Provided is an optical glass containing glass-forming cations, the optical glass satisfying, expressed in cation percent, 10 cat %B.sup.3+50 cat %, 15 cat %La.sup.3+35 cat %, 20 cat %Nb.sup.5+50 cat %, and 15 cat %Ti.sup.4+25 cat %.

Methods for making articles comprising crystalline material. Exemplary articles made by a method described herein include electronics enclosure (e.g., a watch case, cellular phone case, or a tablet case).

One aspect of the present invention provides a powder containing three components of ZnO, Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and SiO.sub.2, wherein each content of the three components is ZnO: 17 to 43% by mole, Al.sub.2O.sub.3: 9 to 20% by mole and SiO.sub.2: 48 to 63% by mole, based on the sum of the contents of the three components.

Methods, systems and apparatus for producing continuous basalt fibers, microfibers, and microspheres from high temperature melts are disclosed. A cold crucible induction furnace is used to super heat crushed basalt rock to form a melt. The melt is cooled prior to forming a fiber. The fiber produced from the superheated melt possesses superior properties not found with conventional basalt fibers produced in gas furnaces. In some implementations, the superheated melt is spun into continuous basalt fibers. In some implementations, the superheated melt is blown into microfibers and microspheres.

An aluminoborate composition, an alumino-borosilicate glass composition, or a mixture thereof, and solid or hollow microspheres thereof, as defined herein. Also disclosed are methods of making and using the disclosed compositions, for example, forming microspheres for use in bioactive applications, and composition extracts for use in treating or healing wounds.

Provided is a radioactive microsphere including glass having a structure represented by a formula Ca.sub.3Si.sub.2O.sub.7 and yttrium oxide contained in the glass. The radioactive microsphere has sphericity of from 0.71 to 1, and is radioactive after being activated by neutron irradiation. A method for preparing a radioactive microsphere and a radioactive filler composition is further provided. The present disclosure can be used to treat tumor by delivering radioactive microspheres to the target tissue, and then radioactive microspheres are activated by neutrons to generate radiation. The radioactivity of microspheres disappears over time, and the microspheres were dissolved and absorbed by the bone tissue in the end.

A method for producing fused silica including pre-heating silica sand by passing the silica sand through a gas flame, distributing the pre-heated silica sand to a furnace having an internal temperature of about 1,713 C. or greater to form molten fused silica, and cooling the molten fused silica by flowing the molten silica from the furnace into a water bath to produce fused silica particulates.

Disclosed is a process for the production of lithium ion conductive shaped particles, or precursors thereof, comprising: feeding a mixture of raw materials into a melting vessel, melting the raw materials in the melting vessel to form a molten mass, shaping the molten mass, and quenching the molten mass to produce the particles,

wherein the cooling rate of the molten mass is sufficient to form a plurality of glass or glass ceramic particles and wherein the molten mass is shaped prior to or at the same time as being quenched by a fluid cooling medium.

An optical glass includes La.sup.3+, Zn.sup.2+, Nb.sup.5+, and Ti.sup.4+ as a cation configuring glass. La.sup.3+, Zn.sup.2+, Nb.sup.5+, and Ti.sup.4+ which satisfy 10 cat %La.sup.3+20 cat %, 10 cat %Zn.sup.2+60 cat %, 20 cat %Nb.sup.5+60 cat %, and 0 cat %Ti.sup.4+40 cat % expressed by cation %.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing: spherical eucryptite particles which have higher circularity than in the prior art, have a large negative thermal expansion and a high thermal conductivity, have high flowability, dispersibility, and filling capability, and are also applicable in the field of semiconductors; and a method for producing the spherical eucryptite particles. As a means for solving the problem, the present invention provides: the method for producing the spherical eucryptite particles characterized by heat treating, at 600 to 1100 C., spherical particles which have been thermally sprayed with a feedstock powder that includes 45 to 55 mol % of SiO.sub.2, 20 to 30 mol % of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, and 20 to 30 mol % of Li.sub.2O, and obtaining spherical particles that include 89% or more of a eucryptite crystalline phase; and the spherical eucryptite particles obtained by this method.