Embodiments of glass ceramic articles and precursor glasses are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, the glass-ceramic articles are transparent and include a nepheline phase and a phosphate phase. The glass-ceramic articles are colorless and exhibit a transmittance of about 70% or greater across the visible spectrum. The glass-ceramic articles may optionally include a lithium aluminosilicate phase. The crystals of the glass-ceramic articles may have a major cross-section of about 100 nm or less.

A compositional range of fusion-formable, high strain point sodium free, silicate, aluminosilicate and boroaluminosilicate glasses are described herein. The glasses can be used as substrates for photovoltaic devices, for example, thin film photovoltaic devices such as CIGS photovoltaic devices. These glasses can be characterized as having strain points ≧540° C., thermal expansion coefficient of from 6.5 to 10.5 ppm/° C., as well as liquidus viscosities in excess of 50,000 poise. As such they are ideally suited for being formed into sheet by the fusion process.

A compositional range of fusion-formable, high strain point sodium free, silicate, aluminosilicate and boroaluminosilicate glasses are described herein. The glasses can be used as substrates for photovoltaic devices, for example, thin film photovoltaic devices such as CIGS photovoltaic devices. These glasses can be characterized as having strain points ≧540° C., thermal expansion coefficient of from 6.5 to 10.5 ppm/° C., as well as liquidus viscosities in excess of 50,000 poise. As such they are ideally suited for being formed into sheet by the fusion process.

A low-temperature, high stability co-fired microwave dielectric composite of ceramic and glass, including 85-99 wt % microwave dielectric ceramic of formula [1-y-z[(1−x)Mg.sub.2SiO.sub.4−xCa.sub.2SiO.sub.4]−yCaTiO.sub.3−zCaZrO.sub.3, wherein 0.2≦x≦0.7,0.05≦y≦0.3 and 0.02≦z≦0.15], and 1 to 15 wt % with Li.sub.2O—BaO—SrO—CaO—B.sub.2O.sub.3—SiO.sub.2 glass respectively made at a low sintering temperature of ceramic for co-firing with Ag or Cu electrode, employing eutectic phase of ceramic oxides to reduce its melting temperature, a low melting-point glass material with high chemical stability as a sintering aid added to oxides and raw material powders of Li.sub.2O, BaO, SrO, CaO, B.sub.2O.sub.3 and SiO.sub.2, obtained by combining and melting the ingredients in the temperature range between 1000 to 1300° C., quenching and crashing, and then adding it to the main ceramic oxides to form the final composition. This ceramic/glass composite material may be co-fired with an Ag and Cu electrode at 900° C.-970° C. for 0.5-4 hours in a protective atmosphere. After sintering, this dielectric material possesses efficacious microwave dielectric properties, dielectric constant between middle-K to low-K at 8.sup.−15, high quality factors, low dielectric loss, low temperature-capacitance coefficient and superior chemical stability suitable for manufacture of multilayer ceramic devices.

Provided are: a glass composition for wound care, which promotes a wound healing process by providing a moist environment and nutrients necessary for growth of epidermal cells, and which has bactericidal properties for preventing critical fixing of bacteria to a wound surface and infection with bacteria; and a wound covering material that uses the glass composition. The glass composition contains, by mass % in terms of oxides, 5 to 70% of SiO.sub.2, 0 to 10% of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, 5 to 40.0% of B.sub.2O.sub.3, and 1 to 50% of CaO.

Provided are: a glass composition for wound care, which promotes a wound healing process by providing a moist environment and nutrients necessary for growth of epidermal cells, and which has bactericidal properties for preventing critical fixing of bacteria to a wound surface and infection with bacteria; and a wound covering material that uses the glass composition. The glass composition contains, by mass % in terms of oxides, 5 to 70% of SiO.sub.2, 0 to 10% of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, 5 to 40.0% of B.sub.2O.sub.3, and 1 to 50% of CaO.

An housing for electronic components, such as LEDs and/or FETs, is provided. The housing has a base body having an upper surface that at least partially defines a mounting area for an electronic functional element, such that the base body provides a heat sink for the electronic functional element. The base body has a lower surface and a lateral surface and includes a connecting body for the electronic functional element, which is joined to the base body a glass layer formed by an alkali titanium silicate glass.

An housing for electronic components, such as LEDs and/or FETs, is provided. The housing has a base body having an upper surface that at least partially defines a mounting area for an electronic functional element, such that the base body provides a heat sink for the electronic functional element. The base body has a lower surface and a lateral surface and includes a connecting body for the electronic functional element, which is joined to the base body a glass layer formed by an alkali titanium silicate glass.

Glass compositions include niobia (Nb.sub.2O.sub.5), phosphorus oxide (P.sub.2O.sub.5) and titania (TiO.sub.2) as essential components and may optionally include calcium oxide (CaO), potassium oxide (K.sub.2O), barium oxide (BaO), sodium oxide (Na.sub.2O), lithium oxide (Li.sub.2O), magnesia (MgO), zinc oxide (ZnO) and other components. The glasses may be characterized by high refractive index at 587.56 nm at comparably low density at room temperature.

In an FOP 1, a glass body 8 is configured by including antimicrobial glass portions 10 made of antimicrobial glass containing Ag.sub.2O. Here, the glass containing silver does not have chemical durability, so that it has properties to easily emit Ag ions due to moisture. Ag ions have an excellent antimicrobial effect. Therefore, by configuring the glass body 8 to include the antimicrobial glass portions 10 containing Ag.sub.2O, the glass body 8 can obtain a sterilization effect due to the action of Ag ions. Therefore, the FOP 1 can be provided with antimicrobial activities.