A fiber and a fiber manufacturing method are provided, in which IGCC slag constitute a component of raw materials of the fiber. The fiber can be fabricated stably from the melt of the raw materials by the method in which the raw materials are preheated up to 1300° C. or higher; the raw materials are maintained at the same temperature for certain period of time; subsequently, the temperature of the raw materials are raised further to cause the melted materials are spun into fiber.

A fiber and a fiber manufacturing method are provided, in which IGCC slag constitute a component of raw materials of the fiber. The fiber can be fabricated stably from the melt of the raw materials by the method in which the raw materials are preheated up to 1300° C. or higher; the raw materials are maintained at the same temperature for certain period of time; subsequently, the temperature of the raw materials are raised further to cause the melted materials are spun into fiber.

A nozzle tip for producing glass fibers has a pair of long-side walls and a pair of short-side walls, each of the long-side walls and the short-side walls containing platinum or a platinum alloy, and a nozzle orifice for discharging the glass melt, the nozzle orifice being formed by the long-side walls and the short-side walls. The nozzle orifice has a flat hole shape in horizontal cross-section. Each of the long-side walls has a cut-out on a discharge side of the glass melt, a width of the cut-out being 10-55% of a length of a longitudinal center axis of the flat hole shape of the nozzle orifice. The pair of long-side walls has a symmetrical shape about the center axis of the nozzle orifice. This nozzle tip makes it possible to efficiently produce glass fibers having a desired cross-sectional shape.

A nozzle tip for producing glass fibers has a pair of long-side walls and a pair of short-side walls, each of the long-side walls and the short-side walls containing platinum or a platinum alloy, and a nozzle orifice for discharging the glass melt, the nozzle orifice being formed by the long-side walls and the short-side walls. The nozzle orifice has a flat hole shape in horizontal cross-section. Each of the long-side walls has a cut-out on a discharge side of the glass melt, a width of the cut-out being 10-55% of a length of a longitudinal center axis of the flat hole shape of the nozzle orifice. The pair of long-side walls has a symmetrical shape about the center axis of the nozzle orifice. This nozzle tip makes it possible to efficiently produce glass fibers having a desired cross-sectional shape.

A method for adjusting an etchability of a first borosilicate glass by heating the first borosilicate glass; combining the first borosilicate glass with a second borosilicate glass to form a composite; and etching the composite with an etchant. A material having a protrusive phase and a recessive phase, where the protrusive phase protrudes from the recessive phase to form a plurality of nanoscale surface features, and where the protrusive phase and the recessive phase have the same composition.

A method for adjusting an etchability of a first borosilicate glass by heating the first borosilicate glass; combining the first borosilicate glass with a second borosilicate glass to form a composite; and etching the composite with an etchant. A material having a protrusive phase and a recessive phase, where the protrusive phase protrudes from the recessive phase to form a plurality of nanoscale surface features, and where the protrusive phase and the recessive phase have the same composition.

The present invention provides a glass fiber composition, glass fiber and composite material therefrom. The glass fiber composition comprises the following components expressed as percentage by weight: 56-64% SiO.sub.2, 12-18% Al.sub.2O.sub.3, 0.1-1% Na.sub.2O, 0.1-1% K.sub.2O, 0.1-1% Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, 0.05-1% Li.sub.2O+Bi.sub.2O.sub.3, 19-25% CaO+MgO+SrO, 0.1-1.5% TiO.sub.2 and 0-1% CeO.sub.2, wherein a weight percentage ratio C1=Li.sub.2O/Bi.sub.2O.sub.3 is greater than 1, and a weight percentage ratio C2=(MgO+SrO)/CaO is 0.4-1, and a weight percentage ratio C3=MgO/(MgO+SrO) is greater than 0.7. Said composition reduces the amount of bubbles, viscosity and crystallization risk of the glass, thereby making it more suitable for large-scale production with refractory-lined furnaces.

Processes and systems for producing glass fibers having regions devoid of glass using submerged combustion melters, including feeding a vitrifiable feed material into a feed inlet of a melting zone of a melter vessel, and heating the vitrifiable material with at least one burner directing combustion products of an oxidant and a first fuel into the melting zone under a level of the molten material in the zone. One or more of the burners is configured to impart heat and turbulence to the molten material, producing a turbulent molten material comprising a plurality of bubbles suspended in the molten material, the bubbles comprising at least some of the combustion products, and optionally other gas species introduced by the burners. The molten material and bubbles are drawn through a bushing fluidly connected to a forehearth to produce a glass fiber comprising a plurality of interior regions substantially devoid of glass.

Processes and systems for producing glass fibers having regions devoid of glass using submerged combustion melters, including feeding a vitrifiable feed material into a feed inlet of a melting zone of a melter vessel, and heating the vitrifiable material with at least one burner directing combustion products of an oxidant and a first fuel into the melting zone under a level of the molten material in the zone. One or more of the burners is configured to impart heat and turbulence to the molten material, producing a turbulent molten material comprising a plurality of bubbles suspended in the molten material, the bubbles comprising at least some of the combustion products, and optionally other gas species introduced by the burners. The molten material and bubbles are drawn through a bushing fluidly connected to a forehearth to produce a glass fiber comprising a plurality of interior regions substantially devoid of glass.

Provided is a method for producing glass fiber, capable of stably performing the spinning of glass fibers without mixing of red crystals in glass fibers. When glass fibers are formed by discharging, from a nozzle tip, a molten glass obtained by melting glass raw materials mixed so as to give a glass composition including, when melted, in relation to the total amount thereof, SiO.sub.2 in a range from 57.0 to 62.0% by mass, Al.sub.2O.sub.3 in a range from 15.0 to 20.0% by mass, MgO in a range from 7.5 to 12.0% by mass, and CaO in a range from 9.0 to 16.5% by mass, and having a total content of SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, MgO and CaO of 98.0% by mass or more, the glass composition includes B.sub.2O.sub.3, Li.sub.2O, or B.sub.2O.sub.3 and Li.sub.2O as an additive or additives capable of suppressing the generation of red crystals.