← Back to Patent Explorer
US5846889A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Infrared transparent selenide glasses

Assignee: United States Department of the Navy
•
Filing: 1997-03-14
•
Granted: 1998-12-08
•
Expires: 2017-03-14
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A selenide glass with improved mechanical and optical properties such as extended transmission in the infrared region of radiation having wavelengths beyond 15 microns; Tg in the region of 363 DEG -394 DEG C.; and thermal stability of 85 DEG -145 DEG C. based on the difference between Tg and Tx, comprising, on mol basis, 20-70% germanium selenide, 0.5-25% gallium selenide, indium selenide or mixtures thereof; and 5-50% of at least one alkaline earth in selenide form is described. A process for improving mechanical and optical properties of a selenide glass based on germanium selenide comprises the steps of mixing glass components, including a modifier in elemental or selenide form; melting the glass components to form a molten mixture; cooling the molten glass mixture to a solid state; annealing the solid glass; and cooling the annealed glass to about room temperature is also described. The glass components can be in elemental form or in the form of selenides, and if in elemental form, then sufficient amount of selenium is added to form selenides of the glass components.

Inventors

  • 👤 Barry B. Harbison
  • 👤 Jasbinder S. Sanghera
  • 👤 John A. Moon
  • 👤 Ishwar D. Aggarwal

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 10:41
CPC Classifications
C; C03; C03C; C03C13/00; C03C13/04; C03C13/041; C03C13/043; C03C3/00; C03C3/32; C03C3/321; C03C4/00; C03C4/10; C03C4/12; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S501/00; Y10S501/90; Y10S501/904

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim 54 words
A selenium glass, substantially free of crystallites, comprising on a mol basis, at least 5% of an alkaline earth selenide, from 20 to 70% GeSe 2 and from 0.5 to 25% of a group IIIA selenide selected from gallium selenide, indium selenide, and mixtures thereof; wherein said selenide glass is substantially free of silicon.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 54 words
A selenium glass, substantially free of crystallites, comprising on a mol basis, at least 5% of an alkaline earth selenide, from 20 to 70% GeSe 2 and from 0.5 to 25% of a group IIIA selenide selected from gallium selenide, indium selenide, and mixtures thereof; wherein said selenide glass is substantially free of silicon.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 21 words
The selenium glass of claim 1 wherein the selenium glass is doped with a rare earth or mixture of rare earths.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 25 words
The selenium glass of claim 1 wherein the selenium glass is doped from 0.005 to 25% of a rare earth or mixture of rare earths.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 18 words
The selenium glass of claim 1 wherein the glass contains up to fifty percent sulfur substituted for selenium.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 47 words
The selenium glass of claim 1 wherein the glass components comprise on a mol basis 20 to 50 percent of an alkaline earth selenide, 35 to 65 percent germanium selenide and 1.0 to 15 mol percent gallium selenide, indium selenide of mixtures of gallium and indium selenide.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 20 words
The selenium glass of claim 1 wherein the difference between T g and T x is greater than 85° C.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 20 words
The selenium glass of claim 2 wherein the difference between T g and T x is greater than 85° C.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 12 words
The selenium glass of claim 1 wherein the alkaline earth is barium.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 12 words
The selenium glass of claim 2 wherein the alkaline earth is barium.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 32 words
The selenium glass of claim 2 wherein the rare earth is praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), dysprosium (Dy), erbium (Eb), ytterbium (Yb), holmium (Ho), terbium (Tb), thulium (Tm), cerium (Ce) and mixtures thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 32 words
The selenium glass of claim 3 wherein the rare earth is praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), dysprosium (Dy), erbium (Eb), ytterbium (Yb), holmium (Ho), terbium (Tb), thulium (Tm), cerium (Ce) and mixtures thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 122 words
A process for making selenide glasses substantially free of crystallites comprising the steps of batching the glass components, melting the glass components to form a molten mixture, cooling the molten glass mixture to a solid state, annealing the glass in the solid state, and slowly cooling the annealed glass to about room temperature; the glass components comprise, on a mol basis at least 5% of an alkaline earth selenide, from 20 to 70% GeSe 2 and from 0.5 to 25% of a group IIIA selenide selected from gallium selenide, indium selenide, and mixtures thereof; or the glass components can be in elemental form in an amount approximately equivalent to their selenide form and wherein said selenide glass is substantially free of silicon.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 122 words
A process for making selenide glasses substantially free of crystallites comprising the steps of batching the glass components, melting the glass components to form a molten mixture, cooling the molten glass mixture to a solid state, annealing the glass in the solid state, and slowly cooling the annealed glass to about room temperature; the glass components comprise, on a mol basis at least 5% of an alkaline earth selenide, from 20 to 70% GeSe 2 and from 0.5 to 25% of a group IIIA selenide selected from gallium selenide, indium selenide, and mixtures thereof; or the glass components can be in elemental form in an amount approximately equivalent to their selenide form and wherein said selenide glass is substantially free of silicon.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 25 words
The process of claim 12 wherein said batching step includes adding at least one rare earth or mixture of rare earths to the glass components.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 21 words
The process of claim 12 wherein said batching step includes the addition of an excess of selenium on a mol basis.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 31 words
The process of claim 13 wherein said rare earths are praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), dysprosium (Dy), erbium (Eb), ytterbium (Yb), holmium (Ho), terbium (Tb), thulium (Tm), cerium (Ce) and mixtures thereof.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 49 words
The process of claim 12 wherein the wherein the glass components comprise on a mol basis 20 to 50 percent of an alkaline earth selenide, 35 to 65 percent of germanium selenide and 1.0 to 15 mol percent gallium selenide, indium selenide or mixtures of gallium and indium selenide.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 23 words
The process of claim 13 wherein the glass after formation, the difference between T g and T x is greater than 85° C.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 47 words
The process of claim 13 wherein the glass components comprise on a mol basis 20 to 50 percent of an alkaline earth selenide, 35 to 65 percent of germanium selenide and 1.0 to 15 mol percent gallium selenide, indium selenide or mixtures of gallium and indium selenide.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 38 words
The process of claim 16 wherein the glass components comprise on a mol basis 25 to 45 percent of an alkaline earth selenide, 2.0 to 12.5 percent of gallium selenide and 50 to 60 percent of germanium selenide.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 17 words
The selenide glass of claim 1 wherein the glass is formed into an infrared transmitting optical fiber.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3511992A Cited
US3655255A Cited
US4154503A Cited
US4730896A Cited
US4704371A Cited
US4708942A Cited
US4942144A Cited
US5389584A Cited
US5392376A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2001-12-07 2002-06-08 2002-12-08 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2005-12-07 2006-06-08 2006-12-08 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2009-12-07 2010-06-08 2010-12-08 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag