METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING SOOT FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS

摘要

The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for forming soot used in making glass, and in particular, optical waveguides. A liquid precursor (66) is first fed into orifice (52) of a liquid orifice insert (48) within an injector (44) positioned within an atomizing burner assembly, and is thereafter discharged from the injector into a pressurization chamber (56). An atomization gas (70) is also fed into the pressurization chamber (56) to mix with the liquid precursor liquid stream (68) which breaks into droplets (76). The liquid precursor and atomization gas are forced under pressure out of an atomization orifice (32) on the face of the burner (30) assembly. Flame gas (74), reaction gas (84) and shield gas (82) are ejected from burner orifices (40, 38, 36 and 34) to produce the flame. The atomized liquid precursor thus discharged is fed into the flame (72) produced at the face of the burner assembly where the atomized liquid precursor reacts with the flame to form soot (78) on a rotating mandrel (80).