Moldable fluoroaluminophosphate glasses

Claim 2

An essentially dry alkali metal (R 1 ) aluminofluorophosphate glass exhibiting a relatively high viscosity at the liquidus, a low crystallization rate at the liquidus, a transition temperature below 350° C., at least a "B" rating in a weathering test procedure comprising exposure for one week in an atmosphere of 98% relative humidity at 50° C., a weight loss of less than 2 mg/cm 2 after immersion for one hour in distilled water at a temperature of 95° C., and demonstrating a viscosity no greater than about 10 9 poises at temperatures below 400° C., thereby displaying the capability of being molded at temperatures below 400° C. into complex shapes, which consists essentially, as analyzed on an atomic basis, between about R 1 AlP 2 .0 F 2 .0 O 6 and R 1 3 .75 AlP 3 .0 F 4 .0 O 9 , and wherein said components are present in the following atomic ratios: F:Al >2 but <4 P:Al >2 but <3 R 1 :P >0.5 but <1.25

Claim 3

A glass according to claim 1 wherein the atomic ratio F:Al is 3±0.5 and the atomic ratio R 1 :P is >0.75 but <1.1.

Claim 4

A glass according to claim 1 consisting essentially, as analyzed in weight percent on the oxide basis, of about ______________________________________ R.sub.2.sup.1 O 13-38 Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 16-23 P.sub.2 O.sub.5 46-64 F 17-23 ______________________________________

Claim 5

A glass according to claim 1 also containing up to 10% by weight total of La 2 O 3 and/or WO 3 and/or MoO 3 and/or Nd 2 O 3 .

Claim 6

An essentially dry alkali metal (R 1 ) aluminofluorophosphate glass also containing at least one divalent metal oxide (R 2 ) selected from the group of PbO, ZnO, CdO, MgO, CaO, SrO, and BaO which exhibits a relatively high viscosity at the liquidus, a low crystallization rate at the liquidus, a transition temperature below 350° C., at least a "B" rating in a weathering test procedure comprising exposure for one week in an atmosphere of 98% relative humidity at 50° C., a weight loss of less than 2 mg/cm 2 after immersion for one hour in distilled water at a temperature of 95° C., and demonstrates a viscosity no greater than about 10 9 poises at temperatures below 400° C., thereby displaying the capability of being molded at temperatures below 400° C. into complex shapes, which consists essentially, as analyzed on an atomic basis, between about R 1 0 .75 R 2 0 .25 AlPF 2 O 4 and R 1 1 .25 R 2 2 .5 AlP 5 .5 F 5 O 16 , and wherein said components are present in the following atomic ratios: ______________________________________ F:Al >2 but <5 P:Al >1 but <5.5 R.sup.1 :P >0.25 but <1.25 Pb:Al <1.25 Zn:Al <1.25 Mg and/or Ca and/or Sr and/or Ba and/or Cd:Al <1.25 Pb and/or Zn + (Mg and/or Ca and/or Sr and/or Ba and/or Cd):Al >0.25 but <2.5 (R.sup.1 + R.sup.2):P <1 ______________________________________

Claim 7

An essentially dry alkali metal (R 1 ) aluminofluorophosphate glass also containing at least one divalent metal oxide (R 2 ) selected from the group of PbO, ZnO, CdO, MgO, CaO, SrO, and BaO which exhibits a relatively high viscosity at the liquidus, a low crystallization rate at the liquidus, a transition temperature below 350° C., at least a "B" rating in a weathering test procedure comprising exposure for one week in an atmosphere of 98% relative humidity at 50° C., a weight loss of less than 2 mg/cm 2 after immersion for one hour in distilled water at a temperature of 95° C., and demonstrates a viscosity no greater than about 10 9 poises at temperatures below 400° C., thereby displaying the capability of being molded at temperatures below 400° C. into complex shapes, which consists essentially, as analyzed on an atomic basis, between about R 1 0 .75 R 2 0 .25 AlPF 2 O 4 and R 1 1 .25 R 2 2 .5 AlP 5 .5 F 5 O 16 , and wherein said components are present in the following atomic ratios: ______________________________________ F:Al >2 but <5 P:Al >1 but <5.5 R.sup.1 :P >0.25 but <1.25 Pb:Al <1.25 Zn:Al <1.25 Mg and/or Ca and/or Sr and/or Ba and/or Cd:Al <1.25 Pb and/or Zn + (Mg and/or Ca and/or Sr and/or Ba and/or Cd):Al >0.25 but <2.5 (R.sup.1 + R.sup.2):P <1 ______________________________________

Claim 8

A glass according to claim 5 wherein the atomic ratio F:Al is 3±0.5 and the atomic ratio R 1 :P is 0.75±0.25.

Claim 9

A glass according to claim 5 consisting essentially, as analyzed in weight percent on the oxide basis of about ______________________________________ R.sub.2.sup.1 O 4-20 Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 4-20 PbO and/or ZnO 0-30 CaO and/or SrO and/or BaO and/or CdO 0-30 MgO 0-15 PbO and/or ZnO + (MgO and/or CaO and/or SrO and/or BaO and/or CdO) 5-50 P.sub.2 O.sub.5 30-50 F 4-15 ______________________________________

Claim 10

A glass according to claim 5 also containing up to 10% total of La 2 O 3 and/or WO 3 and/or MoO 3 and/or Nd 2 O 3 .