Method and apparatus for strengthening glass

• Main Authors: LACOURSE, WILLIAM, POSTUPACK, DENNIS
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 11.05.2011
• Subjects: CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES, OR VITREOUSENAMELS; CHEMISTRY; GLASS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS; METALLURGY; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS,MINERALS OR SLAGS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS

An apparatus, comprising: a staging area; a glass article moving means for moving a glass article after forming of the glass article and prior to cooling the glass article to a temperature below the annealing point temperature of the glass article; a salt bath, the salt bath comprising molten salt, the glass article moving means being configured to move the glass article from the staging area and dip the glass article into the salt bath for 10 seconds or less, the glass article moving means being configured to dip glass articles having a surface temperatures of at least the annealing point temperature of the glass, the temperature of the salt bath being greater than the surface temperature of the article immediately preceding dipping; and a strengthening lehr, the strengthening lehr being configured to keep the glass article at a temperature between the strain point temperature of the glass and about 150°C below the strain point temperature for at least five minutes.