Metal colloid-colored glass ceramic and colorless glass convertible into same

1. A metal colloid-colored glass ceramic made by ceramicizing a colorless transparent precursor glass, said colorless transparent precursor glass comprising, a combination of at least one metal colloid former and at least one redox partner capable of reducing said at least one metal colloid former to a metallic state;

wherein said at least one metal colloid former contains at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag, As, Bi, Nb, Cu, Fe, Pd, Pt, Sb and Sn and said at least one redox partner contains at least one element selected from the group consisting of As, Ce, Fe, Mn, Sb, Sn and W;

with the proviso that the at least one metal colloid former and the at least one redox partner are different from each other;

wherein said precursor glass consists of a magnesium-alumino-silicate glass with a composition, in percent by weight on an oxide basis, of:

SiO 2

45.0-62.0

Al 2 O 3

15.0-25.0

MgO

 2.0-10.0

ZnO

 2.0-15.0

BaO

  0-3.0

SrO

  0-3.0

TiO 2

0.5-8.0

ZrO 2

0.5-4.0

P 2 O 5

0

B 2 O 3

  0-5.0;

whereby the metal colloid-colored glass ceramic contains at least a part of said at least one metal in said metallic state.

2. The metal colloid-colored glass ceramic as defined in claim 1 , containing substantially no halides.

3. The metal colloid-colored glass ceramic as defined in claim 1 , which is free of sulfur.

4. The metal colloid-colored glass ceramic as defined in claim 1 , containing substantially no nickel.

5. The metal colloid-colored glass ceramic as defined in claim 1 , containing substantially no cobalt.

6. The metal colloid-colored glass ceramic as defined in claim 1 , wherein, when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one metal colloid former that contains Au, Ag, Pt or Pd is present in an amount of 0.005 to 0.6, in wt. % on an oxide basis; when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one metal colloid former that contains Cu or Fe is present in an amount of 0.1 to 1.2, in wt. % on an oxide basis; when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one metal colloid former that contains As or Sb is present in an amount of 0.1 to 6.0, in wt. % on an oxide basis; when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one metal colloid former that contains Bi is present in an amount of 0.1 to 5.0, in wt. % on an oxide basis; when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one metal colloid former that contains Nb is present in an amount of 0.1 to 6.0, in wt. % on an oxide basis; and when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one metal colloid former that contains Sn is present in an amount of 0.1 to 1.9, in wt. % on an oxide basis.

7. The metal colloid-colored glass ceramic as defined in claim 1 , wherein when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one metal colloid former that contains Au, Ag, Pt or Pd is present in an amount of 0.005 to 0.4, in wt. % on an oxide basis; when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one metal colloid former that contains Cu or Fe is present in an amount of 0.2 to 1.0, in wt. % on an oxide basis; when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one metal colloid former that contains As or Sb is present in an amount of 0.25 to 3.0, in wt. % on an oxide basis; when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one metal colloid former that contains Bi is present in an amount of 0.1 to 4.0, in wt. % on an oxide basis; when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one metal colloid former that contains Nb is present in an amount of 0.25 to 5.0, in wt. % on an oxide basis; and when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one metal colloid former that contains Sn is present in an amount of 0.1 to 1.7, in wt. % on an oxide basis.

8. The metal colloid-colored glass ceramic as defined in claim 1 , wherein when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one metal colloid former that contains Au, Ag, Pt or Pd is present in an amount of 0.005 to 0.4, in wt. % on an oxide basis; when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one metal colloid former that contains Cu or Fe is present in an amount of 0.2 to 0.8, in wt. % on an oxide basis; when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one metal colloid former that contains As or Sb is present in an amount of 0.25 to 3.0, in wt. % on an oxide basis; when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one metal colloid former that contains Bi is present in an amount of 0.15 to 3.5, in wt. % on an oxide basis; when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one metal colloid former that contains Nb is present in an amount of 0.25 to 5.0, in wt. % on an oxide basis; and when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one metal colloid former that contains Sn is present in an amount of 0.1 to 1.7, in wt. % on an oxide basis.

9. The metal colloid-colored glass ceramic as defined in claim 1 , wherein when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one redox partner that contains As is present in an amount of from 0.1 to 6.0, in wt. % on an oxide basis; when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one redox partner that contains Sb is present in an amount of from 0.1 to 6.0, in wt. % on an oxide basis; when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one redox partner that contains Sn is present in an amount of from 0.1 to <1.9, in wt. % on an oxide basis; when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one redox partner that contains Ce is present in an amount of from 0.05 to 3.0, in wt. % on an oxide basis; when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one redox partner that contains Fe is present in an amount of from 0.1 to 2.0, in wt. % on an oxide basis; when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one redox partner that contains W is present in an amount of from 0.1 to 4.0, in wt. % on an oxide basis; and when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one redox partner that contains Mn is present in an amount of from 0.05 to 3.0, in wt. % on an oxide basis.

