The present invention relates a molded composite material and a method and process for creating the composite material from either recycled low grade mixed glass cullet or new glass. The composite material including; crushed glass; one or more aluminium compounds selected from oxide and hydrate at combined 0.40%-0.78% weight per weight of the glass; oxides of silicon, boron, sodium, calcium and potassium at combined 1.27%-1.90% weight per weight of the glass; zirconium silicate at 0.48%-1.3% weight per weight of the glass; and optionally tin oxide at 0%-0.45% weight per weight of the glass. The composite of the present invention can be used for making tiles, bench tops, work surfaces or other similar types of building products. The use of low grade mixed glass can also help reduce the amount of used glass being dumped in landfill or used in other low value enterprises such as providing highway aggregate or landfill cover.

The present invention relates a molded composite material and a method and process for creating the composite material from either recycled low grade mixed glass cullet or new glass. The composite material including; crushed glass; one or more aluminium compounds selected from oxide and hydrate at combined 0.40%-0.78% weight per weight of the glass; oxides of silicon, boron, sodium, calcium and potassium at combined 1.27%-1.90% weight per weight of the glass; zirconium silicate at 0.48%-1.3% weight per weight of the glass; and optionally tin oxide at 0%-0.45% weight per weight of the glass. The composite of the present invention can be used for making tiles, bench tops, work surfaces or other similar types of building products. The use of low grade mixed glass can also help reduce the amount of used glass being dumped in landfill or used in other low value enterprises such as providing highway aggregate or landfill cover.

A method is provided for producing a glass or glass ceramic article that includes: providing a sheet-like glass or glass ceramic substrate having two opposite faces, which in the visible spectral range from 380 nm to 780 nm exhibits light transmittance of at least 1% for visible light that passes from one face to the opposite face; providing an opaque coating on one face where the coating exhibits light transmittance of not more than 5% in the visible spectral range from 380 nm to 780 nm; and directing a pulsed laser beam onto the opaque coating and locally removing the coating by ablation down to the surface of the glass or glass ceramic article, repeatedly at different locations, thereby producing a pattern of a multitude of openings defining a perforated area in the opaque coating, so that the opaque coating becomes semi-transparent in the area.

A method is provided for producing a glass or glass ceramic article that includes: providing a sheet-like glass or glass ceramic substrate having two opposite faces, which in the visible spectral range from 380 nm to 780 nm exhibits light transmittance of at least 1% for visible light that passes from one face to the opposite face; providing an opaque coating on one face where the coating exhibits light transmittance of not more than 5% in the visible spectral range from 380 nm to 780 nm; and directing a pulsed laser beam onto the opaque coating and locally removing the coating by ablation down to the surface of the glass or glass ceramic article, repeatedly at different locations, thereby producing a pattern of a multitude of openings defining a perforated area in the opaque coating, so that the opaque coating becomes semi-transparent in the area.

Novel colored compounds with a hibonite structure and a method for making the same are disclosed. The compounds may have a formula AAl.sub.12−x−yM.sup.a.sub.xM.sup.b.sub.yO.sub.19 where A is typically an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, a rare earth metal, Pb, Bi or any combination thereof, and M.sup.a is Ni, Fe, Cu, Cr, V, Mn, or Co or any combination thereof, and M.sup.b is Ti, Sn, Ge, Si, Zr, Hf, Ga, In, Zn, Mg, Nb, Ta, Sb, Mo, W or Te or any combination thereof. Compounds with varying colors, such as blue, can be made by varying A, M.sup.a and M.sup.b and their relative amounts. Compositions comprising the compounds and methods for making and using the same are also disclosed.

Novel colored compounds with a hibonite structure and a method for making the same are disclosed. The compounds may have a formula AAl.sub.12−x−yM.sup.a.sub.xM.sup.b.sub.yO.sub.19 where A is typically an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, a rare earth metal, Pb, Bi or any combination thereof, and M.sup.a is Ni, Fe, Cu, Cr, V, Mn, or Co or any combination thereof, and M.sup.b is Ti, Sn, Ge, Si, Zr, Hf, Ga, In, Zn, Mg, Nb, Ta, Sb, Mo, W or Te or any combination thereof. Compounds with varying colors, such as blue, can be made by varying A, M.sup.a and M.sup.b and their relative amounts. Compositions comprising the compounds and methods for making and using the same are also disclosed.

Glass frits and enamel compositions from the glass frits for use in automotive application. The enamel composition includes one or more glass frits with reduced amount of bismuth and/or zinc compared to reference enamel compositions available. The glass frits include one or more transition metal oxides. The glass frits exhibit improved chemical durability, reduced glass density, lower L-value, or optimized optical density for an end user depending on the applications.

Glass frits and enamel compositions from the glass frits for use in automotive application. The enamel composition includes one or more glass frits with reduced amount of bismuth and/or zinc compared to reference enamel compositions available. The glass frits include one or more transition metal oxides. The glass frits exhibit improved chemical durability, reduced glass density, lower L-value, or optimized optical density for an end user depending on the applications.

The present applicationprovides transparent glass-ceramics of lithium aluminosilicate type, of β-quartz, the composition of which contains a low content of lithium, articles constituted at least in part by said glass-ceramics, precursor glasses for said glass-ceramics, and also a method of preparing said articles. Said glass-ceramics have a composition, expressed in percentages by weight of oxide, containing63% to 67.5% of SiO.sub.2; 18% to 21% of Al.sub.2O.sub.3; 2% to 2.9% of Li.sub.2O; 0 to 1.5% of MgO; 1% to 3.2% of ZnO; 0 to 4% of BaO; 0 to 4% of SrO; 0 to 2% of CaO; 2% to 5% of TiO.sub.2; 0 to 3% of ZrO.sub.2; 0 to 1% of Na.sub.2O; 0 to 1% of K.sub.2O; 0 to 5% of P.sub.2O.sub.5; with (0.74 MgO+0.19 BaO+0.29 SrO+0.53 CaO+0.48 Na.sub.2O+0.32 K.sub.2O)/Li.sub.2O<0.9; optionally up to 2% of at least one fining agent; and optionally up to 2% of at least one coloring agent.

The present applicationprovides transparent glass-ceramics of lithium aluminosilicate type, of β-quartz, the composition of which contains a low content of lithium, articles constituted at least in part by said glass-ceramics, precursor glasses for said glass-ceramics, and also a method of preparing said articles. Said glass-ceramics have a composition, expressed in percentages by weight of oxide, containing63% to 67.5% of SiO.sub.2; 18% to 21% of Al.sub.2O.sub.3; 2% to 2.9% of Li.sub.2O; 0 to 1.5% of MgO; 1% to 3.2% of ZnO; 0 to 4% of BaO; 0 to 4% of SrO; 0 to 2% of CaO; 2% to 5% of TiO.sub.2; 0 to 3% of ZrO.sub.2; 0 to 1% of Na.sub.2O; 0 to 1% of K.sub.2O; 0 to 5% of P.sub.2O.sub.5; with (0.74 MgO+0.19 BaO+0.29 SrO+0.53 CaO+0.48 Na.sub.2O+0.32 K.sub.2O)/Li.sub.2O<0.9; optionally up to 2% of at least one fining agent; and optionally up to 2% of at least one coloring agent.