Xinova seeks the disclosure of inventions that seal the edges of two glasses to produce the vacuum insulated glass (VIG) by using new material which is eco-friendly and has low melting point.
Xinova is conducting a Rapid Innovation Session focused on this challenge and we are seeking 4-5 qualified candidates to participate. This will be a 2-day session where we will bring several innovators together to ideate on the materials and manufacturing challenges of Vacuum insulated glass (VIG). If you have applicable knowledge/expertise and are up for the challenge, please let us know if you are interested in participating.
Summary Background:
Vacuum insulated glass (VIG) would dramatically reduce global energy bills and CO2 emissions if the manufacturing process weren’t so hot and slow. The problem-area ripe for invention is VIG’s glass sealant: melting the lead-heavy glass substance, known as frit, takes too much time and energy. VIG consists of two glass panes separated by a vacuum and sealed with frit. It’s all heated in a vacuum chamber to frit’s melting point of 400 oC. The long cycletime to heat and cool the vacuum chamber reduces throughput and consumes too much energy.
Companies and governments have their eyes on VIG because it would conserve much of the 40% of energy that currently escapes buildings’ windows. VIG insulates as well as a wall and over twice as well as existing “Low-E” double-layer glass. An eco-friendly sealant offering a low-melt temperature would enable mass production of VIG. Window prices and energy costs would be reduced, and production processes would be simplified for increased throughput.
Moreover, minimizing the sealant’s lead content—which constitutes 60% of frit’s total weight—would limit environmental lead contamination. Xinova seeks the disclosure of inventions that seal the edges of two glasses to produce the vacuum insulated glass (VIG) by using new material which is eco-friendly and has low melting point.
This opportunity comes from the efforts of Xinova’s R&D Consulting and Innovation team.
Are you up for the challenge?