Abstract: The invention relates to a process and to an installation for preparing a final glass, comprising a main furnace with electrodes and/or overhead burners, which is fed with main batch materials generating a main molten glass, and a submerged-combustion auxiliary furnace, said auxiliary furnace being fed with auxiliary batch materials, the auxiliary molten glass feeding the main furnace toward its upstream end in the first third of its length, the auxiliary glass being substantially of the same composition as the main glass. The downstream zone of the main furnace is thus used to remove both gases coming from the main glass and gases coming from the auxiliary glass, in order to finish melting the batch stones and impurities contained in the auxiliary glass and to homogenize the two glass streams from their redox standpoint, when this is necessary.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for manufacturing a combustible gas having a lower heating value of at least 1 MJ/Nm3, comprising the reaction of an oxidizing gas comprising steam or oxygen or CO2 with an organic material in contact with a molten silicate bath held in a tank and comprising a heat supply into the molten silicate, said process operating continuously, silicate being regularly drained from the tank and vitrifiable materials being regularly introduced in order to feed the silicate bath. The heat supply is preferably of the submerged combustion type.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for manufacturing compounds based on one or more silicates of alkali metals and/or of alkaline-earth metals, optionally in the form of mixed silicates that combine at least two of these elements, said process involving: (i) preferably a conversion reaction (1) in which halides of said alkali metals and/or of said rare earths and/or of said alkaline-earth metals are converted into the corresponding sulfates; (iii) a conversion reaction (2) in which said sulfates together with silica are converted into the corresponding silicates, the heat supply needed for this conversion being provided, at least in part, by a combustion reaction (3) using a submerged burner or a plurality of submerged burners.

Abstract: The invention relates to a furnace for the continuous melting of a composition comprising silica, the said furnace comprising at least two tanks in series, said tanks each comprising at least one burner submerged in the melt. The invention also relates to the process for manufacturing compositions comprising silica using the furnace, the silica and the fluxing agent for the silica being introduced into the first tank. The invention makes it possible to produce glass color frits, tile frits and enamel with a high productivity, low temperatures and short transition times.

Abstract: The invention relates to a glass composition of silica-soda-lime type colored blue which comprises the coloring agents below in a content varying within the following limits, by weight: Fe2O3 (total iron) 0.2 to 0.51% CoO 10 to 50 ppm Cr2O3 10 to 300 ppm CuO 0-400 ppm the glass exhibiting a redox factor of less than 0.35, a dominant wavelength ?D of between 485 and 489 nm, an excitation purity of less than 13% and a selectivity at least equal to 1.1 under a thickness of between 3 and 5 mm. It also relates to the glass sheet obtained from the abovementioned composition, said sheet being intended in particular to form an automobile window or for the construction industry.

Abstract: The invention relates to a plant comprising an industrial manufacturing unit having a burner that burns a combustible fluid, the unit generating combustion flue gases containing CO2, characterized in that the plant comprises a combustible fluid production unit fed with organic matter, which is decomposed in the production unit to said fluid, the combustible fluid production unit comprising a thermochemical gasifier that decomposes the organic matter by the latter reacting with an oxidizing gas comprising steam or oxygen or CO2 so as to form the combustible fluid in gaseous form.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for manufacturing a combustible gas having a lower heating value of at least 1 MJ/Nm3, comprising the reaction of an oxidizing gas comprising steam or oxygen or CO2 with an organic material in contact with a molten silicate bath held in a tank and comprising a heat supply into the molten silicate, said process operating continuously, silicate being regularly drained from the tank and vitrifiable materials being regularly introduced in order to feed the silicate bath. The heat supply is preferably of the submerged combustion type.

Abstract: The invention relates to a glass composition of silica-soda-lime type colored blue which comprises the coloring agents below in a content varying within the following limits, by weight: Fe2O3 (total iron) 0.2 to 0.51% CoO 10 to 50 ppm Cr2O3 10 to 300 ppm CuO 0-400 ppm the glass exhibiting a redox factor of less than 0.35, a dominant wavelength ?D of between 485 and 489 nm, an excitation purity of less than 13% and a selectivity at least equal to 1.1 under a thickness of between 3 and 5 mm. It also relates to the glass sheet obtained from the abovementioned composition, said sheet being intended in particular to form an automobile window or for the construction industry.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process and to an installation for preparing a final glass, comprising a main furnace with electrodes and/or overhead burners, which is fed with main batch materials generating a main molten glass, and a submerged-combustion auxiliary furnace, said auxiliary furnace being fed with auxiliary batch materials, the auxiliary molten glass feeding the main furnace toward its upstream end in the first third of its length, the auxiliary glass being substantially of the same composition as the main glass. The downstream zone of the main furnace is thus used to remove both gases coming from the main glass and gases coming from the auxiliary glass, in order to finish melting the batch stones and impurities contained in the auxiliary glass and to homogenize the two glass streams from their redox standpoint, when this is necessary.

Abstract: The invention relates to a glass composition of silica-soda-lime type colored blue which comprises the coloring agents below in a content varying within the following limits, by weight: Fe2O3 (total iron) 0.2 to 0.51% CoO 10 to 50 ppm Cr2O3 10 to 300 ppm CuO 0-400 ppm the glass exhibiting a redox factor of less than 0.35, a dominant wavelength ?D of between 485 and 489 nm, an excitation purity of less than 13% and a selectivity at least equal to 1.1 under a thickness of between 3 and 5 mm. It also relates to the glass sheet obtained from the abovementioned composition, said sheet being intended in particular to form an automobile window or for the construction industry.

