| 摘要 |
PURPOSE:To produce dried gel of a high-quality quartz glass tube in high yield, by drying a tubular gel in a state inclined from horizontal plane, in the production of a quartz glass tube by a sol-gel process. CONSTITUTION:In the production of a quartz glass tube by the sol-gel process using an alkyl silicate and fine silica powder as main materials, the drying of the tubular gel 3 is carried out in a state inclined from horizontal plane 1. The gravitational force is divided into the component perpendicular to the floor contacting with the tube and the component parallel to the floor, and the perpendicular counter force is decreased compared with the case placing the tubular gel in horizontal position on the same floor, and accordingly, the frictional force can be decreased. Since the component parallel to the floor contacting the tube acts along the contracting direction of the tube, the contraction of the tube can be actively assisted. The shrinkage of the tube is carried out smoothly, and the cracking and warpage in the gel-drying process can be suppressed by the above two reasons. |