10. The metal colloid-colored glass ceramic as defined in claim 1 , wherein when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one redox partner that contains As is present in an amount of from 0.25 to 3.0, in wt. % on an oxide basis; when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one redox partner that contains Sb is present in an amount of from 0.25 to 3.0, in wt. % on an oxide basis; when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one redox partner that contains Sn is present in an amount of from 0.2 to 1.8, in wt. % on an oxide basis; when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one redox partner that contains Ce is present in an amount of from 0.1 to 2.0, in wt. % on an oxide basis; when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one redox partner that contains Fe is present in an amount of from 0.1 to 1.0, in wt. % on an oxide basis; when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one redox partner that contains W is present in an amount of from 0.1 to 3.0, in wt. % on an oxide basis; and when present in said glass ceramic, said at least one redox partner that contains Mn is present in an amount of from 0.1 to 2.0, in wt. % on an oxide basis.

11. The metal colloid-colored glass ceramic as defined in claim 1 , containing from 0.1 wt. % to 1.8 wt. % of said at least one metal colloid former that contains Sn and 0.25 wt. % to 3.0 wt. % of said at least one redox partner that contains As, or containing from 0.1 wt. % to 1.8 wt. % of said at least one metal colloid former that contains Sn and 0.25 wt. % to 3.0 wt. % of said at least one redox partner that contains Sb, or containing from 0.1 wt. % to 4.0 wt. % of said at least one metal colloid former that contains Bi and 0.1 wt. % to 1.8 wt. % of said at least one redox partner that contains Sn.

12. A metal colloid-colored glass ceramic made by ceramicizing a colorless transparent precursor glass, said colorless transparent precursor glass comprising a combination of at least one metal colloid former and at least one redox partner capable of reducing said at least one metal colloid former to a metallic state;

wherein said at least one metal colloid former contains at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag, As, Bi, Nb, Cu, Fe, Pd, Pt, Sb and Sn and said at least one redox partner contains at least one element selected from the group consisting of As, Ce, Fe, Mn, Sb, Sn and W and said at least one redox partner comprises SnO 2 in an amount of from 0.97 to <1.9 wt. %;

with the proviso that the at least one metal colloid former and the at least one redox partner are different from each other;

whereby the metal colloid-colored glass ceramic contains at least a part of said at least one metal in said metallic state.

13. A metal colloid-colored glass ceramic made by ceramicizing a colorless transparent precursor glass, said colorless transparent precursor glass comprising a combination of at least one metal colloid former and at least one redox partner capable of reducing said at least one metal colloid former to a metallic state;

wherein said at least one metal colloid former contains at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag, As, Bi, Nb, Cu, Fe, Pd, Pt, Sb and Sn and said at least one redox partner contains at least one element selected from the group consisting of As, Ce, Fe, Mn, Sb, Sn and W and said at least one redox partner comprises As 2 O 3 in an amount of from 0.93 to 3.0 wt. %;

with the proviso that the at least one metal colloid former and the at least one redox partner are different from each other;

whereby the metal colloid-colored glass ceramic contains at least a part of said at least one metal in said metallic state.

14. A metal colloid-colored glass ceramic made by ceramicizing a colorless transparent precursor glass, said colorless transparent precursor glass comprising a combination of at least one metal colloid former and at least one redox partner capable of reducing said at least one metal colloid former to a metallic state;

wherein said at least one metal colloid former contains at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag, As, Bi, Nb, Cu, Fe, Pd, Pt, Sb and Sn and said at least one redox partner contains at least one element selected from the group consisting of As, Ce, Fe, Mn, Sb, Sn and W and said at least one redox partner comprises Sb 2 O 3 in an amount of from 1.59 to 6.0 wt. %;

with the proviso that the at least one metal colloid former and the at least one redox partner are different from each other;

whereby the metal colloid-colored glass ceramic contains at least a part of said at least one metal in said metallic state.

15. A metal colloid-colored glass ceramic made by ceramicizing a colorless transparent precursor glass, said colorless transparent precursor glass comprising a combination of at least one metal colloid former and at least one redox partner capable of reducing said at least one metal colloid former to a metallic state;

wherein said at least one metal colloid former comprises SnO 2 in an amount of from 0.1 to <1.9 wt. % and said at least one redox partner comprises As 2 O 3 in an amount of from 0.93 to 3 wt. %;

with the proviso that the at least one metal colloid former and the at least one red ox partner are different from each other;

whereby the metal colloid-colored glass ceramic contains at least a part of said at least one metal in said metallic state.

16. A metal colloid-colored glass ceramic made by ceramicizing a colorless transparent precursor glass, said colorless transparent precursor glass comprising a combination of at least one metal colloid former and at least one redox partner capable of reducing said at least one metal colloid former to a metallic state;

wherein said at least one metal colloid former comprises Bi 2 O 3 in an amount of from 0.1 to 5 wt. % and said at least one redox partner comprises SnO 2 in an amount of from 0.97 to <1.9 wt. %;

with the proviso that the at least one metal colloid former and the at least one redox partner are different from each other;

whereby the metal colloid-colored glass ceramic contains at least a part of said at least one metal in said metallic state.