Transparent Vitroceramic Plate Composition for Low-Haze Heat Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional glass-ceramics used in cooking devices and fireplace inserts often have low light transmission and scattering issues due to the use of arsenic and antimony oxides, which are toxic and costly, and neodymium oxide can introduce unwanted colors and reduce transparency.

Innovation Solution

A transparent, colorless, and non-scattering lithium aluminosilicate glass-ceramic plate with a specific chemical composition excluding arsenic, antimony, and neodymium oxides, optimized with SiO2, Al2O3, Li2O, Na2O, CaO, BaO, MgO, ZnO, TiO2, and ZrO2 to achieve high light transmission and low thermal expansion, preventing yellow coloration and scattering.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If arsenic or antimony oxides are used as refining agents, then the glass can be refined effectively, but the glass-ceramic becomes toxic and costly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverefining effectivenessVSAvoidtoxicity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes arsenic and antimony oxides from the glass composition entirely, replacing them with non-toxic alternatives. This extraction of harmful substances while maintaining refining functionality resolves the contradiction between effective refining and toxicity elimination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent substitutes expensive and toxic refining agents with cheaper, non-toxic metal oxides such as zinc oxide, bismuth oxide, or tin oxide. This replacement achieves both cost reduction and toxicity elimination while maintaining refining effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Ease of manufacture

If neodymium oxide is used to discolor the glass-ceramic, then the yellow color is reduced, but the light transmission decreases and the cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecolor controlVSAvoidlight transmission
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent eliminates neodymium oxide from the composition, removing the substance that causes both the yellow color and the light transmission reduction. Instead, it uses alternative discoloration methods that do not compromise optical properties.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent controls the glass composition parameters, specifically limiting yellowing through precise control of metal oxide ratios and processing conditions, rather than using strong discoloring agents like neodymium oxide that would reduce light transmission.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If titanium oxide and zirconium oxide content is reduced below 3.8%, then the cost decreases, but uncontrolled crystal growth occurs causing haze

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovecostVSAvoidcrystal growth control
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the combined content of titanium oxide and zirconium oxide within specific ranges (TiO2: 0.5-2.0%, ZrO2: 0.5-3.0%) to achieve both cost reduction and controlled crystal growth. This parameter optimization prevents haze while maintaining affordability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a composite approach by combining multiple metal oxides (titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, zinc oxide, bismuth oxide) that work synergistically to control crystal nucleation and growth, achieving better performance than any single oxide alone at lower concentrations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

4Illumination intensity

If the glass-ceramic is made transparent with high light transmission, then visibility is improved, but the use of certain additives becomes necessary that may cause scattering

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight transmissionVSAvoidscattering control
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent precisely controls the composition parameters of metal oxides and the crystallization process parameters to achieve transparent glass-ceramic with high light transmission (≥70%) and low scattering (haze ≤3%). This dual parameter control resolves the contradiction between transparency and scattering.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates localized control of crystal distribution and size within the glass matrix, ensuring that crystals are uniformly distributed and sized to minimize light scattering while maintaining overall transparency. This local quality control achieves both high transmission and low haze.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution provides a glass-ceramic with a light transmission factor of at least 75%, minimal yellow tint, and excellent thermal shock resistance, ensuring clear visibility and durability in high-temperature applications.

Implementation Method 1

crystals of β-quartz or β-spodumene structure (depending on the ceramization temperature), which generally have the distinctive feature of possessing negative thermal expansion coefficients, so much so that the glass-ceramic possesses in the end a very low thermal expansion coefficient

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Implementation Method 2

plates that have high thermomechanical strength, in particular an excellent thermal shock resistance

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal shock resistance: Thermal Shock

Implementation Method 3

transparent, colorless and non-scattering glass-ceramic plates... the light transmission factor, within the meaning of the NF EN 410 standard, is at least 70%

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight transmission: Light

Implementation Method 4

non-scattering... the haze, within the meaning of the ASTM D1003-00 standard, is at most 3%... The haze corresponds to the ratio between the diffuse light transmission and the total light transmission

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight scattering: Scattering

Implementation Method 5

resistance to corrosive atmospheres at high temperature

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCorrosion resistance: Crevice Corrosion

Data Source

PatentUS10017415B2Vitroceramic plate
Publication Date: 2018.07.10 EUROKERA SOC & NOM COLLECTIF

AI summary

A transparent, colorless and non-scattering glass-ceramic plate of lithium aluminosilicate type and containing crystals of β-quartz structure, the chemical composition of which does not contain oxides of arsenic, of antimony and of neodymium, and includes the following constituents within the limits defined below, expressed as weight percentages: SiO2 55-75%; Al2O3 12-25%; Li2O 2-5%; Na2O+K2O 0-<2%; Li2O+Na2O+K2O 0-<7%; CaO 0.3-5%; MgO 0-5%; SrO 0-5%; BaO 0.5-10%; CaO+BaO >1%; ZnO 0-5%; TiO2 ≤1.9%; ZrO2 ≤3%; TiO2+ZrO2 >3.80%; SnO2 ≥0.1%; SnO2/(SnO2+ZrO2+TiO2)<0.1.