Optical glass, glass preform, optical element, and optical instrument

Abstract

This invention provides an optical glass with excellent water resistance. The optical glass, by weight percentage, contains: SiO2: 1-19%; B2O3: 16-35%; Al2O3: greater than 0 but less than or equal to 8%; La2O3: 40-60%; Y2O3: greater than 0 but less than 20%; ZnO: greater than 0 but less than 10%; ZrO2: 0-5%, wherein the ratio of (Y2O3+ZrO2+Al2O3) / SiO2 is 0.5-2.0. Through a rational composition design, the optical glass obtained by this invention exhibits excellent water resistance, and its transmittance does not significantly decrease with long-term use, making it highly suitable for application in outdoor imaging systems that need to withstand harsh working environments.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an optical glass, and more particularly to an optical glass with excellent water resistance. Background Technology

[0002] Optical glass is commonly used to manufacture optical components such as lenses, prisms, and mirrors for optical instruments, and it must meet the imaging requirements of these instruments. The brightness of the image formed by an optical system is proportional to the transparency of the glass. After light passes through a series of prisms and lenses, some of the light energy is lost due to reflection at the interfaces of the optical components, while another portion is lost due to absorption by the glass itself. When the angle of incidence is less than 20°, reflection loss increases with the increase of the glass's refractive index; therefore, it is necessary to find ways to reduce the reflection loss of light energy. Simultaneously, the higher the transmittance of the glass at 400 nm, the less light is absorbed by the glass, resulting in a clearer image in the optical system; therefore, it is essential to find ways to improve the transmittance of optical glass.

[0003] As the application fields of optical systems expand, optical systems are inevitably subject to corrosion from acids, alkalis, salts, water, gases, etc. during use. This is especially true for outdoor security camera lenses and vehicle-mounted lenses. Compared with ordinary camera lenses, the quality of these outdoor devices is closely related to safety. The outdoor environment is mainly characterized by rain, dew, and water vapor. Therefore, optical glass must have excellent water resistance to ensure the imaging quality and lifespan of the optical system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an optical glass with excellent water resistance.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve the technical problem is:

[0006] (1) Optical glass, the composition of which is expressed as a percentage by weight, contains: SiO2: 1-19%; B2O3: 16-35%; Al2O3: greater than 0 but less than or equal to 8%; La2O3: 40-60%; Y2O3: greater than 0 but less than 20%; ZnO: greater than 0 but less than 10%; ZrO2: 0-5%, of which (Y2O3+ZrO2+Al2O3) / SiO2 is 0.5-2.0.

[0007] (2) The optical glass according to (1) further comprises, by weight percentage: Gd2O3: less than 6%; and / or TiO2: 0-3%; and / or Nb2O5: 0-1%; and / or WO3: 0-1%; and / or RO: 0-4%; and / or Rn2O: 0-4%; and / or clarifying agent: 0-1%, wherein the RO is one or more of BaO, CaO, MgO, and SrO, the Rn2O is one or more of Li2O, Na2O, and K2O, and the clarifying agent is one or more of Sb2O3, SnO2, SnO, and CeO2.

[0008] (3) Optical glass, comprising SiO2, B2O3, Al2O3, La2O3, Y2O3 and ZnO, wherein the composition, expressed as a weight percentage, contains 0-5% ZrO2, wherein the ratio of (Y2O3+ZrO2+Al2O3) / SiO2 is 0.5-2.0, and the refractive index n of the optical glass is... d The Abbe number ν ranges from 1.7150 to 1.7850. d The stability of water resistance is 50-55. W It is classified as category 2 or above.

[0009] (4) The optical glass according to (3) comprises, by weight percentage: SiO2: 1-19%; and / or B2O3: 16-35%; and / or Al2O3: greater than 0 but less than or equal to 8%; and / or La2O3: 40-60%; and / or Y2O3: greater than 0 but less than 20%; and / or ZnO: greater than 0 but less than 10%; and / or Gd2O3: less than 6%; and / or TiO2: 0–3%; and / or Nb2O5: 0–1%; and / or WO3: 0–1%; and / or RO: 0–4%; and / or Rn2O: 0–4%; and / or clarifying agent: 0–1%, wherein the RO is one or more of BaO, CaO, MgO, and SrO, the Rn2O is one or more of Li2O, Na2O, and K2O, and the clarifying agent is one or more of Sb2O3, SnO2, SnO, and CeO2.

[0010] (5) Optical glass, the composition of which is expressed as a percentage by weight, contains: SiO2: 1-19%; B2O3: 16-35%; Al2O3: greater than 0 but less than or equal to 8%; La2O3: 40-60%; Y2O3: greater than 0 but less than 20%; ZnO: greater than 0 but less than 10%.

