| 摘要 |
Methods of melting and refining molten glass for the production of glass laser rods, the glass having a relatively high lithia content of at least about 8 mole percent, the glass being melted in a platinum lined furnace having a roof, sidewalls and a bottom having a discharge opening and a plunger adapted to open and close the opening. The method includes the steps of (1) charging into the furnace by means of a charge opening and a charge tube raw glass batch materials in the form of oxides, (2) melting the batch materials to form molten glass and refining the same, (3) providing an atmosphere of inert gas above the molten glass by a flow of gas into the atmosphere, and using the inert gas to purge any air from the furnace atmosphere during the charging of the raw batch materials, (4) stirring the molten glass with stirrers having platinum surfaces on the portion thereof exposed to the molten glass furnace atmosphere, (5) sealing the charge tube, the stirrers and the plunger with molten glass seals to prevent air from coming into the furnace atmosphere and to prevent condensation of platinum vapors to thereby eliminate deposits of platinum containing material in the molten glass which could cause platinum inclusions, and (6) charging the molten refined glass through the discharge opening for the production of high quality glass laser rods having a minimum of platinum inclusions.
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