Lithium silicate-diopside glass ceramics are described which are characterized by a controllable translucence and can be satisfactorily processed mechanically and therefore can be used in particular as restoration material in dentistry.

A transparent glass-ceramic composition including: of the formula Ta.sub.2-xAl.sub.xO.sub.5-x where x is less than 1; of the formula AlTaO.sub.4; of the formula AlPO.sub.4; a mixture of AlTaO.sub.4 and AlPO.sub.4; or a mixture of the formula Ta.sub.2-xAl.sub.xO.sub.5-x, AlTaO.sub.4, and AlPO.sub.4. Also disclosed are transparent glass-ceramic compositions including, for example, a dopant as defined herein, or a supplemental metal oxide or metalloid oxide of M.sub.xO.sub.y, M.sub.xM′.sub.xO.sub.y, or a mixture thereof such as oxides of Nb, Ti, W, B, or Ga, as defined herein. Also disclosed are methods of making the disclosed transparent glass-ceramic compositions, and optical articles, optical components, and optical apparatus thereof.

A transparent β-quartz glass ceramic is provided. The glass ceramic includes a primary crystal phase including a β-quartz solid solution, a secondary crystal phase including tetragonal ZrO.sub.2, and a lithium aluminosilicate amorphous phase. The glass ceramic may be ion exchanged utilizing molten nitrate salt baths. Methods for producing the glass ceramic are also provided.

Architectural structures including an inorganic material carrier including cement and particles or fibers of a glass including a plurality of Cu.sup.1+ ions. In aspects, the glass may have a glass phase and a cuprite phase. In aspects, the glasses may include a plurality of Cu.sup.1+ ions, a degradable phase including B.sub.2O.sub.3, P.sub.2O.sub.5 and K.sub.2O and a durable phase including SiO.sub.2. In other aspects, the glass can have a plurality of Cu.sup.1+ ions disposed on the surface of the glass and in the glass network and/or the glass matrix. The glasses and articles disclosed herein can exhibit a 2 log reduction or greater in a concentration of at least one of Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and E. coli, under the EPA Test Method for Efficacy of Copper Alloy as a Sanitizer testing condition and under Modified JIS Z 2801 for Bacteria testing conditions.

A silicate-based composition includes: 40-80 mol % SiO.sub.2, >0-25 mol % MO, 15-40 mol % R.sub.2O, >0-10 mol % Al.sub.2O.sub.3, >0-10 mol % P.sub.2O.sub.5, and >0-5 mol % ZrO.sub.2, such that MO is a sum of BeO, MgO, CaO, SrO, and BaO; and R.sub.2O is a sum of Li.sub.2O, Na.sub.2O, K.sub.2O, Rb.sub.2O, Cs.sub.2O.

A process for the manufacture of inorganic fibres comprises: (a) selecting a composition and proportion of: (i) silica sand; (ii) lime comprising at least 0.10 wt % magnesia; and (iii) optional additives comprising a source of oxides or non-oxides of one or more of the lanthanides series of elements, or combinations thereof; (b) mixing the silica sand; lime; and optional additives to form a mixture; (c) melting the mixture in a furnace; and (d) shaping the molten mixture into inorganic fibres. The raw materials selection comprises composition selection and proportion selection of the raw materials to obtain an inorganic fibre composition comprising a range of from 61.0 wt % and 70.8 wt % silica; less than 2.0 wt % magnesia; less than 2.0% incidental impurities; and no more than 2.0 wt % of metal oxides and/or metal non-oxides derived from said optional additives; with calcia providing the balance up to 100 wt %; and wherein the inorganic fibre composition comprises no more than 0.80 wt % Al.sub.2O.sub.3 derived from the incidental impurities and/or the optional additives.

The present invention relates to a crystallized glass including: at least one crystal of indialite and cordierite, in which the crystallized glass has a total amount of the crystal is 40 mass % or more of the crystallized glass, and the crystal comprises at least one of a vacancy and a different element at an Al site.

ZrO.sub.2-toughened glass ceramics having high molar fractions of tetragonal ZrO.sub.2 and fracture toughness value of greater than 1.8 MPa.Math.m.sup.1/2. The glass ceramic may also include also contain other secondary phases, including lithium silicates, that may be beneficial for toughening or for strengthening through an ion exchange process. Additional second phases may also decrease the coefficient of thermal expansion of the glass ceramic. A method of making such glass ceramics is also provided.

Dental composite composition including a glass ceramic and a curable organic material is described in which the glass ceramic includes a crystal phase having an average grain size of 50 to 400 nm, and the dental composite composition is provided as a dental prosthetic material exhibiting superior transparency and mechanical properties comparing to conventional composite products containing micro-sized crystal grains and also has excellent aesthetics and processability required for prosthetic materials for same-day dental prosthetic service.

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a glass-ceramic blank for dental purposes with lithium silicate as crystal phase, in which lithium silicate blanks that are no longer required and in particular residues thereof are used as starting material and which allows the production of a homogeneous starting glass within a short time.