[0011] (6) The optical glass according to (5) further comprises, by weight percentage: ZrO2: 0-5%; and / or Gd2O3: less than 6%; and / or TiO2: 0-3%; and / or Nb2O5: 0-1%; and / or WO3: 0-1%; and / or RO: 0-4%; and / or Rn2O: 0-4%; and / or clarifying agent: 0-1%, wherein RO is one or more of BaO, CaO, MgO, and SrO, Rn2O is one or more of Li2O, Na2O, and K2O, and the clarifying agent is one or more of Sb2O3, SnO2, SnO, and CeO2.

[0012] (7) Optical glass, the composition of which is expressed as a weight percentage as follows: SiO2: 1-19%; B2O3: 16-35%; Al2O3: greater than 0 but less than or equal to 8%; La2O3: 40-60%; Y2O3: greater than 0 but less than 20%; ZnO: greater than 0 but less than 10%; ZrO2: 0-5%; Gd2O3: less than 6%; TiO2: 0-3%; Nb2O5: 0-1%; WO3: 0-1%; RO: 0-4%; Rn2O: 0-4%; clarifier: 0-1%, wherein the RO is one or more of BaO, CaO, MgO, and SrO, the Rn2O is one or more of Li2O, Na2O, and K2O, and the clarifier is one or more of Sb2O3, SnO2, SnO, and CeO2.

[0013] (8) The optical glass according to any one of (1) to (7) has components expressed as a weight percentage that satisfy one or more of the following eight conditions:

[0014] 1) The ratio of (Y2O3+ZrO2+Al2O3) / SiO2 is 0.6 to 1.8, preferably 0.7 to 1.6, and more preferably 0.8 to 1.5;

[0015] 2) The ratio of (La2O3+SiO2) / B2O3 is 1.2 to 4.0, preferably 1.5 to 3.5, more preferably 2.0 to 3.0, and even more preferably 2.2 to 2.7.

[0016] 3) The ratio of (SiO2+Al2O3) / ZnO is 8.0 to 15.0, preferably 8.5 to 14.0, and more preferably 9.0 to 13.0;

[0017] 4) The ratio of (SiO2+Al2O3+La2O3) / (B2O3+Y2O3) is 1.0 to 3.0, preferably 1.2 to 2.7, and more preferably 1.5 to 2.3;

[0018] 5) The ratio of (La2O3+Y2O3) / B2O3 is 1.5 to 4.0, preferably 1.8 to 3.5, more preferably 2.0 to 3.0, and even more preferably 2.3 to 2.8.

[0019] 6) The ratio of (SiO2+Al2O3+La2O3) / Y2O3 is 4.0 to 7.0, preferably 4.5 to 6.7, more preferably 5.0 to 6.3, and even more preferably 5.2 to 6.2.

[0020] 7) The SiO2 / B2O3 ratio is 0.1 to 1.2, preferably 0.2 to 1.0, more preferably 0.3 to 0.8, and even more preferably 0.35 to 0.7;

[0021] 8) The ratio of La2O3 to Y2O3 is 3.5 to 5.5, preferably 3.8 to 5.2, and more preferably 4.0 to 5.0.

[0022] (9) The optical glass according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the components are expressed as weight percentages, wherein: SiO2: 6-18%, preferably SiO2: 9-17%, more preferably SiO2: greater than 11% but less than or equal to 16%; and / or B2O3: 20-30%, preferably B2O3: 21-27%; and / or Al2O3: greater than 1% but less than 6%, preferably Al2O3: greater than 2% but less than 4%; and / or La2O3: 46-55%. The preferred components are: La₂O₃: 47–53%; and / or Y₂O₃: greater than 5% but less than 16%, preferably Y₂O₃: greater than 8% but less than 14%; and / or ZnO: 0.5–5%, preferably ZnO: 0.5–3%, more preferably ZnO: 1–2%; and / or ZrO₂: 0.1–3%, preferably ZrO₂: 0.2–2%, more preferably ZrO₂: 0.3–1%; and / or Gd₂O₃: less than 4%, preferably Gd₂O₃: less than 2%, more preferably... The composition is preferably free of Gd₂O₃; and / or TiO₂: 0–2%, preferably 0–1%, more preferably 0–0.5%, and even more preferably free of TiO₂; and / or Nb₂O₅: 0–0.5%, preferably 0–0.1%, and even more preferably free of Nb₂O₅; and / or WO₃: 0–0.5%, preferably 0–0.1%, and even more preferably free of WO₃; and / or RO: 0–3%, preferably 0–2%, and even more preferably free of WO₃. Preferably, it does not contain RO; and / or Rn2O: 0-3%, preferably Rn2O: 0-2%, more preferably does not contain Rn2O; and / or clarifying agent: 0-0.5%, preferably clarifying agent: 0-0.1%, more preferably does not contain clarifying agent, wherein the RO is one or more of BaO, CaO, MgO, and SrO, the Rn2O is one or more of Li2O, Na2O, and K2O, and the clarifying agent is one or more of Sb2O3, SnO2, SnO, and CeO2.

