An amorphous alloy contains Ni and Nb and has a composition including at least one of: a composition containing Nb with a content in the range of 35.6 atomic % to 75.1 atomic %, Ir with a content in the range of 7.2 atomic % to 52.3 atomic %, and Ni with a content in the range of 4.0 atomic % to 48.5 atomic %; a composition containing Nb with a content in the range of 19.6 atomic % to 80.9 atomic %, Re with a content in the range of 7.4 atomic % to 59.2 atomic %, and Ni with a content in the range of 4.1 atomic % to 56.9 atomic %; and a composition containing Nb with a content in the range of 7.5 atomic % to 52.9 atomic %, W with a content in the range of 16.4 atomic % to 47.0 atomic %, and Ni with a content in the range of 22.0 atomic % to 53.3 atomic %.

An amorphous alloy contains Ni and Nb and has a composition including at least one of: a composition containing Nb with a content in the range of 35.6 atomic % to 75.1 atomic %, Ir with a content in the range of 7.2 atomic % to 52.3 atomic %, and Ni with a content in the range of 4.0 atomic % to 48.5 atomic %; a composition containing Nb with a content in the range of 19.6 atomic % to 80.9 atomic %, Re with a content in the range of 7.4 atomic % to 59.2 atomic %, and Ni with a content in the range of 4.1 atomic % to 56.9 atomic %; and a composition containing Nb with a content in the range of 7.5 atomic % to 52.9 atomic %, W with a content in the range of 16.4 atomic % to 47.0 atomic %, and Ni with a content in the range of 22.0 atomic % to 53.3 atomic %.

The invention relates to a method for forming a glass item, in particular a three-dimensionally formed flat glass item, wherein the following steps are carried out: arranging a flat formation of glass, for example a flat glass pane of homogeneous thickness or a flat glass pane of inhomogeneous thickness or a preformed flat glass pane blank or liquid two-dimensionally spread glass, between a mould plunger and a melt of liquid metal, in particular tin; tempering of at least one part to be formed of the flat formation of glass to a forming temperature of the glass at which the glass has a viscosity in the range from 10 Pas to 106.5 Pas, preferably in the range from 10 Pas to 104 Pas and particularly preferably in the range from 10 Pas to 103 Pas; forming the flat formation of glass by moving the mould plunger and a surface of the molten metal towards each other, preferably by means of at least one linear movement, for example by means of a linear motor or servomotor, so that the flat formation of glass is pressurised either by the mould plunger on the one hand and by the molten metal on the other hand and is formed by the pressurisation on both sides and/or by suctioning and conforming the flat formation of glass onto the mould plunger; cooling the formed flat formation of glass to a handling temperature below the forming temperature at which the glass has a viscosity of ?107 Pas; and demoulding the cooled flat formation; as well as a device for carrying out the method and a use of a molten metal for carrying out the method.

A method of manufacturing a glass molded product includes the steps of preparing a lower die including a lower die surface and a space forming surface formed to extend downward away from an outer edge end portion of the lower die surface with the outer edge end portion being defined as a starting point, preparing an outer frame including an annularly formed inner circumferential surface, arranging the lower die on an inner side of the outer frame, dropping a prescribed amount of molten glass droplet onto the lower die surface such that a surface of the molten glass droplet connects the outer edge end portion and a portion of the inner circumferential surface located above a position of the outer edge end portion to each other and the molten glass droplet does not wet-spread over the space forming surface, and pressurizing and molding the molten glass droplet.

A process deciding method in a method of manufacturing an optical element by heating and press-molding an optical material to mold the optical element using a molding die on which a release film is formed, includes a basicity degree identifying process in which a degree of basicity of the optical material is identified; and a removing process determining process of determining whether to perform one or both of first removing process in which an oxidizing substance is removed and a second removing process in which a basic substance is removed from at least one of a surface of the optical material and a surface of the release film by comparing the degree of basicity of the optical material identified in the basicity degree identifying process with a predetermined reference value, before press-molding the optical material.

A powder useful for making a mold utilized for shaping glass-based materials includes at least about 50% by weight nickel. Metal oxides that are not miscible with nickel may be dispersed within the powder in an amount in a range from about 0.2 to about 15% by volume. A mold made from the powder may have a mold body having a composition comprising at least 50% by weight nickel and a metal oxide that is not miscible with nickel in an amount in a range from about 0.2 to about 15% by volume, a nickel oxide layer on a surface of the mold body wherein the nickel oxide layer has first and second opposing surfaces, the first surface of the nickel oxide layer contacts and faces the surface of the mold body, the second surface of the nickel oxide layer includes a plurality of grains, and the plurality of grains has an average grain size of about 100 m or less.