Abstract:
In a method of liquefying glass batch the initial step of melting glass, converting particulate batch materials to a partially melted, liquefied state, is carried out on a support surface of batch. As liquefied batch is drained from the surface, additional batch is fed onto the surface to maintain the volume of the stable mass of batch substantially constant.
Abstract:
Organic or anorganic chemical waste material is encapsulated in ordinary silica-glass by mixing the two in liquid condition under pressure in a container (1, 24, 39), cooling the mixture and solidifying in shapes like cylinders, rods or pellets. The container may be a rotary mixing cylinder (1), a stationary extruder (23) or, for anorganic material, a widened portion (39) of a glass supply conduit (38) wherein the mixture is vibrated (43).
Abstract:
The process and apparatus of the present invention enable the production of glass fiber product from scrap glass fibers. The invention includes: feeding the scrap glass fibers (14) having an average length up to around 12 inches to a glass melting tank (40) having a pool (36) of molten glass, melting the scrap glass fibers (14) without the presence of non-vitrified glass forming materials in an oxidizing environment, conditioning the melt to a formable viscosity, and forming the glass fiber from the conditioned melt where for a given glass fiber product there is a near constant pull of the melted glass from the melter (40). The rate of feeding of the scrap glass to the melter is sufficient to maintain the pool of melted glass with a level within the range of + 0.35 inch (9 mm.) over a period of eight hours. The glass melter (40) has a high length to width ratio with a finite-sided melting containment area which holds a pool of molten glass (36) that receives the scrap glass.
Abstract:
A furnace comprises a basin (1) of a refractory masonry filled with a melt glass mass (4) and current leading elements (7 and 7a), located in the masonry and coming out on its working surface under the level of the melt and above it. The elements (7 and 7a) are connected to the opposite poles of a source (9) of the direct current. There are also additional current leading elements (8 and 8a) buried inside the masonry in relation to its working surface. The elements (8 and 8a) are connected to the poles of the current source (9) oppositely as compared with connection of the elements (7 and 7a) of the corresponding working surface.
Abstract:
A method of removing gaseous inclusions from a highly viscous liquid (10) that comprises applying sonic energy, as by means of acoustic horns (11), or other suitable acoustic source, in the liquid (10) at an energy intensity sufficient to induce migration and coalescence of the inclusions in the liquid (10), and less than that required to produce substantial cavitation therein, until the volume density of the inclusions has been reduced to a desired level. Typically the frequency and the energy intensity are selected, and adjusted if necessary, to provide a mode of operation whereby the liquid (10) is subjected to a cyclic component of stress that causes bubbles to collide and form larger bubbles, and to a substantially unidirectional component of stress, due to viscous losses and other mechanisms occurring in an acoustic field (e.g. radiation pressure), that tends to drive the growing bubbles away from the source (11) of the sonic energy and thus to facilitate their movement toward the surface (13) of the liquid (10) and the environs.
Abstract:
Mixed colored cullet glass, which generally contains amounts of green, amber and flint (colorless) glasses, is recycled into amber colored glass by regulating the additive amounts of iron, carbon, sulfur, and sulfur compounds in the mixture to impart the desired reddish-brown hue. The color green may be selectively decolorized from the mixed colored cullet and the mixed colored cullet may be colorized for the color amber, thereby rendering the decolorized mixed colored cullet substantially amber colored for use in amber colored glass production, such as carbon-sulfur soda lime amber glass. The technique of the invention is also used to produce recycled green or flint glass from unsorted mixed colored cullet glass. The invention is particularly useful in producing amber colored containers or bottles for beverages that require protection from the deteriorating effects of light, such as beer.
Abstract:
A method of operating an industrial furnace (1) comprising the steps of; (a) drawing a first gas flow (A) of ambient air into the furnace (1); (b) removing constituents of the first gas flow (A) to increase the relative oxygen content of the remaining first gas flow (A), the removed constituents of the first gas flow comprising a second gas flow (B); (c) firing the furnace (1) using at least part of the remaining first gas flow (A) as an oxidising medium; (d) drawing waste gases from the furnace (1) in a third gas flow (C); (e) combining the second gas flow (B) and the third gas flow (C); and (f) releasing the combined second (B) and third (C) gas flows from the furnace (1).
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for melting material, preferably glass. The material is pulverized and fed into a combustion chamber (1), together with combustion air and fuel, while being simultaneously subjected to the influence of low frequency sound waves. The sound waves have a sufficiently high intensity to cause the powder and the gas molecules to oscillate mutually in the combustion chamber (1), such as to increase the heat transfer coefficient.