[0023] (10) The refractive index n of the optical glass according to any one of (1) to (7) d The value is 1.7150 to 1.7850, preferably 1.7250 to 1.7750; and / or the Abbe number ν. d The value is 50 to 55, preferably 50.5 to 54.5.

[0024] (11) The water resistance stability D of the optical glass according to any one of (1) to (7) W It is of class 2 or more, preferably class 1; and / or the internal light transmittance τ at 400 nm 400 The coefficient of thermal expansion is 0.980 or higher, preferably 0.990 or higher, and more preferably 0.991 or higher; and / or the coefficient of thermal expansion α -30 / 70℃ 65×10 -7 / K or less, preferably 62×10-7 / K or less, preferably 60×10 -7 / K below; and / or density ρ of 4.30 g / cm³ 3 The preferred value is 4.20 g / cm³. 3 The preferred value is 4.10 g / cm³. 3 the following.

[0025] (12) Glass preform, made of any of the optical glass described in (1) to (11).

[0026] (13) Optical element, made of any of the optical glass described in (1) to (11), or made of the glass preform described in (12).

[0027] (14) An optical instrument containing any one of the optical glass described in (1) to (11), or containing the optical element described in (13).

[0028] The beneficial effects of this invention are: through reasonable component design, the optical glass obtained by this invention has excellent water resistance, and its transmittance will not decrease significantly after long-term use, making it very suitable for use in outdoor imaging systems that need to withstand harsh working environments.

[0029] In some embodiments, the optical glass obtained by the present invention has high light transmittance, which brings higher clarity to the optical system. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The embodiments of the optical glass of the present invention will now be described in detail. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and appropriate modifications can be made to implement it within the scope of the present invention's objectives. Furthermore, while there are instances of appropriate omissions in the repeated descriptions, this does not limit the scope of the invention. In the following text, the optical glass of the present invention will sometimes be simply referred to as glass.

[0031] Optical Glass

[0032] The composition range of each component in the optical glass of the present invention will be described below. In this invention, unless otherwise specified, the content of each component, the total content, and the aggregate content are all expressed as weight percentages (wt%), that is, the weight percentage of the content of each component, the total content, and the aggregate content relative to the total amount of glass material converted into oxide composition. Here, "converted into oxide composition" means that when the oxides, complex salts, and hydroxides used as raw materials for the optical glass of the present invention decompose and transform into oxides upon melting, the total amount of such oxides is taken as 100%.

[0033] Unless otherwise specified in the specific context, the numerical ranges listed in this invention include upper and lower limits, and "above" and "below" include endpoint values ​​and all integers and fractions included in the range, but are not limited to the specific values ​​listed when the range is defined. The term "and / or" as used herein is inclusive; for example, "A and / or B" means only A, or only B, or both A and B.

[0034] <Essential and Optional Components>

[0035] SiO2 is an essential component of the glass of the present invention. By ensuring that the SiO2 content is 1% or more, the water resistance of the glass can be improved and the coefficient of thermal expansion of the glass can be reduced. Therefore, the SiO2 content is 1% or more, preferably 6% or more, more preferably 9% or more, and even more preferably greater than 11%. On the other hand, by ensuring that the SiO2 content is 19% or less, the decrease in the glass refractive index can be suppressed and the difficulty of glass melting can be reduced. Therefore, the SiO2 content is 19% or less, preferably 18% or less, more preferably 17% or less, and even more preferably 16% or less.

[0036] B2O3 is an essential component of the glass of the present invention. By ensuring that the B2O3 content is 16% or more, the thermal stability of the glass can be improved, the density of the glass can be reduced, and the difficulty of melting the glass can be decreased. Therefore, the B2O3 content is 16% or more, preferably 20% or more, and more preferably 21% or more. On the other hand, by ensuring that the B2O3 content is 35% or less, the increase in the coefficient of thermal expansion of the glass can be suppressed. Therefore, the B2O3 content is 35% or less, preferably 30% or less, and more preferably 27% or less.

[0037] In some embodiments, having a SiO2 / B2O3 ratio in the range of 0.1 to 1.2 is beneficial for improving the water resistance and transmittance of the glass. Therefore, a SiO2 / B2O3 ratio of 0.1 to 1.2 is preferred, a SiO2 / B2O3 ratio of 0.2 to 1.0 is more preferred, a SiO2 / B2O3 ratio of 0.3 to 0.8 is even more preferred, and a SiO2 / B2O3 ratio of 0.35 to 0.7 is still preferred.

[0038] Al₂O₃ is an essential component of the glass of the present invention, which can improve the water resistance of the glass and reduce its coefficient of thermal expansion. Therefore, the content of Al₂O₃ is greater than 0%, preferably greater than 1%, and more preferably greater than 2%. On the other hand, by making the content of Al₂O₃ 8% or less, the liquidus temperature of the glass can be lowered. Therefore, the content of Al₂O₃ is 8% or less, preferably less than 6%, and more preferably less than 4%.

