Antimicrobial phase-separating glass and glass ceramic articles and laminates

Abstract

A glass laminate for an architectural element has a glass substrate coupled to the architectural element and defines a primary surface facing away from the architectural element. A phase-separable glass cladding is coupled to the primary surface. The cladding has an interconnected matrix with a first phase composition and a second phase that has a second phase composition different than the first phase composition. The second phase is distributed throughout the interconnected matrix. A copper phase is distributed within the interconnected matrix. The glass cladding has an antimicrobial log kill rate greater than about 4 as measured by an EPA Copper Test Protocol.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article comprising:
 a phase-separated glass or glass ceramic substrate comprising at least 50 mol. % SiO 2 , B 2 O 3 , and copper, a first phase, a second phase, and a metallic phase;   wherein, the first phase is an interconnected matrix and comprises a greater mole percentage of B 2 O 3  than the second phase;   wherein, the second phase is discontinuous, dispersed within the interconnected matrix of the first phase, and comprises a greater mole percentage of SiO 2  than the first phase; and   wherein, the metallic phase is disposed predominately in the second phase, and the metallic phase comprises copper in at least one of a Cu 0  and a Cu +1  state.   
     
     
         2 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein
 the article exhibits an antimicrobial efficacy log reduction of 3 or greater (i.e., at least 99.9%).   
     
     
         3 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the antimicrobial efficacy log reduction that the article exhibits is 5 or greater (i.e., at least 99.999%). 
     
     
         4 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein
 the metallic phase is disposed in both the first phase and the second phase.   
     
     
         5 . The article of  claim 4 , wherein
 at least a portion of the metallic phase dispersed in the first phase is in a dendritic form; and   at least a portion of the metallic phase dispersed in the second phase is in a cuboid form.   
     
     
         6 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the metallic phase is in a cuboid form. 
     
     
         7 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the metallic phase comprises discrete structures having a longest cross-sectional length of 0.1 microns to 10 microns. 
     
     
         8 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises:
 50 mol % to 70 mol % SiO 2 ;   Al 2 O 3 , wherein the Al 2 O 3  is 10 mol. % or less;   14 mol % to 25 mol % B 2 O 3 ;   11.50 mol % to 19.99 mol % CuO; and   no more than trace amounts of phosphorous.   
     
     
         9 . The article of  claim 1  further comprising another substrate bonded to the substrate, thus forming a laminate structure. 
     
     
         10 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate further comprises a colorant selected from the group consisting of Fe 2 O 3 , Cr 2 O 3 , Co 3 O 4 , CuO, Au, Ag, NiO, MnO 2 , and V 2 O 5 . 
     
     
         11 . An article comprising:
 a phase-separated glass or glass ceramic substrate comprising at least 50 mol. % SiO 2 , B 2 O 3 , and copper, a first phase, a second phase, and a metallic phase;   wherein, the first phase is an interconnected matrix and comprises a greater mole percentage of B 2 O 3  than the second phase;   wherein, the second phase is discontinuous, dispersed within the interconnected matrix of the first phase, and comprises a greater mole percentage of SiO 2  than the first phase; and   wherein, the metallic phase is disposed in predominantly the first phase, and the metallic phase comprises copper in at least one of a Cu 0  and a Cu +1  state.   
     
     
         12 . The article of  claim 11 , wherein
 the article exhibits an antimicrobial efficacy log reduction of 3 or greater (i.e., at least 99.9%).   
     
     
         13 . The article of  claim 11 , wherein the antimicrobial efficacy log reduction that the article exhibits is 5 or greater (i.e., at least 99.999%). 
     
     
         14 . The article of  claim 11 , wherein
 the metallic phase is disposed in both the first phase and the second phase; and   wherein the metallic phase disposed in the second phase comprises discrete structures having a longest cross-sectional length of 0.1 microns to 10 microns.   
     
     
         15 . The article of  claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of the metallic phase is in a dendritic form. 
     
     
         16 . The article of  claim 11 , wherein
 the substrate comprises:
 50 mol % to 70 mol % SiO 2 ; 
 Al 2 O 3 , wherein the Al 2 O 3  is 10 mol. % or less; 
 14 mol % 25 mol % B 2 O 3 ; 
 11.50 mol % to 19.99 mol % CuO, 
 no more than trace amounts of phosphorous; and 
 a colorant selected from the group consisting of Fe 2 O 3 , Cr 2 O 3 , Co 3 O 4 , Au, Ag, NiO, MnO 2 , and V 2 O 5 . 
   
     
     
         17 . The article of  claim 11  further comprising another substrate bonded to the substrate, thus forming a laminate structure. 
     
     
         18 . The article of  claim 11 , wherein
 the second phase comprises less than 1.0 mol % copper.   
     
     
         19 . The article of  claim 11 , wherein
 the second phase comprises less than 0.5 mol % copper.   
     
     
         20 . A method of creating an antimicrobial glass article, comprising the steps:
 providing a phase-separable glass article having a bulk copper concentration between about 1.0 mol. % and about 20 mol. %;   heat treating the article to form an interconnected matrix having at least one second phase disposed throughout the matrix; and   precipitating a copper phase within the matrix and apart from the second phase,   wherein the second phase comprises a copper concentration of less than about 1.0 mol. %.