A method of drawing a material into sheet form includes forming a preform comprising at least one material as a large aspect ratio block wherein a first transverse dimension of the preform is much greater than a second transverse dimension substantially perpendicular to the first transverse dimension. A furnace having substantially linearly opposed heating elements one spaced from the other is provided and the heating elements are energized to apply heat to the preform to create a negative thermal gradient from an exterior surface along the first transverse dimension of the preform inward toward a central plane of the preform. The preform is drawn in such a manner that the material substantially maintains its first transverse dimension and deforms across its second transverse dimension.

A method of drawing a material into sheet form includes forming a preform comprising at least one material as a large aspect ratio block wherein a first transverse dimension of the preform is much greater than a second transverse dimension substantially perpendicular to the first transverse dimension. A furnace having substantially linearly opposed heating elements one spaced from the other is provided and the heating elements are energized to apply heat to the preform to create a negative thermal gradient from an exterior surface along the first transverse dimension of the preform inward toward a central plane of the preform. The preform is drawn in such a manner that the material substantially maintains its first transverse dimension and deforms across its second transverse dimension.

A method for the production of glass components, an apparatus for carrying out the method, and a glass component that is obtainable through the method are provided. The method is a drawing method wherein a forming zone of a preform is heated to a temperature that allows drawing of the glass. The method includes a forming zone of the preform that is very small. Thereby the width of the preform is decreased to a smaller extent than its thickness. The glass components that can be obtained by this method have very smooth surfaces.

A method for the production of glass components, an apparatus for carrying out the method, and a glass component that is obtainable through the method are provided. The method is a drawing method wherein a forming zone of a preform is heated to a temperature that allows drawing of the glass. The method includes a forming zone of the preform that is very small. Thereby the width of the preform is decreased to a smaller extent than its thickness. The glass components that can be obtained by this method have very smooth surfaces.

A method for producing a glass article having a compressive stress zone close to the surface by redrawing a preform having a rectangular cross section is provided. The preform includes at least a first and a second glass, wherein both glasses are not connected to each other in the preform in a force-fitting manner. The second glass has a higher thermal expansion coefficient than the first glass and is located in the preform in the interior of the glass tube of the first glass. A glass laminate having increased strength is also provided, which is composed as an at least three-layer composite material of at least two different glasses. The individual layers of the layer composite are connected to each other over the entire area and in a non-positive manner, in particular by melting, and the glass laminate has a thermally stable compressive stress zone in the areas close to the surface of the layer composite and a tensile stress zone in the inner region of the layer composite.

A method for producing a glass article having a compressive stress zone close to the surface by redrawing a preform having a rectangular cross section is provided. The preform includes at least a first and a second glass, wherein both glasses are not connected to each other in the preform in a force-fitting manner. The second glass has a higher thermal expansion coefficient than the first glass and is located in the preform in the interior of the glass tube of the first glass. A glass laminate having increased strength is also provided, which is composed as an at least three-layer composite material of at least two different glasses. The individual layers of the layer composite are connected to each other over the entire area and in a non-positive manner, in particular by melting, and the glass laminate has a thermally stable compressive stress zone in the areas close to the surface of the layer composite and a tensile stress zone in the inner region of the layer composite.

A method of manufacturing a polarizing glass sheet includes subjecting, while heating, a glass preform sheet containing metal halide particles to down-drawing, to thereby provide a glass member having stretched metal halide particles dispersed in an aligned manner in a glass matrix, and subjecting the glass member to reduction treatment to reduce the stretched metal halide particles, to thereby provide a polarizing glass sheet. A shape of the glass preform sheet during the down-drawing satisfies a relationship of the following expression:

L.sub.1/W.sub.11.0

where L.sub.1 represents a length between a portion in which a width of the glass preform sheet has changed to 0.8 times an original width and a portion in which the width of the glass preform sheet has changed to 0.2 times the original width W.sub.0, and W.sub.1 represents a length equivalent to 0.5 times the original width W.sub.0 of the glass preform sheet.

A method for the production of glass components, an apparatus for carrying out the method, and a glass component that is obtainable through the method are provided. The method is a drawing method wherein a forming zone of a preform is heated to a temperature that allows drawing of the glass. The method includes a forming zone of the preform that is very small. Thereby the width of the preform is decreased to a smaller extent than its thickness. The glass components that can be obtained by this method have very smooth surfaces.

A method for the production of glass components, an apparatus for carrying out the method, and a glass component that is obtainable through the method are provided. The method is a drawing method wherein a forming zone of a preform is heated to a temperature that allows drawing of the glass. The method includes a forming zone of the preform that is very small. Thereby the width of the preform is decreased to a smaller extent than its thickness. The glass components that can be obtained by this method have very smooth surfaces.

A method of drawing a material into sheet form includes forming a preform comprising at least one material as a large aspect ratio block wherein a first transverse dimension of the preform is much greater than a second transverse dimension substantially perpendicular to the first transverse dimension. A furnace having substantially linearly opposed heating elements one spaced from the other is provided and the heating elements are energized to apply heat to the preform to create a negative thermal gradient from an exterior surface along the first transverse dimension of the preform inward toward a central plane of the preform. The preform is drawn in such a manner that the material substantially maintains its first transverse dimension and deforms across its second transverse dimension.