[0039] La2O3 is an essential component for improving the refractive index and Abbe number of glass; however, if its content is too high, the density of the glass increases significantly. Therefore, the La2O3 content is 40–60%, preferably 46–55%, and more preferably 47–53%.

[0040] In some embodiments, by keeping the ratio of the total content of La2O3 and SiO2 (La2O3+SiO2) to the content of B2O3 (La2O3+SiO2) / B2O3 in the range of 1.2 to 4.0, the density of the glass can be reduced while maintaining its optical constants and excellent water resistance. Therefore, a ratio of (La2O3+SiO2) / B2O3 of 1.2 to 4.0 is preferred, more preferably 1.5 to 3.5, and even more preferably 2.0 to 3.0. Furthermore, controlling the ratio of (La2O3+SiO2) / B2O3 in the range of 2.2 to 2.7 can further reduce the coefficient of thermal expansion of the glass. Therefore, a ratio of (La2O3+SiO2) / B2O3 of 2.2 to 2.7 is even more preferred.

[0041] Y₂O₃ can maintain a high refractive index and a high Abbe number, reduce the raw material cost of glass, and improve the mechanical strength of glass. Therefore, the Y₂O₃ content is greater than 0%, preferably greater than 5%, and more preferably greater than 8%. On the other hand, by keeping the Y₂O₃ content less than 20%, it is possible to prevent the water resistance of the glass from deteriorating. Therefore, the Y₂O₃ content is less than 20%, preferably less than 16%, and more preferably less than 14%.

[0042] In some embodiments, controlling the La2O3 / Y2O3 ratio within the range of 3.5 to 5.5 can improve the stability of the glass, reduce its coefficient of thermal expansion, and enhance its resistance to devitrification. Therefore, a La2O3 / Y2O3 ratio of 3.5 to 5.5 is preferred, a La2O3 / Y2O3 ratio of 3.8 to 5.2 is more preferred, and a La2O3 / Y2O3 ratio of 4.0 to 5.0 is even more preferred.

[0043] In some embodiments, controlling the ratio (SiO2+Al2O3+La2O3) / Y2O3 between the total content of SiO2, Al2O3, and La2O3 (SiO2+Al2O3+La2O3) and the content of Y2O3 (SiO2+Al2O3+La2O3) / Y2O3 within the range of 4.0 to 7.0 allows the glass to maintain the desired optical constant while improving its water resistance and reducing its density. Therefore, a ratio of (SiO2+Al2O3+La2O3) / Y2O3 of 4.0 to 7.0 is preferred, more preferably 4.5 to 6.7, and even more preferably 5.0 to 6.3. Furthermore, controlling (SiO2+Al2O3+La2O3) / Y2O3 within the range of 5.2 to 6.2 can further improve the transmittance of the glass. Therefore, the ratio of (SiO2+Al2O3+La2O3) / Y2O3 is further preferred to be 5.2 to 6.2.

[0044] In some embodiments, controlling the ratio of the total content of La2O3 and Y2O3 (La2O3+Y2O3) to the content of B2O3 (La2O3+Y2O3) / B2O3 within the range of 1.5 to 4.0 can enable the glass to obtain excellent transmittance, improve the stability of the glass, and prevent the glass from losing its devitrification resistance. Therefore, it is preferable that (La2O3+Y2O3) / B2O3 is 1.5 to 4.0, more preferably (La2O3+Y2O3) / B2O3 is 1.8 to 3.5, further preferably (La2O3+Y2O3) / B2O3 is 2.0 to 3.0, and even more preferably (La2O3+Y2O3) / B2O3 is 2.3 to 2.8.

[0045] In some embodiments, by controlling the ratio (SiO2+Al2O3+La2O3) / (B2O3+Y2O3) between the total content of SiO2, Al2O3, and La2O3 (SiO2+Al2O3+La2O3) and the total content of B2O3 and Y2O3 (B2O3+Y2O3), the water resistance of the glass can be improved, and the density and coefficient of thermal expansion of the glass can be reduced. Therefore, it is preferable that (SiO2+Al2O3+La2O3) / (B2O3+Y2O3) is 1.0-3.0, more preferably (SiO2+Al2O3+La2O3) / (B2O3+Y2O3) is 1.2-2.7, and even more preferably (SiO2+Al2O3+La2O3) / (B2O3+Y2O3) is 1.5-2.3.

[0046] ZrO2 can improve the refractive index and water resistance of glass, and its moderate content does not have a significant adverse effect on the glass transmittance. However, if the ZrO2 content is too high, ZrO2 can easily become crystal nuclei, leading to glass crystallization. Therefore, the ZrO2 content is 0-5%, preferably 0.1-3%, more preferably 0.2-2%, and even more preferably 0.3-1%.

