Schott Ag

Schott Glas

Stefan Postrach

Manfred Borens

Stefano Merolla

Karsten Von Westernhagen

Lars Christian Herzbach

Gerald Wasem

Steffen Thiel

A process is disclosed for simple and rapid production of a shaped body comprising fused silica and a shaped body which leads to virtually no contamination of a melt in contact with the shaped body even at high temperatures. The disclosed process comprises the steps of: a) provision of fused silica in the form of essentially amorphous SiOgrains of which not more than 5% have a diameter greater than 15 mm, b) addition of water to the fused silica grains to produce a slip, c) casting of the slip into a mold which comprises a hollow body having the inverse shape of the shaped body to be produced, and d) drying of the slip to give an intermediate body, which is then sintered and cooled. A shaped body producible in accordance with the aforementioned process is also disclosed, which comprises at least 99.0 mol % of SiO.

[object Object]

A microstructure is formed in a viscous glass or plastic substrate by pressing a structured surface of a forming tool corresponding to a negative of the microstructure to be produced in the viscous glass or plastic substrate. After the microstructure has been formed, the forming tool is removed from the surface. In order to help form the microstructure and remove the forming tool from the substrate the forming tool has an at least partially porous base body ( ) and an operative layer ( ) structured with a negative structure consisting of grooves ( ) extending to the porous base body ( ). The forming of the microstructure in the substrate is assisted by applying suction to the porous base body ( ) so that the grooves ( ) fill more easily and completely with melted glass or plastic material. The removal of the forming tool after forming the microstructure is assisted by applying an overpressure to the porous body to help release the solidified glass or plastic material from the forming tool.

Method for making a microstructure in a glass or plastic substrate according to hot-forming technology and associated forming tool

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Mainz, Germany

Stefan Postrach