Abstract: A process for melting and refining vitrifiable materials, such that all or part of the thermal energy necessary for melting the said vitrifiable materials is supplied by the combustion of fossil fuel(s) with at least one oxidizer gas, the fuel(s)/gas or the gaseous products resulting from the combustion being injected below the level of the mass of vitrifiable materials (7). The refining of the vitrifiable materials after melting comprises at least one step of subjecting them to subatmospheric pressure while centrifuging.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing a silicate of an element chosen from alkali metals, alkaline-earth metals or rare earths, comprising a reaction between silica and a sulfate of said element in a reactor equipped with at least one submerged burner within a molten mass, said submerged burner being fed with a gas containing oxygen, an excess of fuel/reducing agent being introduced into the reactor relative to the oxygen effectively consumed. The process allows the reaction to be carried out satisfactorily and at relatively low temperature.

Abstract: The subject of the invention is a process for melting and refining vitrifiable materials, such that all or part of the thermal energy necessary for melting the said vitrifiable materials is supplied by the combustion of fossil fuel(s) with at least one oxidizer gas, the said fuel(s)/gas or the gaseous products resulting from the combustion being injected below the level of the mass of vitrifiable materials (7). The refining of the vitrifiable materials after melting takes place at least partly in the form of a “thin layer”. The invention also relates to the device for implementing the process and to its applications.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for manufacturing compounds based on one or more silicates of alkali metals and/or of alkaline-earth metals, optionally in the form of mixed silicates that combine at least two of these elements, said process involving: (i) preferably a conversion reaction (1) in which halides of said alkali metals and/or of said rare earths and/or of said alkaline-earth metals are converted into the corresponding sulfates; (iii) a conversion reaction (2) in which said sulfates together with silica are converted into the corresponding silicates, the heat supply needed for this conversion being provided, at least in part, by a combustion reaction (3) using a submerged burner or a plurality of submerged burners.

Abstract: The invention relates to a glass composition of silica-soda-lime type colored blue which comprises the coloring agents below in a content varying within the following limits, by weight: Fe2O3 (total iron) 0.2 to 0.51% CoO 10 to 50 ppm Cr2O3 10 to 300 ppm CuO 0-400 ppm the glass exhibiting a redox factor of less than 0.35, a dominant wavelength ?D of between 485 and 489 nm, an excitation purity of less than 13% and a selectivity at least equal to 1.1 under a thickness of between 3 and 5 mm. It also relates to the glass sheet obtained from the abovementioned composition, said sheet being intended in particular to form an automobile window or for the construction industry.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for manufacturing compounds based on one or more silicates of alkali metals and/or of alkaline-earth metals, optionally in the form of mixed silicates that combine at least two of these elements, said process involving: (i) preferably a conversion reaction (1) in which halides of said alkali metals and/or of said rare earths and/or of said alkaline-earth metals are converted into the corresponding sulfates; (iii) a conversion reaction (2) in which said sulfates together with silica are converted into the corresponding silicates, the heat supply needed for this conversion being provided, at least in part, by a combustion reaction (3) using a submerged burner or a plurality of submerged burners.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device capable of rotating about an axis (6), for the refining and homogenization of glass, comprising a receptacle (1) intended to receive the molten glass to be treated, a vacuum compartment (2) and at least one glass outlet orifice (5, 19), furthermore including a conveying means (7, 8, 17, 18) for conveying the molten glass from the feed receptacle (1) to the vacuum compartment (2). It also relates to a process for manufacturing substrates employing the device according to the invention, and to the substrates thus manufactured.

Abstract: The invention relates to a plant and to a process for manufacturing a glass, comprising the production of a main stream of a liquid main glass, by a main plant that includes a main furnace, and the production of an auxiliary stream of a liquid auxiliary glass, by an auxiliary plant that includes an auxiliary furnace having a submerged burner, the auxiliary stream being smaller than the main stream, the auxiliary glass having a composition different from that of the main glass and the two streams then being mixed to form a single total stream of the final glass. The auxiliary furnace especially provides the function of coloring the main glass so that the final glass is a colored glass. A highly homogeneous and bulk-colored flat glass may thus be manufactured by an installation having short transition times.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing a silicate of an element chosen from alkali metals, alkaline-earth metals or rare earths, comprising a reaction between silica and a sulfate of said element in a reactor equipped with at least one submerged burner within a molten mass, said submerged burner being fed with a gas containing oxygen, an excess of fuel/reducing agent being introduced into the reactor relative to the oxygen effectively consumed. The process allows the reaction to be carried out satisfactorily and at relatively low temperature.

Abstract: The subject of the invention is a gray glass composition of the soda-lime-silicate type having an overall light transmission under illuminant A (TLA) greater than 67% for a glass thickness equal to 3.85 mm, which comprises the constituents below within the following limits by weight: SiO2 64–75% Al2O3 ?0–5% B2O3 ?0–5% CaO ?5–15% MgO ?0–5% Na2O 10–18% K2O ?0–5% and the coloring agents below within the following limits by weight: Fe2O3 0.25–0.65% and preferably 0.5–0.65% CoO less than 20 ppm, preferably less than or equal to 15 ppm NiO 40–250 ppm and preferably 70–150 ppm Se 0–5 ppm where Fe2O3 is the total iron.