Methods of making a bioactive glass fiber include forming a melt of a glass composition including: 50 to 70% SiO.sub.2; 0.1 to 10% Al.sub.2O.sub.3, 5 to 30% Na.sub.2O, 0.1 to 15% K.sub.2O, 0.1 to 15% MgO, 0.1 to 20% CaO, and 5 to 10% P.sub.2O.sub.5, based on a 100 wt % of the glass composition. The melt has a viscosity of from 200 Poise to 2,000 Poise. Methods include drawing the melt into a drawn glass fiber. Bioactive glass compositions include: 60 to 70% SiO.sub.2; 15 to 30% Na.sub.2O, 5 to 15% K.sub.2O, 1 to 10% CaO, and 5 to 10% P.sub.2O.sub.5, based on a 100 wt % of the glass composition.

An inorganic fiber containing silica and magnesia as the major fiber components and which further includes intended addition of lithium oxide to improve the thermal stability of the fiber. The inorganic fiber exhibits good thermal performance at 1260? C. and greater, low linear shrinkage, retains mechanical integrity after exposure to the use temperature, and exhibits low biopersistence in physiological fluids. Also provided are thermal insulation product forms prepared from a plurality of the inorganic fibers, methods of preparing the inorganic fiber and of thermally insulating articles using thermal insulation prepared from a plurality of the inorganic fibers.

An inorganic fiber containing silica, alumina, one or more alkali metal oxides, and one or more of alkaline earth metal oxides, transition metal oxides, or lanthanide series metal oxides. The inorganic fiber exhibits good thermal performance at use temperatures of 1260? C. and greater, retains mechanical integrity after exposure to the use temperatures, is free of crystalline silica upon devitrification, is alkali flux resistant, exhibits low bio-persistence in an acidic medium, and exhibits low dissolution in a neutral medium. Also provided are thermal insulation products incorporating the inorganic fibers, a method for preparing the inorganic fiber and a method of thermally insulating articles using thermal insulation prepared from the inorganic fibers.

Apparatus for forming melt-formed fibres comprises: a source of molten material; a spinning head comprising one or more rotors; a plurality of nozzles or slots disposed around at least part of the one or more rotors, configured to supply a stream of gas; a conveyor; and a barrier (4) between the spinning head and the conveyor (6), an upper edge of the barrier lying below a horizontal line (22) lying in a first vertical plane (17) including axis of rotation (16) of at least one rotor of the one or more rotors and intersecting the intersection of the axis of rotation with a second vertical plane (18) orthogonal to the first vertical plane and including a vertical line (20) through said region, the included angle between the horizontal line (22) and a line (21) in the first vertical plane joining the upper edge of the barrier and the intersection of the horizontal line and axis of rotation being in the range of 40?-85?. Method of making melt-formed fibres using the apparatus. Melt formed biosoluble fibres being alkaline earth silicate fibers having a low shot content.

A heating device 10 including a heat-generating member 20 and a support member 30 that supports the heat-generating member 20 and comprises bio-soluble inorganic fibers, wherein the bio-soluble inorganic fibers do not contact directly the heat-generating member 20 or contact of the bio-soluble inorganic fibers with the heat-generating member 20 is reduced.

An inorganic fiber containing silica, alumina, one or more alkali metal oxides, and one or more of alkaline earth metal oxides, transition metal oxides, or lanthanide series metal oxides. The inorganic fiber exhibits good thermal performance at use temperatures of 1260 C. and greater, retains mechanical integrity after exposure to the use temperatures, is free of crystalline silica upon devitrification, is alkali flux resistant, exhibits low bio-persistence in an acidic medium, and exhibits low dissolution in a neutral medium. Also provided are thermal insulation products incorporating the inorganic fibers, a method for preparing the inorganic fiber and a method of thermally insulating articles using thermal insulation prepared from the inorganic fibers.

A resorbable tissue scaffold fabricated from bioactive glass fiber forms a rigid three-dimensional porous matrix having a bioactive composition. Porosity in the form of interconnected pore space is provided by the space between the bioactive glass fiber in the porous matrix. Strength of the bioresorbable matrix is provided by bioactive glass that fuses and bonds the bioactive glass fiber into the rigid three-dimensional matrix. The resorbable tissue scaffold supports tissue in-growth to provide osteoconductivity as a resorbable tissue scaffold, used for the repair of damaged and/or diseased bone tissue.

Inorganic fibers including the following composition, SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, MgO and CaO being main components, and the inorganic fibers being produced by a melting method: SiO.sub.2: 3.0 wt % or more and less than 48.0 wt %, Al.sub.2O.sub.3: more than 20.0 wt % and 80.0 wt % or less, MgO: 1.0 wt % or more and 50.0 wt % or less, CaO: 1.0 wt % or more and 50.0 wt % or less, and Fe.sub.2O.sub.3: 0.0 wt % or more and less than 1.0 wt %.

Inorganic fibers including the following composition, SiO.sub.2, MgO and CaO being main components: SiO.sub.2: 73.6 wt % to 85.9 wt %, MgO: 9.0 wt % to 21.3 wt %, CaO: 5.1 wt % to 12.4 wt %, Al.sub.2O.sub.3: 0 wt % or more and less than 2.3 wt %, and Fe.sub.2O.sub.3: 0 wt % to 0.50 wt %.

An inorganic fiber containing silica and magnesia as the major fiber components which further includes an intended strontium oxide additive to improve the thermal stability of the fiber. The inorganic fiber exhibits good thermal performance at 1260 C. and greater for 24 hours or more, retains mechanical integrity after exposure to the use temperature, and exhibits low biopersistence in physiological fluids. Also provided are thermal insulation product forms, methods of preparing the inorganic fiber and of thermally insulating articles using thermal insulation prepared from a plurality of the inorganic fibers.