[0047] In some embodiments, by keeping the ratio of the total content of Y2O3, ZrO2, and Al2O3 (Y2O3+ZrO2+Al2O3) to the content of SiO2 (Y2O3+ZrO2+Al2O3) / SiO2 in the range of 0.5 to 2.0, the glass can more easily obtain the desired optical constant while improving its water resistance. Therefore, it is preferable that (Y2O3+ZrO2+Al2O3) / SiO2 is 0.5 to 2.0, and more preferably (Y2O3+ZrO2+Al2O3) / SiO2 is 0.6 to 1.8. Furthermore, controlling (Y2O3+ZrO2+Al2O3) / SiO2 in the range of 0.7 to 1.6 can further improve the transmittance of the glass. Therefore, it is further preferred that the ratio of (Y2O3+ZrO2+Al2O3) / SiO2 is 0.7 to 1.6, and even more preferred that the ratio of (Y2O3+ZrO2+Al2O3) / SiO2 is 0.8 to 1.5.

[0048] ZnO can improve the meltability of glass raw materials and enhance glass stability; its appropriate content does not significantly adversely affect the glass's transmittance. In this invention, the ZnO content is greater than 0%, preferably 0.5% or more, and more preferably 1% or more. On the other hand, by keeping the ZnO content less than 10%, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the glass's refractive index and reduce devitrification caused by excessive viscosity reduction. Therefore, the ZnO content is less than 10%, preferably 5% or less, more preferably 3% or less, and even more preferably 2% or less.

[0049] In some embodiments, by controlling the total content of SiO2 and Al2O3, the ratio between SiO2+Al2O3 and ZnO (SiO2+Al2O3) / ZnO is within the range of 8.0 to 15.0, which enables the glass to possess excellent water resistance and melting properties, and improves the glass transmittance. Therefore, it is preferable that (SiO2+Al2O3) / ZnO is 8.0 to 15.0, more preferably (SiO2+Al2O3) / ZnO is 8.5 to 14.0, and even more preferably (SiO2+Al2O3) / ZnO is 9.0 to 13.0.

[0050] Gd₂O₃ is an optional component of the glass of the present invention, which can improve the refractive index and Abbe number of the glass. However, the raw material price of Gd₂O₃ is expensive, and a higher content of it will increase the production cost. Therefore, the content of Gd₂O₃ is less than 6%, preferably less than 4%, and more preferably less than 2%. In some embodiments, it is further preferred that Gd₂O₃ is not present.

[0051] TiO2 can improve the refractive index and Abbe number of glass, but it also negatively impacts the glass's transmittance. Therefore, the TiO2 content is 3% or less, preferably 2% or less, more preferably 1% or less, and even more preferably 0.5% or less. In particular, from the viewpoint of improving glass transmittance, it is even more preferable that the glass does not contain TiO2.

[0052] Nb₂O₅ is an optional component for increasing the refractive index of glass, but it also negatively impacts the transmittance of the glass and increases its density. Therefore, the Nb₂O₅ content is 1% or less, preferably 0.5% or less, and more preferably 0.1% or less. In particular, from the viewpoint of reducing the glass density and increasing its transmittance, it is further preferred that the glass does not contain Nb₂O₅.

[0053] WO3 is a component that improves the refractive index and melt flowability of glass, but it also negatively impacts the transmittance of glass and increases its density. Therefore, the WO3 content is 1% or less, preferably 0.5% or less, and more preferably 0.1% or less. In particular, from the viewpoint of reducing the density of glass and improving its transmittance, it is even more preferable to have no WO3 present.

[0054] RO (which can be one or more of BaO, CaO, MgO, and SrO) can improve the meltability of glass raw materials, but RO increases the coefficient of thermal expansion of glass and reduces its water resistance. Therefore, the RO content is 4% or less, preferably 3% or less, and more preferably 2% or less. In particular, based on the viewpoint of improving the water resistance of glass and reducing the coefficient of thermal expansion, it is even more preferable to have no RO.

[0055] Rn2O (which can be one or more of Li2O, Na2O, and K2O) can improve the melting properties of glass and lower its transition temperature, but Rn2O increases the coefficient of thermal expansion of glass and reduces its water resistance. Therefore, the Rn2O content is 4% or less, preferably 3% or less, and more preferably 2% or less. In particular, based on the viewpoint of improving the water resistance of glass and reducing the coefficient of thermal expansion, it is even more preferable to not contain Rn2O.

[0056] In some embodiments of the present invention, the clarification effect of glass can be improved by using one or more components selected from Sb₂O₃, SnO₂, SnO, and CeO₂ as a clarifying agent, which contains 0-1% of these components. However, since the present invention has a reasonable component design and its clarification effect is good and its bubble content is excellent, it is preferable to contain 0-0.5% of the clarifying agent, more preferably 0-0.1% of the clarifying agent, and even more preferably no clarifying agent.

