FRITS FOR USE IN VACUUM INSULATING GLASS (VIG) UNITS, AND/OR ASSOCIATED METHODS

• US 20150218042A1
• Filed: 02/04/2014
• Published: 08/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Guardian Industries Corporation (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: HOGAN, John P., DENNIS, Timothy Alan, PETRMICHL, Rudolph Hugo, KEMENAH, Greg
• Granted Patent: US 9,988,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/062 with less than 40% silica by weight
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/066 containing zinc
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/122 containing oxides of As, Sb, Bi, Mo, W, V, Te as glass formers
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/14 containing boron
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 8/02 Frit compositions, i.e. in a powdered or comminuted form
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 8/04 containing zinc
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 8/14 Glass frit mixtures having non-frit additions, e.g. opacifiers, colorants, mill-additions
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 8/22 containing two or more distinct frits having different compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 8/24 Fusion seal compositions being frit compositions having non-frit additions, i.e. for use as seals between dissimilar materials, e.g. glass and metal; Glass solders
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/6612 Evacuated glazing units
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/6775 Evacuating or filling the gap during assembly

Abstract

Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to vacuum insulating glass (VIG) units having improved seals made using two different frit-based edge seal materials, and/or methods of making the same. In certain example embodiments, a first frit material is applied around peripheral edges of first and second glass substrates. The first frit material, which may be bismuth-based in certain example embodiments, is fired with a heat treatment (e.g., thermal tempering) process. A second frit material, which may be VBZ-based in certain example embodiments, is applied and at least partially overlaps with the fired first frit material. The first frit material acts as a primer, and the second frit material helps seal together the VIG unit. The second frit material is fired at a significantly lower temperature that enables the glass to retain the temper or other strength imparted by the heat treatment.

Claims

1. A kit comprising first and second frit materials for use in forming an edge seal for a vacuum insulating glass (VIG) window unit, wherein:

the first frit material comprises at least 65% bismuth oxide, by weight, the first frit material being fusable to glass when the glass reaches a first temperature of 550 degrees C. or higher, and

the second frit material comprises vanadium oxide, barium oxide, and zinc oxide, in amounts that total at least 65% by weight, the second frit being structured to form a bond with the first frit material in making the edge seal for the VIG window unit and being meltable when the glass reaches at a second temperature of no more than 400 degrees C., the first frit material being wettable at the second temperature.

2. The kit of claim 1, wherein the first frit material further comprises at least 2% zinc oxide, by weight.

3. The kit of claim 1, wherein the first frit material comprises 70-80 wt. % bismuth oxide, 2-7 wt. % zinc oxide, 5-15 wt. % silicon oxide, 2-7 wt. % aluminum oxide, 0-5% magnesium oxide, 0-5% chromium oxide, 0-5% iron oxide, 0-5% cobalt oxide, 0-5% sodium oxide, 0-5% manganese oxide, and 0-5% barium oxide.

4. The kit of claim 1, wherein the second frit material comprises 45-67 wt. % vanadium oxide, 7-25 wt. % barium oxide, and 4-17 wt. % zinc oxide.

5. The kit of claim 4, wherein the second frit material further comprises 0-13 wt. % tellurium oxide, 0-13 wt. % molybdenum oxide, 0-13 wt. % tantalum oxide, and 0-13 wt. % niobium oxide, and

wherein at least one of the tellurium oxide, molybdenum oxide, tantalum oxide, and niobium oxide is provided at at least 0.25 wt. %.

6. The kit of claim 3, wherein the second frit material comprises 45-67 wt. % vanadium oxide, 7-25 wt. % barium oxide, and 4-17 wt. % zinc oxide.

7. The kit of claim 6, wherein the second frit material further comprises 0-13 wt. % tellurium oxide, 0-13 wt. % molybdenum oxide, 0-13 wt. % tantalum oxide, and 0-13 wt. % niobium oxide, and

wherein at least one of the tellurium oxide, molybdenum oxide, tantalum oxide, and niobium oxide is provided at at least 0.25 wt. %.

8. The kit of claim 1, wherein the first and/or second frit material(s) comprise(s) coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) filler material, the CTE filler material lowering the CTE thereof when introduced therein.

9. The kit of claim 1, wherein the first and/or second frit materials are lead free.

10. The kit of claim 1, wherein the first and/or second frit materials contain less than 1 ppm lead.

11. The kit of claim 1, wherein the first frit material is a primer frit material and the second frit material is a sealing frit material.

13. The kit of claim 1, further comprising first and second glass substrates to be hermetically sealed together using the first frit as a primer frit and the second frit as a sealing frit.

21. A method of making a vacuum insulating glass (VIG) window unit, the method comprising:

having the kit of claim 13; and

sealing together the first and second glass substrates, as well as a pump-out tube and one of said substrates, using the first and second frit materials.

12. The kit of claim 12, wherein the first frit material and second frit materials are also usable in forming a seal between a pump-out tube of a VIG unit and an inner surface of a hole formed in a substrate of the VIG unit in which the pump-out tube is located.

14. A frit material for use in forming both an edge seal and a pump-out port seal for a vacuum insulating glass (VIG) window unit, wherein the frit material comprises at least 65% bismuth oxide and at least 2% zinc oxide, by weight, the frit material being designed to fuse to glass when the glass reaches a first temperature of 550 degrees C. or higher, and being designed to wet when the glass reaches a second temperature that is at least 150 degrees C. lower than the first temperature.

15. The frit material of claim 14, further comprising 70-80 wt. % bismuth oxide, 2-7 wt. % zinc oxide, 5-15 wt. % silicon oxide, 2-7 wt. % aluminum oxide, 0-5% magnesium oxide, 0-5% chromium oxide, 0-5% iron oxide, 0-5% cobalt oxide, 0-5% sodium oxide, 0-5% manganese oxide, and 0-5% barium oxide.

16. The frit material of claim 15, further comprising 2-7 wt. % B₂O₃.

17. The frit material of claim 14, further comprising coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) filler material, the CTE filler material lowering the CTE of the frit material as a result of being introduced therein.

18. A frit material for use in forming both an edge seal and a pump-out port seal for a vacuum insulating glass (VIG) window unit, wherein the frit material comprises 45-67 wt. % vanadium oxide, 7-25 wt. % barium oxide, and 4-17 wt. % zinc oxide and is designed to be meltable when a peak temperature of no greater than 360 degrees C. is maintained for a time of no more than 15 minutes, and bondable to the frit of claim 14 under these conditions.

19. The frit material of claim 18, further comprising 0-13 wt. % tellurium oxide, 0-13 wt. % molybdenum oxide, 0-13 wt. % tantalum oxide, and 0-13 wt. % niobium oxide, and

wherein at least one of the tellurium oxide, molybdenum oxide, tantalum oxide, and niobium oxide is provided at at least 0.25 wt. %.

20. The frit material of claim 18, further comprising coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) filler material, the CTE filler material lowering the CTE of the frit material as a result of being introduced therein.