IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,141,520
Granted Patent B2
US 7,141,520 · App. 10/498,244 · Granted Nov 28, 2006

Antimicrobial alkali-silicate glass ceramic and the use thereof

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,141,520
App. No.
10/498,244
Granted
Nov 28, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to a glass ceramic, wherein the initial glass comprises 30–65 percent (by weight) SiO 2 ; 5–30 percent (by weight) Na 2 O; 5–30 percent (by weight) CaO, and 0-15 percent (by weight) P 2 O 5 , and wherein the main crystalline phases comprise alkali—alkaline earth—silicate and/or alkali silicate and/or alkaline earth silicate. The invention is characterized in that either a glass ceramic with a single crystalline phase 1 Na 2 O—2CaO—3 SiO 2 is excluded, or the crystalline size of the glass ceramic is <10 μm, or the weight fraction of SiO 2 is <47%.

Claims (22)

1. Glass ceramic formed from an initial glass comprising:

30–65 percent (by weight) of SiO 2

5–30 percent (by weight) of Na 2 O

5–30 percent (by weight) of CaO

0–15 percent (by weight) of P 2 O 5 ,

wherein the glass ceramic includes crystalline phases comprising at least one silicate selected from the group consisting of alkali metal silicates and alkaline earth metal silicates having a crystallite size <0.1 μm.

2. Glass ceramic according to claim 1 , wherein the initial glass comprises:

30–<47 percent (by weight) of SiO 2

10–30 percent (by weight) of Na 2 O

10–30 percent (by weight) of CaO

2–15 percent (by weight) of P 2 O 5 .

3. Glass ceramic according to claim 1 , wherein the crystalline phases comprise at least one silicate selected from the group consisting of sodium silicates and potassium silicates.

4. Glass ceramic according to claim 1 , wherein the crystalline phases are water-soluble phases comprising at least one silicate selected from the group consisting of sodium silicates and calcium silicates.

5. Glass ceramic according to claim 1 , wherein the initial glass further comprises 0–40 percent (by weight) of K 2 O as well as 0–5 percent (by weight) of Al 2 O 3 .

6. Glass ceramic according to claim 1 , wherein the initial glass comprises 0–40 percent (by weight) of MgO and 0–50 percent (by weight) of B 2 O 3 .

7. Glass ceramic according to claim 1 , wherein the glass ceramic comprises ions with a total portion of <2 percent (by weight).

8. Glass ceramic according to claim 7 , wherein the ions include at least one ion selected from the group consisting of Ag, Au, I, Zn, Cu, and Ce ions.

9. Glass ceramic powder that comprises a glass ceramic according to claim 1 , wherein the glass ceramic powder has a particle size of <100 μm.

10. Glass ceramic powder that comprises a glass ceramic according to claim 1 , wherein the glass ceramic powder has a particle size of <20 μm.

11. Glass ceramic powder that comprises a glass ceramic according to claim 1 , wherein the glass ceramic powder has a particle size of <5 μm.

12. Glass ceramic powder that comprises a glass ceramic according to claim 1 , wherein the glass ceramic powder has a particle size of <1 μm.

13. Method for the production of a glass ceramic powder having a particle size of <100 μm, comprising the steps of providing the initial glass of claim 1 , grinding the initial glass, and ceramizing the ground initial glass.