In a method of making pixelated scintillators, an amorphous scintillator material in a molten state is pressed into a plurality of cavities defined by a plurality of walls of a mesh array. The molten scintillator material in the plurality of cavities is cooled to form a pixelated scintillator array. An x-ray imager including a pixelated scintillator is also described.

Described are glass-forming molds made of a graphite mold body and a coating formed by atomic layer deposition, with the coating being made of alumina or a combination of alumina and yttria.

A method for treating a mold includes grinding an outer metal surface of a mold body of the mold with a first material; lapping the outer metal surface after the grinding with a second material that is finer than the first material; and polishing the outer metal surface after the lapping to achieve an average surface roughness (R.sub.a) less than or equal to about 0.15 m and a waviness height (W.sub.a) less than or equal to about 100 nm. A mold for shaping glass-based material can include a mold body having an outer metal surface, wherein the outer metal surface has an average surface roughness (R.sub.a) less than or equal to about 0.15 m and a waviness height (W.sub.a) less than or equal to about 100 nm.

A method for treating a mold includes grinding an outer metal surface of a mold body of the mold with a first material; lapping the outer metal surface after the grinding with a second material that is finer than the first material; and polishing the outer metal surface after the lapping to achieve an average surface roughness (R.sub.a) less than or equal to about 0.15 m and a waviness height (W.sub.a) less than or equal to about 100 nm. A mold for shaping glass-based material can include a mold body having an outer metal surface, wherein the outer metal surface has an average surface roughness (R.sub.a) less than or equal to about 0.15 m and a waviness height (W.sub.a) less than or equal to about 100 nm.

Described are glass-forming molds made of a graphite mold body and a coating formed by atomic layer deposition, with the coating being made of alumina or a combination of alumina and yttria.

In a method of making pixelated scintillators, an amorphous scintillator material in a molten state is pressed into a plurality of cavities defined by a plurality of walls of a mesh array. The molten scintillator material in the plurality of cavities is cooled to form a pixelated scintillator array. An x-ray imager including a pixelated scintillator is also described.

In a method of making pixelated scintillators, an amorphous scintillator material in a molten state is pressed into a plurality of cavities defined by a plurality of walls of a mesh array. The molten scintillator material in the plurality of cavities is cooled to form a pixelated scintillator array. An x-ray imager including a pixelated scintillator is also described.

A mold for shaping glass-based material can include a mold body having a surface, wherein at least a portion of the mold body near the surface comprises at least about 90% by weight nickel and from about 0.2% to about 0.35% by weight manganese; and a nickel oxide layer on the surface of the mold body. The nickel oxide layer has first and second opposing surfaces wherein the first surface of the nickel oxide layer contacts and faces the surface of the mold body and the second surface of the nickel oxide layer includes a plurality of grains. The plurality of grains has an average grain size of about 150 m or less.

In one aspect, a pressing unit is provided, comprising: a mold and a plunger, and a coating configured on at least one of: the surface of the mold and/or the surface of the plunger, where the coating is configured adjacent to the areas where molten or hot glass or glass ceramic touches; wherein the coating comprises: a mold release coating, configured as the gob-contacting surface, wherein the mold release coating comprises: at least two solid lubricants selected from tungsten disulfide, boron nitride, glassy carbon and graphite; and a thermal barrier coating comprising barrier material components and an organo-silica binder.

A powder useful for making a mold utilized for shaping glass-based materials includes at least about 50% by weight nickel. Metal oxides that are not miscible with nickel may be dispersed within the powder in an amount in a range from about 0.2 to about 15% by volume. A mold made from the powder may have a mold body having a composition comprising at least 50% by weight nickel and a metal oxide that is not miscible with nickel in an amount in a range from about 0.2 to about 15% by volume, a nickel oxide layer on a surface of the mold body wherein the nickel oxide layer has first and second opposing surfaces, the first surface of the nickel oxide layer contacts and faces the surface of the mold body, the second surface of the nickel oxide layer includes a plurality of grains, and the plurality of grains has an average grain size of about 100 m or less.