A process for manufacturing an electrochromic glazing unit includes forming, on one face of a glass sheet, a complete all-solid-state electrochromic stack including in succession a first layer of a transparent conductive oxide; a layer of a cathodically colored mineral electrochromic material to form an electrochromic electrode; a layer of an ionically conductive mineral solid electrolyte; a layer of a cation intercalation material to form a counter electrode; and a second layer of a transparent conductive oxide; then heat treatment of the complete electrochromic stack by irradiation with radiation having a wavelength comprised between 500 and 2000 nm, the radiation originating from a radiating device placed facing the electrochromic stack, a relative movement being created between the radiating device and the substrate so as to raise the electrochromic stack to a temperature at least equal to 300° C. for a brief duration, for example shorter than 100 milliseconds.

Methods for increasing the hydrolytic resistance of a glass article are disclosed. According to one embodiment, the method includes providing a glass article with a pre-treatment hydrolytic titration value. Thereafter, the glass article is thermally treated at a treatment temperature greater than a temperature 200C less than a strain temperature of the glass article for a treatment time greater than or equal to about 0.25 hours such that, after thermally treating the glass article, the glass article has a post-treatment hydrolytic titration value that is less than the pre-treatment hydrolytic titration value.

Disclosed herein are glass-based articles having a first surface having an edge, wherein a maximum optical retardation of the first surface is at the edge and the maximum optical retardation is less than or equal to about 40 nm and wherein the optical retardation decreases from the edge toward a central region of the first surface, the central region having a boundary defined by a distance from the edge toward a center point of the first surface, wherein the distance is ½ of the shortest distance from the edge to the center point.

A device for producing and removing an internal contour from a planar substrate comprising: a beam-producing- and beam-forming arrangement which is configured to perform: a contour definition step wherein a laser beam is guided over the substrate to produce a plurality of individual zones of internal damage in a substrate material along a contour line defining the internal contour; a crack deformation step, wherein the laser beam is guided over the substrate and produces a plurality of individual zones of internal damage in the substrate material to form a plurality of crack line portions that lead away from the contour line into the internal contour; and a material removal-step, wherein a laser beam directed towards the substrate surface that inscribes a removal line through a thickness of the substrate at the internal contour causes the internal contour to detach from the substrate.

The present invention provides an imprint method of performing a forming process which includes supplying an imprint material on a substrate and then forming a pattern of the imprint material on the substrate by using a mold, the method comprising: dispensing, on the substrate, an adhesion material to bring the substrate and the imprint material into tight contact with each other; performing a first annealing process of heating and cooling the substrate on which the adhesion material has been dispensed; conveying the substrate to which the first annealing process has been performed; performing a second annealing process of heating and cooling the substrate which has been conveyed in the conveying; and performing the forming process on the substrate to which the second annealing process has been performed.

A tooling for forming a sheet of glass includes a forming die made of electrically conductive material and a heating unit, distant from the forming die. The forming die includes a molding surface, a support to hold a sheet of glass away from and opposite the molding surface, and an induction circuit having an inductor extending in a cavity in the forming die. The heating unit includes a surface configured to produce thermal radiation opposite the molding surface, and an induction circuit having an inductor extending in a cavity of the heating unit. A connector connects the induction circuits to a high-frequency current generator.

A glass composition is provided. The glass composition includes: 25-40 wt % SiO.sub.2; 2.5-10 wt % B.sub.2O.sub.3; 0-10 wt % Al.sub.2O.sub.3; 0-15 wt % Li.sub.2O; 0-16 wt % of Li.sub.2O, Na.sub.2O, and K.sub.2O in total; 10-25 wt % CaO; 0-15 wt % BaO; 0-5 wt % MgO; 0-5 wt % SrO; 10-30 wt % CaO, BaO, MgO, and SrO in total; 0-7 wt % ZnO; 2-10 wt % ZrO; 2-15 wt % TiO.sub.2; 5-25 wt % Nb.sub.2O.sub.5; 0-5 wt % Ta.sub.2O.sub.5; 5-25 La.sub.2O.sub.3; and 0-5 wt % Y.sub.2O.sub.3. The glass composition has a refractive index from about 1.74 to about 1.80, a density from about 3.5 g/cm.sup.3 to about 4.0 g/cm.sup.3, a critical cooling rate from about 1° C./min to about 50° C./min, and a liquidus viscosity greater than 25 Poises.

A curved glass manufacturing method includes: successively stacking a lower mold, flat glass, and an upper mold, thereby forming a mold assembly; moving the mold assembly to a first chamber and then heating the same; moving the mold assembly from the first chamber to a second chamber and then pressurizing the upper mold so as to move the upper mold downward, thereby molding the flat glass in a curved shape; moving the mold assembly from the second chamber to a third chamber and then slowly cooling the molded glass; and moving the mold assembly from the third chamber to a fourth chamber and then cooling the molded glass. An elastic member is arranged between the lower mold and the upper mold and configured to define a space between the upper mold and the flat glass, and the elastic member is compressed when the upper mold is pressurized.

A sheet of glass can be formed in a batch process by introducing molten glass onto a layer of molten tin within a tank. The tank may be outfitted with infrared emitters to control the amount of heat delivered to the tank while the sheet of glass is formed. A lower surface of the tank can have a three-dimensional shape, and the molten tin may be removed from the tank while the sheet of glass is ductile so that the sheet of glass is molded by the three-dimensional shape, thereby producing a shaped sheet of glass. The delivery of infrared energy to the tank may be facilitated by one or more ceramic glass surface.

A windshield according to the present invention includes an outer glass plate, an inner glass plate that faces the outer glass plate, and an intermediate film disposed between the outer glass plate and the inner glass plate, and in at least a partial region of the outer glass plate and the inner glass plate, compressive principal stress on a surface on a vehicle exterior side of the outer glass plate is larger than compressive principal stress on a surface on a vehicle interior side of the inner glass plate.