A method of masking glass in an ion exchange bath includes applying a dissolvable sealant to a cover material, adhering the cover material to a glass part to form a mask on the glass part, immersing the glass part into an ion exchange bath. removing the glass part from the ion exchange bath, and using a solvent to dissolve the sealant and the cover material from the glass part. A mask on glass having a piece of glass, and a dissolvable sealant on a cover material, the dissolvable sealant comprising an inorganic material and a silicate, the dissolvable sealant between the cover material and the piece of glass.

A glass-ceramic article comprises: a center-volume composition comprising (on an oxide basis): 55-75 mol % SiO.sub.2; 0.2-10 mol % Al.sub.2O.sub.3; 0-5 mol % B.sub.2O.sub.3; 15-30 mol % Li.sub.2O; 0-2 mol % Na.sub.2O; 0-2 mol % K.sub.2O; 0-5 mol % MgO; 0-2 mol % ZnO; 0.2-3.0 mol % P.sub.2O.sub.5; 0.1-10 mol % ZrO.sub.2; 0-4 mol % TiO.sub.2; and 0-1.0 mol % SnO.sub.2. Lithium disilicate and either ?-spodumene or ?-quartz are the two predominant crystalline phases (by weight) of the glass-ceramic article. The glass-ceramic article further comprises tetragonal ZrO.sub.2 as a crystalline phase. The composition of the glass-ceramic article from a primary surface into a thickness of the glass-ceramic article can comprise over 10 mol % Na.sub.2O (on an oxide basis), with the mole percentage of Na.sub.2O decreasing from the primary surface towards the center-volume. The glass-ceramic article exhibits a ring-on-ring load-to-failure of at least 120 kgf, when the thickness of the glass-ceramic article is 0.3 mm to 2.0 mm.

A color-stable, antimicrobial glass powder obtained by partial ion exchange at a temperature of 300 C. to 350 C. and an exchange time of 1 to 120 minutes, is formed of a mixture of porous glass particles having micropores and macropores made of borosilicate glass continuously foamed by extrusion having a Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 content <0.2 wt %, in which the obtained glass foam is subsequently comminuted by dry grinding to average particle sizes of 1.0 to 8.0 m. The mixture includes color stabilizers containing 0.1% to 0.2% of ammonium ions and antimicrobial metal ions from dissolved metal salts, wherein the metal ions may be silver and/or zinc and/or copper ions. A method for the production of a color-stable, antimicrobial glass powder and applications for using the color-stable, antimicrobial glass powder are also provided.

Described herein are various antimicrobial glass articles that have improved resistance to discoloration when exposed to harsh conditions. The improved antimicrobial glass articles described herein generally include a glass substrate that has a low concentration of nonbridging oxygen atoms, a compressive stress layer and an antimicrobial silver-containing region that each extend inward from a surface of the glass substrate to a specific depth, such that the glass article experiences little-to-no discoloration when exposed to harsh conditions. Methods of making and using the glass articles are also described.

A fire-resistant pane including at least one float glass pane with a tin bath side, at least one protective layer that is arranged on the tin bath side in a planar manner, and at least one fire-resistant layer that is arranged on the protective layer in a planar manner, wherein the protective layer contains metal oxide, metal nitride, metal silicide, and/or mixtures or layered compounds thereof.

The efficiency of ion exchange processes is increased by increasing the concentration of nitrite salts in the molten salt bath. The increase in nitrite salt concentration may be achieved by adding a nitrite salt to a molten nitrate salt bath, aging a molten nitrate salt bath, or a combination thereof. The glass-based articles produced using the modified baths exhibit reduced haze and increased flexural strength

A method of chemically strengthening a glass. The method includes heating an ion exchange solution to a temperature less than about 360 C., and contacting the glass and the strengthening solution at the temperature for a duration from about 0.5 hours to about 24 hours. The ion exchange solution includes a primary nitrate and at least one monovalent or divalent cation nitrate component in an amount from about 1 wt. % to about 10 wt. %.

Embodiments of antimicrobial materials are provided. In one or more embodiments, the antimicrobial materials include an inorganic substrate including a surface portion surrounding an internal portion and an antimicrobial agent disposed on any one or more of the surface portion and the internal portion. In some embodiments, the inorganic substrate included alkali and at least a portion of the alkali is present on the surface portion. In another embodiment the antimicrobial agent is infused into the substrate. In some instances, non-alkali components present in the substrate are replaced with the antimicrobial agent. In some embodiments, anions in the substrate are replaced with the antimicrobial agent. Compositions including the antimicrobial materials are disclosed and methods for making the antimicrobial materials and compositions are also provided.

A method for tinting glass lenses, comprising the immersion of a glass lens in a bath comprising at least one salt constituted by a cation selected from the group constituted by a transition metal, a metal of the p block of the periodic table, a rare earth metal, and by an anion selected from the group constituted by a halide, a sulfate, a nitrate; the tinting salt is mixed with another salt constituted by a cation selected from the group constituted by an alkaline metal, an alkaline earth metal, and by an anion selected from the group constituted by a halide, a sulfate, a nitrate.

Glass-based articles having sections of different thicknesses where a maximum central tension in a thinner section is less than that of a thicker section. The articles comprise an alkali metal oxide having a independent nonzero concentrations that vary along at least a portion of the thickness of each section. Consumer electronic products may comprise the glass-based articles having sections of different thicknesses.