	US 7,531,475 B2
	Glass composition that emits fluorescence in infrared wavelength region
Shoichi Kishimoto, Tokyo (Japan); Koichi Sakaguchi, Tokyo (Japan); Masahiro Tsuda, Tokyo (Japan); Shigeki Nakagaki, Tokyo (Japan); Shigekazu Yoshii, Tokyo (Japan); Yasushi Fujimoto, 13-813, Mihogaoka, Ibaraki-Shi, Osaka 567-0047 (Japan); and Masahiro Nakatsuka, 1425-78, Midorigaoka, Ikoma-Shi, Nara 630-0262 (Japan)
Assigned to Nippon Sheet Glass Company, Limited, Tokyo (Japan); Yasushi Fujimoto, Osaka (Japan); and Masahiro Nakatsuka, Nara (Japan)
Filed on Jun. 22, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/158,987.
Application 11/158987 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP03/13262, filed on Oct. 16, 2003.
Claims priority of application No. 2002-373468 (JP), filed on Dec. 25, 2002.
Prior Publication US 2006/0001005 A1, Jan. 05, 2006
Int. Cl. C03C 3/085 (2006.01); C03C 13/04 (2006.01); C09K 11/55 (2006.01); C09K 11/59 (2006.01); C09K 11/64 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 501—69 [501/37; 501/70; 252/301.4 F; 252/301.4 R; 252/301.6 R; 252/301.6 F]

12 Claims

1. The glass composition consisting of the following components, indicated by mol %:

55 to 80 SiO₂;

5 to 25 Al₂O₃;

0.01 to 5 bismuth oxide in terms of Bi₂O₃;

0 to 15 Li₂O;

0 to 5 Na₂O;

0 to 5 K₂O;

0 to 40 MgO;

0 to 30 CaO;

0 to 5 SrO;

0 to 5 BaO;

0 to 25 ZnO;

0 to 10 TiO₂;

0 to 5 ZrO₂;

0 to 10 B₂O₃;

0 to 5 of at least one selected from the group consisting of Y₂O₃, La₂O₃, Ta₂O₅, Nb₂O₅, GeO₂and In₂O₃;

0 to 1 of at least one selected from the group consisting of As₂O₃, Sb₂O₃, SO₃, SnO₂, Fe₂O₃, CL and F, and

wherein the total of MgO+CaO+SrO+BaO+ZnO is in a range of 0.1 to 40 mol %, and

wherein the glass composition emits fluorescence in an infrared wavelength region through irradiation of excitation light, with bismuth contained in the bismuth oxide functioning as a fluorescent source.