A method for forming an optical quality glass is provided. The method includes contacting silica soot particles with a basic additive, forming a silica soot compact, and removing the basic additive from the silica soot compact. A method of forming a cladding portion of an optical fiber preform is also provided.

A method of manufacturing a transparent glass article is provided. The manufacturing method includes the following steps (a) to (f): in step (a), a nanocomposite is provided; in step (b), the nanocomposite is subjected to an external stimulus in order to render it remoldable; in step (c), the nanocomposite is remolded into a predetermined shape in order to obtain a primary structure; in step (d), the primary structure is debound in order to obtain a secondary structure having cavities formed therein; in step (e) which is optional, the cavities of the secondary structure are filled with at least one additive; and in step (f), the secondary structure is sintered to obtain the transparent glass article.

A preform for optical fiber made of a quartz glass sintered body which is made from quartz glass powder as a main raw material, in which at least a portion of the quartz glass sintered body is an opaque body, the opaque body has a visible light transmittance of 90% or less at a length of 5 mm or less in one direction, and the opaque body has a bulk density of 2.1 g/cm.sup.3 or more, or the opaque body has a visible light transmittance of 90% or less at a length of 5 mm or less in one direction, and the opaque body has an open porosity of 3.5% or less.

A method for forming an optical quality glass is provided. The method includes contacting silica soot particles with a basic additive, forming a silica soot compact, and removing the basic additive from the silica soot compact. A method of forming a cladding portion of an optical fiber preform is also provided.

Provided is a silica glass member for hermetic sealing of an ultraviolet SMD LED element to be suitably used for hermetic sealing of, and as a transmission window material for, a surface mount-type package (SMD) having an ultraviolet LED mounted thereon and configured to emit ultraviolet light in a wavelength range of from 200 nm to 350 nm. The silica glass member for hermetic sealing includes a silica glass substrate, which is homogeneously and integrally formed without an internal boundary, wherein the silica glass substrate has: a first surface on an inside opposed to an SMD LED element; and a second surface on an outside corresponding to the first surface, wherein an outer peripheral portion of the first surface has formed therein a substrate joining plain surface for joining to the container outer periphery joining plain surface, and wherein the second surface on the outside corresponding to the first surface has formed therein a lens-like convex portion configured to process emitted light from the ultraviolet SMD LED element.

The present application discloses a method for preparing porous glass for an electronic cigarette, comprising the following steps: heating quartz glass to a molten state for granulation; mixing boron-silicon powder and quartz glass granules, and heating a mixture to a temperature between 600° C. to 900° C. to cover peripheries of the quartz glass granules with the boron-silicon powder; and sintering the quartz glass granules covered with boron-silicon in a preset mold to obtain the porous glass for the electronic cigarette. The technical solution according to the present application can greatly improve the smoking taste of the electronic cigarette.

A known method for homogenizing glass includes the following steps: providing a cylindrical blank composed of the glass, having a cylindrical outer surface which extends between a first end face and a second end face, forming a shear zone in the blank by softening a longitudinal section of the blank and subjecting it to a thermal-mechanical intermixing treatment, and moving the shear zone along the longitudinal axis of the blank. To reduce the risk of cracks and fractures during homogenizing, it is proposed that a thermal radiation dissipator is used that at least partially surrounds the shear zone, the lateral dimension of which in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the blank is greater than the shear zone and smaller than the length of the blank, the thermal radiation dissipator being moved synchronously with the shear zone along the longitudinal axis of the blank.

A diffuser material of synthetically produced, pore-containing quartz glass and a method for the manufacture of a molded body consisting fully or in part thereof. The diffuser material has a chemical purity of at least 99.9% SiO.sub.2, a cristobalite content of not more than 1%, and a density in the range of 2.0 to 2.18 g/cm.sup.3. Starting therefrom, to indicate a diffuser material which is improved with respect to diffuse reflectivity with Lambertian behavior over a wide wavelength range, high material homogeneity and UV radiation resistance, the quartz glass has a hydroxyl group content in the range of at least 200 wt. ppm and at least 80% of the pores have a maximum pore dimension of less than 20 μm.

A large sized opaque quartz glass ingot having an excellent heat ray shielding property, an outstanding light blocking property, high mechanical strength and small roughness of a baked finished smooth surface.

The shape of bubbles inside the quartz glass are almost complete spheres and the average particle size of the bubbles is 1 μm or less, such that the strength of the opaque quartz glass ingot is increased as the stress concentration at the edges of the bubbles is eliminated and an increase of surface roughness caused by baking is alleviated.

Provided is a silica glass member for hermetic sealing of an ultraviolet SMD LED element to be suitably used for hermetic sealing of, and as a transmission window material for, a surface mount-type package (SMD) having an ultraviolet LED mounted thereon and configured to emit ultraviolet light in a wavelength range of from 200 nm to 350 nm. The silica glass member for hermetic sealing includes a silica glass substrate, which is homogeneously and integrally formed without an internal boundary, wherein the silica glass substrate has: a first surface on an inside opposed to an SMD LED element; and a second surface on an outside corresponding to the first surface, wherein an outer peripheral portion of the first surface has formed therein a substrate joining plain surface for joining to the container outer periphery joining plain surface, and wherein the second surface on the outside corresponding to the first surface has formed therein a lens-like convex portion configured to process emitted light from the ultraviolet SMD LED element.