[0057] <Components that should not be present>

[0058] In the glass of this invention, even if oxides of transition metals such as V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Ag, and Mo are contained in small amounts, either alone or in combination, the glass will be colored and absorb at specific wavelengths in the visible light region, thereby weakening the property of this invention to improve visible light transmittance. Therefore, it is preferable that the glass does not contain these oxides, especially for optical glass where transmittance in the visible light region is required.

[0059] Oxides of Th, Cd, Tl, Os, Be, and Se have been increasingly subject to controlled use in recent years due to their status as hazardous chemicals. Environmental protection measures are essential not only in glass manufacturing but also in processing and post-product disposal. Therefore, given the importance of environmental impact, it is preferable to avoid the presence of these substances, except where their contamination is unavoidable. This results in optical glass that is virtually free of pollutants. Consequently, the optical glass of this invention can be manufactured, processed, and disposed of even without specific environmental countermeasures. Furthermore, to achieve environmental friendliness, the optical glass of this invention preferably does not contain As₂O₃ and PbO.

[0060] The terms "not containing" and "0%" as used herein mean that the compound, molecule, or element was not intentionally added to the optical glass of this invention as a raw material; however, as raw materials and / or equipment for producing optical glass, there may be certain impurities or components that are not intentionally added, which may be present in small or trace amounts in the final optical glass, and such cases are also within the scope of protection of this patent.

[0061] The performance of the optical glass of the present invention will be described below:

[0062] <Refractive Index and Abbe Number>

[0063] Refractive index of optical glass (n) d ) and Abbe number (ν d Test according to the method specified in GB / T 7962.1—2010.

[0064] In some embodiments, the refractive index (n) of the optical glass of the present invention dThe upper limit is 1.7850, and the preferred upper limit is 1.7750.

[0065] In some embodiments, the refractive index (n) of the optical glass of the present invention d The lower limit is 1.7150, and the preferred lower limit is 1.7250.

[0066] In some embodiments, the Abbe number (ν) of the optical glass of the present invention d The upper limit for () is 55, and the preferred upper limit is 54.5.

[0067] In some embodiments, the Abbe number (ν) of the optical glass of the present invention d The lower limit is 50, and the preferred lower limit is 50.5.

[0068] <Stability under water resistance>

[0069] Water resistance stability of optical glass (D) w (Powder method) Tested according to the method specified in GB / T 17129. In this invention, the water resistance of glass is characterized by its water resistance stability.

[0070] In some embodiments, the water resistance stability (D) of the optical glass of the present invention is... w There are two or more categories, with category 1 being preferred.

[0071] <Light transmittance>

[0072] The light transmittance of optical glass is expressed as the internal light transmittance at 400 nm (τ). 400 The light transmittance is expressed as a value, and is tested according to the method specified in GB / T7962.12—2010, with a glass sample thickness of 10 mm. In this article, light transmittance can be simply referred to as transmittance.

[0073] In some embodiments, the internal light transmittance (τ) of the optical glass of the present invention at 400 nm is... 400 The value is 0.980 or higher, preferably 0.990 or higher, and more preferably 0.991 or higher.

[0074] Coefficient of thermal expansion

[0075] The coefficient of thermal expansion of optical glass (α) -30 / 70℃ Data for -30 to 70℃ were tested according to the method specified in GB / T 7962.16-2010.

[0076] In some embodiments, the coefficient of thermal expansion (α) of the optical glass of the present invention is... -30 / 70℃ ) is 65×10 -7 / K or less, preferably 62×10 -7 / K or less, preferably 60×10 -7 / K or below.

[0077] <Density>

[0078] The density (ρ) of optical glass is tested according to the method specified in GB / T 7962.20-2010.

[0079] In some embodiments, the density (ρ) of the optical glass of the present invention is 4.30 g / cm³. 3 The preferred value is 4.20 g / cm³. 3 The following is a preferred value: 4.10 g / cm³ 3 the following.

[0080] [Manufacturing Method]

[0081] The manufacturing method of the optical glass of this invention is as follows: The glass of this invention is produced using conventional raw materials and processes, including but not limited to using oxides, hydroxides, boric acid, and various salts (carbonates, nitrates, sulfates, etc.) as raw materials. After being batched according to conventional methods, the batched furnace charge is put into a melting furnace (such as a platinum crucible) at 1200-1400°C for melting. After clarification and homogenization, a homogeneous molten glass without bubbles and undissolved substances is obtained. This molten glass is then cast in a mold and annealed. Those skilled in the art can appropriately select raw materials, process methods, and process parameters according to actual needs.

[0082] [Glass preforms and optical components]

[0083] Glass preforms can be manufactured from the produced optical glass using methods such as direct drop forming, grinding, or hot pressing. Specifically, glass preforms can be manufactured by directly and precisely drop-forming molten optical glass into precision glass preforms, or by machining such as grinding and polishing, or by hot pressing a preform made from optical glass for compression molding followed by grinding. It should be noted that the methods for preparing glass preforms are not limited to the methods described above.

