Apparatus for hydrothermal production of quartz crystals, comprises e.g. a receiving area for accommodating quartz raw material, where nucleation elements comprising nucleation plates, are arranged in a nucleation region, for adding quartz

摘要

Apparatus for hydrothermal production of quartz crystals, comprises an autoclave comprising an inner space (I) for accommodating an alkaline solution, a receiving area (AB) arranged in a lower region at the inner space, for accommodating quartz raw material (QRM), and at least one heating element for heating the inner space, where a number of nucleation elements are arranged in a nucleation region (KB) present in the inner space above the receiving area, for adding quartz, and the nucleation elements comprise nucleation plates, whose surfaces are aligned in crystallographic coordinate system. Apparatus for hydrothermal production of quartz crystals, comprises an autoclave comprising an inner space (I) for accommodating an alkaline solution, a receiving area (AB) arranged in a lower region at the inner space, for accommodating quartz raw material (QRM), and at least one heating element for heating the inner space, where a number of nucleation elements are arranged in a nucleation region (KB) present in the inner space above the receiving area, for adding quartz, and the nucleation elements comprise nucleation plates, whose surfaces are aligned in crystallographic coordinate system such that the nucleation plates are ZX-nucleation plates as the nucleation plates are aligned in a ZX direction, and the normal direction runs perpendicular to a flat side of the ZX- nucleation plate in a Z direction of the three-dimensional crystallographic coordinate system, and whose extension in X-direction is greater than their extension in the Y direction of the coordinate system. Independent claims are also included for: (1) hydrothermal production of quartz crystals, comprising (a) introducing an alkaline solution into the inner space of the autoclave, (b) introducing the quartz raw material into the receiving area arranged in the lower region of the inner space, and (c) heating the inner space by at least one heating element, where a positive pressure is generated such that the quartz released from the quartz raw material present in the alkaline solution in a lower region of the inner space, is passed through a convective flow in the nucleation region and is crystallized at the nucleation elements in the nucleation region; (2) producing quartz sand, comprising (i) producing the quartz crystals by the above method, and (ii) crushing the quartz crystals to quartz sand; and (3) producing quartz glass, comprising (i), (ii), and (iii) transforming the quartz sand into the quartz glass, where heating the quartz sand to its melting temperature, and then cooling at least below the melting temperature of the quartz sand takes place.