Abstract: A method for fining a glass melt comprises providing a glass melt in a melting vessel, moving the glass melt to a fining vessel via a first channel, and physically introducing gas bubbles to the glass melt in the fining vessel to form a fined glass, wherein the melting vessel and the fining vessel are in a horizontal orientation with respect to each other.

Abstract: A method for reducing gaseous inclusions in high melting temperature or high strain point glasses is described. The method includes heating a batch material within a melting vessel to form molten glass at a melting temperature TM, the molten glass comprising a multivalent oxide material; heating the molten glass within a fining vessel to a fining temperature TF?TM; and cooling the molten glass within a refractory tube after the first or second heating step to a cooling temperature TC less than TM. The molten glass remains within the refractory tube for a time sufficient to reduce a volume of gaseous inclusions in the molten glass and cause gas species to migrate out of the gaseous inclusions into the molten glass such that at least a portion of the gaseous inclusions collapse into the molten glass.

Abstract: Feed materials are melted in a first vessel to form a glass melt at a first temperature T1, the glass melt containing at least one fining agent. The molten glass is next cooled to a second temperature T2 less than T1 in a second vessel wherein an oxygen-comprising gas is not actively added (e.g. bubbled) into the melt during the duration of the time the melt is at T2. The molten glass is thereafter heated to a third temperature T3 greater than T1 and subsequently formed into a glass article.

Abstract: A glass manufacturing system and a method are described herein for reducing gaseous inclusions in high melting temperature or high strain point glasses, such as those that are used as glass substrates in flat panel display devices. In one embodiment, the method including the steps of: (a) heating a batch material within a melting vessel to form molten glass at a melting temperature TM, the molten glass comprising a multivalent oxide material; (b) heating the molten glass within a fining vessel to a fining temperature TF?TM; and (c) cooling the molten glass within a refractory tube after the first heating step or after the second heating step to a cooling temperature TC less than TM, where the molten glass remains within the refractory tube for a predetermined resident time to reduce a volume of the gaseous inclusions in the molten glass and cause gas species to migrate out of the gaseous inclusions into the molten glass such that at least a portion of the gaseous inclusions collapse into the molten glass.