[0084] As described above, the optical glass of the present invention is useful for various optical components and optical designs. It is particularly preferred to form a preform from the optical glass of the present invention, and to use the preform for hot pressing, precision stamping, etc., to manufacture optical components such as lenses and prisms.

[0085] Both the glass preform and the optical element of the present invention are formed from the optical glass described above. The glass preform of the present invention possesses the excellent properties of optical glass; the optical element of the present invention possesses the excellent properties of optical glass, and can provide various optical elements such as lenses and prisms with high optical value.

[0086] Examples of lenses include concave meniscus lenses, convex meniscus lenses, biconvex lenses, biconcave lenses, plano-convex lenses, plano-concave lenses, and so on, where the lens surface is spherical or aspherical.

[0087] [Optical Instruments]

[0088] The optical elements formed by the optical glass of this invention can be used to manufacture optical instruments such as photographic equipment, video equipment, projection equipment, display equipment, vehicle-mounted equipment, and monitoring equipment.

[0089] Example

[0090] <Example of Optical Glass>

[0091] To further illustrate and explain the technical solution of the present invention, the following non-limiting embodiments are provided.

[0092] In this embodiment, optical glass with the composition shown in Tables 1 and 2 was obtained using the optical glass manufacturing method described above. Furthermore, the properties of each glass were measured using the testing method described in this invention, and the measurement results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

[0093] Table 1.

[0094]

[0095] Table 2.

[0096]

[0097] <Example of Glass Prefabricated Components>

[0098] The glass obtained from optical glass Examples 1 to 10# is used to manufacture preforms of various lenses and prisms, such as concave meniscus lenses, convex meniscus lenses, biconvex lenses, biconcave lenses, plano-convex lenses, and plano-concave lenses, by means of grinding, hot pressing, precision stamping, or other molding methods.

[0099] <Optical Component Examples>

[0100] Annealing these preforms obtained from the above glass preform examples reduces internal deformation of the glass while fine-tuning them so that optical properties such as refractive index reach the desired values.

[0101] Next, the prefabricated parts are ground and polished to produce various lenses and prisms, such as concave meniscus lenses, convex meniscus lenses, biconvex lenses, biconcave lenses, plano-convex lenses, and plano-concave lenses. Anti-reflective coatings can also be applied to the surface of the resulting optical elements.

[0102] <Examples of Optical Instruments>

[0103] The optical elements obtained from the above-described optical element embodiments can be used, through optical design, to form optical components or optical assemblies by using one or more optical elements. They can be used in, for example, imaging devices, sensors, microscopes, medical technology, digital projection, communications, optical communication technology / information transmission, optics / lighting in the automotive field, photolithography, excimer lasers, wafers, computer chips, and integrated circuits and electronic devices including such circuits and chips, or for camera equipment and devices in the automotive field.

Claims

1. Optical glass, characterized in that, Its composition, expressed as a weight percentage, contains: SiO2: 1–19%; B2O3: 16–35%; Al2O3: greater than 0 but less than or equal to 8%; La2O3: 40–60%; Y2O3: greater than 0 but less than 20%; ZnO: greater than 0 but less than 10%; ZrO2: 0–5%, wherein (Y2O3+ZrO2+Al2O3) / SiO2 is 0.5–2.

0.

2. The optical glass according to claim 1, characterized in that, Its components, expressed as a percentage by weight, also contain: Gd2O3: less than 6%; and / or TiO2: 0–3%; and / or Nb2O5: 0–1%; and / or WO3: 0–1%; and / or RO: 0–4%; and / or Rn2O: 0–4%; and / or clarifying agent: 0–1%, wherein the RO is one or more of BaO, CaO, MgO, and SrO, the Rn2O is one or more of Li2O, Na2O, and K2O, and the clarifying agent is one or more of Sb2O3, SnO2, SnO, and CeO2.

3. Optical glass, characterized in that, Its composition includes SiO2, B2O3, Al2O3, La2O3, Y2O3, and ZnO. The composition, expressed as a weight percentage, contains 0–5% ZrO2, with the (Y2O3+ZrO2+Al2O3) / SiO2 ratio being 0.5–2.

0. The refractive index n of the optical glass is... d The Abbe number ν ranges from 1.7150 to 1.7850. d The stability of water resistance is 50-55. W It is classified as category 2 or above.

4. The optical glass according to claim 3, characterized in that, Its components, expressed as a percentage by weight, contain: SiO2: 1-19%; and / or B2O3: 16-35%; and / or Al2O3: greater than 0 but less than or equal to 8%; and / or La2O3: 40-60%; and / or Y2O3: greater than 0 but less than 20%; and / or ZnO: greater than 0 but less than 10%; and / or Gd2O3: less than 6%; and / or TiO2: 0-3%; and / or Nb2O5: 0-1%; and / or WO3: 0-1%; and / or RO: 0-4%; and / or Rn2O: 0-4%; and / or clarifying agent: 0-1%, wherein the RO is one or more of BaO, CaO, MgO, and SrO, the Rn2O is one or more of Li2O, Na2O, and K2O, and the clarifying agent is one or more of Sb2O3, SnO2, SnO, and CeO2.

