A method of manufacturing synthetic quartz glass through an outside vapor deposition (OVD) process with improved deposition efficiency. When a hollow cylindrical synthetic quartz glass product is manufactured through an OVD method or the like, it is environmentally friendly in view of using a smaller amount of chlorine and is economical in view of requiring no separate treatment equipment, as compared to a conventional technique using silicon chloride (SiCl.sub.4). Also, the method, in which octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane is supplied to a deposition burner while being sprayed in the form of a droplet along with a high-pressure carrier gas and vaporized by the deposition burner, can effectively address the high-temperature heating and slow decomposition involved when octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane ([(CH.sub.3).sub.2SiO].sub.4) is used as a source for depositing silicon dioxide particles.

Process for the preparation of hollow spherical glass particles comprising at least SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, and an alkali metal oxide, wherein the process comprises the preparation of precursor particles comprising at least SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, and an alkali metal oxide by mixing the starting materials, slurrying the starting materials with water followed by spry-drying and heat-treating the obtained precursor-particles at a temperature from 1000° C. to 1800° C., preferably from 1300° C. to 1600° C. by contacting the precursor particles with at least one naked flame.

A forming apparatus for forming a glass ribbon is provided. The forming apparatus has an axial direction extending from a first end to a second end thereof. The first end is located on an inlet side from which molten glass is supplied. The forming apparatus includes a first protruding portion and a second protruding portion that are disposed at a top thereof and extend from the first end to the second end. A channel is provided between the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion. The molten glass flows within the channel from the first end toward the second end. In a top view, a channel width of the channel continuously decreases toward the second end in a vicinity of the second end and becomes 0 (zero) at the second end. The channel width is in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction.

A method including emitting a laser beam toward a transparent workpiece such that portions of the laser beam pass through openings of a beam shaping structure and form corresponding laser beam focal lines across the transparent workpiece. The laser beam focal lines forming a plurality of defects in the transparent workpiece disposed along a contour line. The method further including separating the transparent workpiece along the contour line to provide a first workpiece section and a second workpiece section and a cut edge surface on each of the first and second workpiece sections, each cut edge including a defect region and an unaffected region. The defect region having a higher surface roughness than the unaffected region and a minimum distance of the unaffected region to the first major surface being about 20% or less of a thickness between the first major surface and the second major surface.

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).

Apparatuses for making a laminated glass ribbon may include an upper forming body including an outer forming surface bounded by a pair of upper dams, and a lower forming body disposed downstream of the upper forming body and including an outer forming surface spaced from the outer forming surface of the upper forming body by an interior gap. An edge guide may be disposed along an interior upper dam wall and spaced apart in the interior gap from the lower forming body. Surfaces exterior to the outer forming surfaces of the upper and lower forming bodies may abut and be joined. A formed glass ribbon having a core glass layer and a pair of clad glass layers may include inner and outer portions that have substantially equal thickness ratios based on a glass core layer thickness compared to a combined glass cladding layer thickness in each portion.

A lens unit includes a positive lens element provided with a convex surface on an incident surface and/or an exit surface; and a lens frame supporting the lens element and being provided with a projection that projects in an inner radial direction from inside the lens frame. The lens frame supports the lens element with the projection fixedly fitted into an outer peripheral portion of the lens element. The projection is provided, on an inner peripheral portion thereof, with a first surface positioned on an incident side in an optical axis direction, a second surface positioned on an exit side in the optical axis direction, and a third surface positioned between the first surface and the second surface. The first, second and third surfaces are tapered surfaces that are respectively inclined relative to the optical axis direction. A method of manufacturing the lens unit is also provided.

A glass laminate is produced using infrared emitters to deliver thermal energy to an unbonded glass laminate assembly. Heat may be conducted to the glass laminate by at least one ceramic glass substrate that absorbs at least a portion of the infrared radiation from the emitters, thereby bonding the glass laminate assembly more quickly and efficiently than a conventional vacuum bag process.

Method of producing glass components and preforms for use in the method. The preform includes a primary rod having a constant outside diameter and a square bottom and a sacrificial tip having a first end attached to the bottom of the primary rod, a second end opposite the first end, and a hollow interior region extending from the first end to the second end. The sacrificial tip is circular in cross section and the first end of the sacrificial tip has an outside diameter equal to the outside diameter of the primary rod. When the preform is heated in a furnace, the sacrificial tip melts and collapses into a drawing bulb which either draws the primary rod directly into the glass fiber or results in a tapered (i.e. tipped) preform for subsequent fiber draw. Material waste as well as the drip time is reduced and the cladding-to-core ratio, crucial for waveguide properties, is maintained for the whole preform compared to a square cut preform without the sacrificial tip.

A method for separating a substrate of a brittle-hard material is provided. The method includes the steps of introducing defects into the substrate at a spacing from one another along a separation line using at least one pulsed laser beam; selecting an average spacing between neighboring defects and a number of laser pulses for generating a respective defect such that a breaking stress (σ.sub.B) for separating the substrate along the separation line is smaller than a first reference stress (σ.sub.R1) of the substrate and such that an edge strength σ.sub.K of the separation edge obtained after separation is greater than a second reference stress (σ.sub.R2) of the substrate; and separating the substrate after introducing the defects by applying a stress along the separation line.