Amorphous Materials,Inc.(AMI)

Amorphous Materials,Inc.(AMI) has developed the technology and built the facility capable of compounding and casting 10,000 lbs. of glass per year. Help and support in the effort was obtained from the U.S. Army Night Vision Laboratory at Ft.Belvoir. Plates 8" in diameter weighing 20 lbs. are produced in high purity quartz containers fabricated at AMI. Each plate is purified by distillation in a computer controlled process. After passing the stringent Q.C. procedures, plates serve as a source for the required lens blanks or optical elements. Melt traceability is maintained. AMI uses this process to produce AMTIR-1, (As2S3 glass), and (As-Se-Te glass). AMI can produce optical quality gallium arsenide for IR applications using Horizontal Bridgman or Vertical Bridgman technique.

AMI has developed a unique method for preparing infrared transmitting fibers. The fibers are pulled continuously, glass clad and plastic coated inline. The chalcogenide glass IR fibers are useful from the visible to near IR (As-S glass) or into the passive IR out to 11 micrometers (As-Se-Te glass).