5. The optical glass according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, Its components, expressed as a weight percentage, satisfy one or more of the following eight conditions: 1) The ratio of (Y2O3+ZrO2+Al2O3) / SiO2 is 0.6 to 1.8, preferably 0.7 to 1.6, and more preferably 0.8 to 1.5; 2) The ratio of (La2O3+SiO2) / B2O3 is 1.2 to 4.0, preferably 1.5 to 3.5, more preferably 2.0 to 3.0, and even more preferably 2.2 to 2.

7. 3) The ratio of (SiO2+Al2O3) / ZnO is 8.0 to 15.0, preferably 8.5 to 14.0, and more preferably 9.0 to 13.0; 4) The ratio of (SiO2+Al2O3+La2O3) / (B2O3+Y2O3) is 1.0 to 3.0, preferably 1.2 to 2.7, and more preferably 1.5 to 2.3; 5) The ratio of (La2O3+Y2O3) / B2O3 is 1.5 to 4.0, preferably 1.8 to 3.5, more preferably 2.0 to 3.0, and even more preferably 2.3 to 2.

8. 6) The ratio of (SiO2+Al2O3+La2O3) / Y2O3 is 4.0 to 7.0, preferably 4.5 to 6.7, more preferably 5.0 to 6.3, and even more preferably 5.2 to 6.

2. 7) The SiO2 / B2O3 ratio is 0.1 to 1.2, preferably 0.2 to 1.0, more preferably 0.3 to 0.8, and even more preferably 0.35 to 0.7; 8) The ratio of La2O3 to Y2O3 is 3.5 to 5.5, preferably 3.8 to 5.2, and more preferably 4.0 to 5.

0.

6. The optical glass according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, Its components are expressed as a percentage by weight, wherein: SiO2: 6-18%, preferably SiO2: 9-17%, more preferably SiO2: greater than 11% but less than or equal to 16%; and / or B2O3: 20-30%, preferably B2O3: 21-27%; and / or Al2O3: greater than 1% but less than 6%, preferably Al2O3: greater than 2% but less than 4%; and / or La2O3: 46-55%, preferably La2O3: 47-53%; And / or Y₂O₃: greater than 5% but less than 16%, preferably Y₂O₃: greater than 8% but less than 14%; and / or ZnO: 0.5-5%, preferably ZnO: 0.5-3%, more preferably ZnO: 1-2%; and / or ZrO₂: 0.1-3%, preferably ZrO₂: 0.2-2%, more preferably ZrO₂: 0.3-1%; and / or Gd₂O₃: less than 4%, preferably Gd₂O₃: less than 2%, more preferably not containing Gd₂O₃; and / or TiO2: 0-2%, preferably TiO2: 0-1%, more preferably TiO2: 0-0.5%, further preferably without TiO2; and / or Nb2O5: 0-0.5%, preferably Nb2O5: 0-0.1%, more preferably without Nb2O5; and / or WO3: 0-0.5%, preferably WO3: 0-0.1%, more preferably without WO3; and / or RO: 0-3%, preferably RO: 0-2%, more preferably without RO; and / or Rn2O: 0-3%, preferably Rn2O: 0-2%, more preferably without Rn2O; and / or clarifying agent: 0-0.5%, preferably clarifying agent: 0-0.1%, more preferably without clarifying agent, wherein the RO is one or more of BaO, CaO, MgO, and SrO, the Rn2O is one or more of Li2O, Na2O, and K2O, and the clarifying agent is one or more of Sb2O3, SnO2, SnO, and CeO2.

7. The optical glass according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The refractive index n of the optical glass d The value is 1.7150 to 1.7850, preferably 1.7250 to 1.7750; and / or the Abbe number ν. d The value is 50 to 55, preferably 50.5 to 54.

5.

8. The optical glass according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The water resistance stability D of the optical glass W It is of class 2 or more, preferably class 1; and / or the internal light transmittance τ at 400 nm 400 The coefficient of thermal expansion is 0.980 or higher, preferably 0.990 or higher, and more preferably 0.991 or higher; and / or the coefficient of thermal expansion α -30 / 70℃ 65×10 -7 / K or less, preferably 62×10 -7 / K or less, preferably 60×10 -7 / K below; and / or density ρ of 4.30 g / cm³ 3 The preferred value is 4.20 g / cm³. 3 The preferred value is 4.10 g / cm³. 3 the following.

9. A glass precast component, characterized in that, It is made of the optical glass described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. An optical element, characterized in that, It is made of the optical glass described in any one of claims 1 to 8, or of the glass preform described in claim 9.

11. An optical instrument, characterized in that, It contains the optical glass according to any one of claims 1 to 8, or the optical element according to claim 10.

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