Method for rapidly melting and refining glass
US3951635A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 29, 1974 |
| Grant date | Apr 20, 1976 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 29, 1994 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC03B5/225
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
In accordance with the method and apparatus of this invention, glass-forming materials are subjected to heat and agitation sufficient to form a molten glass having mostly dissolved glass-forming materials, mostly completed chemical reactions between the glass-forming materials and containing a high number of gaseous inclusions, and containing up to 50 volume percent entrapped gases. This glass appears foamy. The molten glass is transferred to a second chamber to complete melting of any unmelted sand grains remaining from the glass-forming materials, and completes the chemical reactions that remain incompleted, and to remove any remaining cords, and to reduce the foamy character of the melt to a dense molten glass which contains only small-sized gaseous inclusions. This molten glass is then subjected to centrifugal forces sufficient to remove the small-sized gaseous inclusions and thereby produce a refined molten glass having a desired quality of homogeneity and both a reduced number and a different size distribution of gaseous inclusions.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.