, (c) crushing the dehydrated block to form a glass frit, (d) sieving the resulting glass frit to obtain a frit having a predetermined particle size, (e) washing the sized frit in a volatile liquid, and (f) drying the frit to control the moisture content.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as defined in claim 1 in which the glass is sieved to a frit ranging from 125 to 149 micrometer particle size.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as defined in claim 1 in which the glass has a composition by weight of about 73% SiO 2 , 20% Na 2 O, and 7% B 2 O 3 .
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as defined in claim 1 which the sized frit is washed in methanol.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as defined in claim 2 in which the composition of the mix for forming the gel comprises tetra ethylorthosilicate, lead oxide, sodium methoxide, potassium methoxide and calcium chloride mixed with urea.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as defined in claim 6 in which the composition of the mix is by weight about: tetra ethylorthosilicate: 30% lead oxide: 31% sodium methoxide: 22% potassium methoxide: 14% Calcium chloride: 3%
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as defined in claim 6 in which the resulting glass has a composition by weight of about: PbO: 21% SiO 2 : 63% NaO: 8% CaO: 2% K 2 o: 6%
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
a method as defined in claim 1 in which the sieving of the crushed gel is accomplished by a series of sieving steps utilizing sieve gradation of approximately 5 micrometers.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3865747A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-05-02 | 1980-11-01 | 1981-05-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-05-02 | 1984-11-01 | 1985-05-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-05-02 | 1988-11-01 | 1989-05-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |