Glass Compositions, Fiberizable Glass Compositions, and Glass Fibers Made Therefrom

Abstract

New glass compositions and applications thereof are disclosed. Embodiments of the present invention relate to glass compositions, to fiber glass strands, to chopped fiber glass strands, to nonwoven mats of glass fibers, and to other products and methods. A fiber glass strand comprises a plurality of glass fibers comprising the glass composition of the present invention.

That which is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A glass composition suitable for fiber forming comprising:
 SiO 2  47-<60 weight percent;   Al 2 O 3  24-36 weight percent;   MgO 1-14 weight percent;   CaO 0.5-7 weight percent;   Na 2 O 0-2 weight percent;   K 2 O >0.5-1 weight percent;   Li 2 O 0-5 weight percent;   B 2 O 3  0-3 weight percent;   Fe 2 O 3  0-1 weight percent;   F 2  0-2 weight percent;   TiO 2  0-2 weight percent;   ZnO 0-3 weight percent;   BaO 0-6.5 weight percent;   other constituents 0-8 weight percent total.   
     
     
         21 . The composition of  claim 20 , wherein the Al 2 O3+MgO content is at least 30 weight percent. 
     
     
         22 . The composition of  claim 20 , wherein the B 2 O 3  content is less than 2.1 weight percent. 
     
     
         23 . The composition of  claim 20 , wherein the CaO content is less than 4 weight percent. 
     
     
         24 . The composition of  claim 20 , wherein the MgO+CaO content is less than 16 weight percent. 
     
     
         25 . The composition of  claim 20 , wherein:
 the Na 2 O content is 0-1 weight percent; and   the Li 2 O content is 1-3 weight percent.   
     
     
         26 . The composition of  claim 20 , further comprising at least one rare earth oxide in an amount from about 0.05 weight percent to about 10 weight percent. 
     
     
         27 . The composition of  claim 26 , wherein the one or more rare earth oxides comprise at least one of La 2 O 3 , CeO 2 , Y 2 O 3  and Sc 2 O 3 . 
     
     
         28 . A glass composition suitable for fiber forming comprising:
 SiO 2  47-<60 weight percent;   Al 2 O 3  24-36 weight percent;   MgO 1-14 weight percent;   CaO 0.5-7 weight percent;   Na 2 O >0.5-2 weight percent;   K 2 O 0-1 weight percent;   Li 2 O 0-5 weight percent;   B 2 O3 0-3 weight percent;   Fe 2 O3 0-1 weight percent;   F 2  0-2 weight percent;   TiO 2  0-2 weight percent;   ZnO 0-3 weight percent;   BaO 0-6.5 weight percent;   other constituents 0-8 weight percent total; and   wherein the ratio of MgO/CaO is greater than one.   
     
     
         29 . The composition of  claim 28 , wherein:
 the Al 2 O 3 +MgO content is at least 30 weight percent.   
     
     
         30 . The composition of  claim 28 , wherein the B 2 O 3  content is less than 2.1 weight percent. 
     
     
         31 . The composition of  claim 28 , wherein the MgO +CaO content is greater than 7 weight percent. 
     
     
         32 . The composition of  claim 28 , wherein the Li 2 O content is greater than about 1 weight percent. 
     
     
         33 . The composition of  claim 28  wherein the composition is substantially free of BaO. 
     
     
         34 . The composition of  claim 28 , further comprising one or more rare earth oxides in an amount greater than about 0.05 weight percent. 
     
     
         35 . The composition of  claim 34 , wherein the one or more rare earth oxides comprise at least one of La 2 O 3 , CeO 2 , Y 2 O 3  and Sc 2 O 3 . 
     
     
         36 . A glass composition suitable for fiber forming comprising:
 SiO 2  47-64 weight percent;   Al 2 O 3  22-36 weight percent;   MgO 1 -14 weight percent;   CaO 0.5 -7 weight percent;   Na 2 O 0 -2 weight percent;   K 2 O 0 -1 weight percent;   Li 2 O 0 -5 weight percent;   B 2 O 3  0 -3 weight percent;   Fe 2 O 3  0 -1 weight percent;   F 2  0-2 weight percent;   TiO 2  0-2 weight percent;   ZnO 0-3 weight percent;   BaO 0-6.5 weight percent;   other constituents 0-8 weight percent total; and   wherein one or more rare earth oxides are present in a total amount of 0.05 to about 10 weight percent.   
     
     
         37 . The composition of  claim 36 , wherein the glass composition comprises one or more rare earth oxides in an amount greater than about 2 weight percent. 
     
     
         38 . The composition of  claim 36 , wherein the glass composition comprises one or more rare earth oxides in an amount greater than about 5 weight percent. 
     
     
         39 . The composition of  claim 36 , wherein the one or more rare earth oxides comprise at least one of La 2 O 3 , CeO 2 , Y 2 O 3  and Sc 2 O 3 . 
     
     
         40 . The composition of  claim 36 , wherein the Li 2 O content is greater than about 1 weight percent.