Glass manufacturing process

US11319235B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Owens-Brockway Glass Container Inc. · US

Inventors

• Zhongming Wang · Ypsilanti, US
• Udaya Vempati · Perrysburg, US
• Casey Townsend · Perrysburg, US
• Earnest Iddings · Sylvania, US
• Sutapa Bhaduri · Maumee, US
• Nicholas A. Schoenrock · Toledo, US
• Ya-Cheng Lin · Perrysburg, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 1, 2019
• Grant date: May 3, 2022
• Expiry date: Jul 15, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C03B2211/23
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

In a process for manufacturing glass, a mixture of solid glass-forming materials may be melted by application of heat from one or more submerged combustion burners to produce a volume of unrefined molten glass comprising, by volume, 20% to 40% gas bubbles. A refining agent may be introduced into the unrefined molten glass to promote gas bubble removal from the molten glass. The unrefined molten glass including the refining agent may be heated at a temperature in the range of 1200° C. to 1500° C. to produce a volume of refined molten glass. The refined molten glass may comprise, by volume, fewer gas bubbles than the unrefined molten glass. A colorant material may be introduced into the refined molten glass to produce a volume of molten glass having a final desired color.