Patent ID: 8051682
Filing Date: 2011-11-08
Classification: C03B,C03C,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for making a glass preform with nanofiber reinforcement, the apparatus comprising: a container for melting one or more glass components in a mixture comprising the glass components and one or more nanofibers, wherein the container is a tilted container such that the tilted container has a centerline that is tilted at an angle in a range of from about 1 degree to about 20 degrees relative to a horizontal axis of the apparatus; an opening in the container that allows escape of any gas released from the glass components when the glass components are melted in the container; one or more heating elements for heating the container; and, two or more electric field devices, positioned exterior to the glass components, positioned exterior to the container and oriented along the centerline of the container, that create an electric field in a volume of the mixture in order to orient the nanofibers within the glass components when the glass components are melted in the container.