A method for producing a solid body of glass is described. The method comprises providing a polymerisable composition, curing the polymerisable composition to obtain a cured body, subjecting the cured body to thermal debinding to substantially remove the organic components in the cured body, and subjecting the cured body to sintering to obtain a solid body of silica glass. The polymerisable composition one or more at least partially organic polymerisable compound(s) which form a liquid composition at operating temperature and a solid source of silica as colloidal silica particles or silica glass micro-/nanoparticles dispersed in the liquid composition. The one or more at least partially organic polymerisable compounds comprises at least one organosilicon compound as a second source of silica that is liquid or solubilisable in the liquid composition at operating temperature to thereby increase the silica loading of the cured body prior to sintering. Compositions and methods for producing solid glass objects by additive manufacturing are also described.

The present disclosure provides a method to fabricate three-dimensional transparent glass utilizing polymer plasticity, including the following steps. In step 1, synthesize polymer-glass powder composite containing dynamic chemical bonds, the bond exchange catalyst is added during the synthesis process, and then cure to obtain a two-dimensional sheet shape I, the bond exchange catalyst is used to activate a dynamic chemical bond in step 2. In step 2, shape the two-dimensional sheet shape I obtained in step 1 into a complex three-dimensional shape II under the conditions of the effect of an external force and the activable dynamic chemical bond. In step 3, pyrolyze the composite precursor at high temperature to obtain transparent glass with complex three-dimensional shape II. The present disclosure provides a method in shaping the transparent glass with complex geometries by unique polymer plasticity in lower temperature.

The present disclosure provides a method to fabricate three-dimensional transparent glass utilizing polymer plasticity, including the following steps. In step 1, synthesize polymer-glass powder composite containing dynamic chemical bonds, the bond exchange catalyst is added during the synthesis process, and then cure to obtain a two-dimensional sheet shape I, the bond exchange catalyst is used to activate a dynamic chemical bond in step 2. In step 2, shape the two-dimensional sheet shape I obtained in step 1 into a complex three-dimensional shape II under the conditions of the effect of an external force and the activable dynamic chemical bond. In step 3, pyrolyze the composite precursor at high temperature to obtain transparent glass with complex three-dimensional shape II. The present disclosure provides a method in shaping the transparent glass with complex geometries by unique polymer plasticity in lower temperature.

The present invention provides additive manufacturing compositions, also referred as “inks” in the field of additive manufacturing, which can be fine-tuned with respect to porosity by varying the intensity of the photopolymerisation light source and which can further be used to obtain objects out of glasses, ceramics or glass-ceramics and their respective alloys.

The invention relates to a process for manufacturing a microfluidic chip comprising a solid material obtained from a sol-gel solution, the process comprising successively: a) casting a sol-gel solution made with tetraethyl orthosilicate onto a mold presenting a relief pattern and having a different thickness over the whole of the mold; b) gelling the sol-gel solution; c) unmolding and drying the gel obtained in b), so as to obtain a solid glass; and d) bonding said solid glass to a support, so as to obtain the microfluidic chip.

A method for coating a composite structure, comprising applying a first slurry onto a surface of the composite structure, wherein the first slurry is a sol gel comprising a metal organic salt, a first carrier fluid, and a ceramic material, and heating the composite structure to a first sol gel temperature sufficient to form a sol gel-derived base layer on the composite structure.

A method for coating a composite structure, comprising applying a first slurry onto a surface of the composite structure, wherein the first slurry is a sol gel comprising a metal organic salt, a first carrier fluid, and a ceramic material, and heating the composite structure to a first sol gel temperature sufficient to form a sol gel-derived base layer on the composite structure.

A method for producing a solid body of glass is described. The method comprises providing a polymerisable composition, curing the polymerisable composition to obtain a cured body, subjecting the cured body to thermal debinding to substantially remove the organic components in the cured body, and subjecting the cured body to sintering to obtain a solid body of silica glass. The polymerisable composition one or more at least partially organic polymerisable compound(s) which form a liquid composition at operating temperature and a solid source of silica as colloidal silica particles or silica glass micro-/nanoparticles dispersed in the liquid composition. The one or more at least partially organic polymerisable compounds comprises at least one organosilicon compound as a second source of silica that is liquid or solubilisable in the liquid composition at operating temperature to thereby increase the silica loading of the cured body prior to sintering. Compositions and methods for producing solid glass objects by additive manufacturing are also described.

The invention relates to a continuous sol-gel method for producing quartz glass, comprising the following steps: (a) continuously metering a silicon alkoxide into a first reactor (R1) and carrying out an at least partial hydrolysis process by adding an aqueous mineral acid, thereby obtaining a first product flow (A); (b) continuously producing an aqueous silicic acid dispersion by continuously mixing water and silicic acid in a second reactor, thereby obtaining a second product flow (B); (c) continuously mixing the product flows (A) and (B) in a third reactor (R3) in order to produce a pre-sol, thereby obtaining a third product flow (C); (d) continuously adding an aqueous base to the product flow (C), thereby obtaining a sol; (e) continuously filling the exiting sol into moulds, thereby obtaining an aquagel; (f) drying the aquagel, thereby obtaining xerogels; and (g) sintering the xerogels, thereby obtaining quartz glass, with the proviso that at least one of the steps (a) to (e) additionally includes a degassing process of at least one feed material used in the step.

A sol-gel bioactive glass precursor, method for making sol-gel glasses, resultant sol-gel bioactive glasses, and methods of use thereof, which include introducing Na.sub.2O into the glass network during the sol-gel process through the use of Na-ethoxide, NaCl, or sodium silicate rather than sodium nitrate. Medical and industrial uses of such glasses.