Molding hydrosilicate materials

Claim 1

A method for molding anhydrous alkali metal silicate material comprising a glass consisting essentially, in mole percent on the oxide basis, of about 3-25% Na 2 O and/or K 2 O and 50-95% SiO 2 , the sum of those components constituting at least 55% of the total composition, into a solid glass article containing about 5-50% by weight water and/or other protonic reagent capable of depolymerizing the silicate network which consists in the steps of: (a) mixing said anhydrous silicate materials which have a thickness dimension not exceeding about 15 mm. with said water and/or other protonic reagent; and then (b) forming said mixture into said solid glass article by molding at a temperature of at least 100° C. and at a pressure of at least 500 psi within a closed system.

Claim 2

A method for molding anhydrous alkali metal silicate material comprising a glass consisting essentially, in mole percent on the oxide basis, of about 3-25% Na 2 O and/or K 2 O and 50-95% SiO 2 , the sum of those components constituting at least 55% of the total composition, into a solid glass article containing about 5-50% by weight water and/or other protonic reagent capable of depolymerizing the silicate network which consists in the steps of: (a) mixing said anhydrous silicate materials which have a thickness dimension not exceeding about 15 mm. with said water and/or other protonic reagent; and then (b) forming said mixture into said solid glass article by molding at a temperature of at least 100° C. and at a pressure of at least 500 psi within a closed system.

Claim 7

A method for making a solid alkali metal silicate glass article containing about 5-50% by weight water and/or other protonic reagent capable of depolymerizing a silicate network which consists in the steps of: (a) mixing together batch components suitable for making an anhydrous alkali metal silicate glass consisting essentially, in mole percent on the oxide basis, of about 3-25% Na 2 O and/or K 2 O and 50-95% SiO 2 , the sum of those components constituting at least 55% of the total composition, with said water and/or other protonic reagent, said batch components having thickness dimensions not exceeding about 15 mm.; and then (b) molding said mixture within a closed system into a solid glass article containing about 5-50% by weight water and/or other protonic reagent at a temperature of at least 100° C. and at a pressure of at least 500 psi.

Claim 8

A method for making a solid alkali metal silicate glass article containing about 5-50% by weight water and/or other protonic reagent capable of depolymerizing a silicate network which consists in the steps of: (a) mixing together batch components suitable for making an anhydrous alkali metal silicate glass consisting essentially, in mole percent on the oxide basis, of about 3-25% Na 2 O and/or K 2 O and 50-95% SiO 2 , the sum of those components constituting at least 55% of the total composition, with said water and/or other protonic reagent, said batch components having thickness dimensions not exceeding about 15 mm.; and then (b) molding said mixture within a closed system into a solid glass article containing about 5-50% by weight water and/or other protonic reagent at a temperature of at least 100° C. and at a pressure of at least 500 psi.