Abstract: A vitrifiable feed material for producing flint glass by way of a process that uses submerged combustion melting includes a base glass portion, an oxidizing agent, and a decolorant. The base glass portion includes an SiO2 contributor, an Na2O contributor, and a CaO contributor to provide SiO2, Na2O, and CaO, respectively, to a glass melt when melted therein. The oxidizing agent may be a sulfate compound in an amount ranging from 0.20 wt % to 0.50 wt % as expressed as SO3 based on the total weight of the vitrifiable feed material, and the decolorant may be selenium in an amount ranging from 0.008 wt % to 0.016 wt % or manganese oxide in an amount ranging from 0.1 wt % to 0.2 wt % based on the total weight of the vitrifiable feed material.

Abstract: A method of producing glass using submerged combustion melting includes supplying a combustible gas mixture to one or more submerged burners of a submerged combustion melter, combusting the combustible gas mixture supplied to the submerged burner(s) to produce combustion products, and discharging the combustion products from the submerged burner(s) directly into a glass melt contained within the submerged combustion melter to agitate and heat the glass melt. The glass melt is comprised of soda-lime-silica glass and has a redox ratio. Additionally, the disclosed method involves controlling one or more operating conditions of the submerged combustion melter selected from (1) an oxygen-to-fuel ratio of the combustible gas mixture supplied to each of the submerged burners, (2) a residence time of the glass melt, and (3) a gas flux through the glass melt.

Abstract: A method of producing flint glass using submerged combustion melting involves introducing a vitrifiable feed material into a glass melt contained within a submerged combustion melter. The vitrifiable feed material is formulated to provide the glass melt with a glass chemical composition suitable for producing flint glass articles. To that end, the glass melt comprises a total iron content expressed as Fe2O3 in an amount ranging from 0.04 wt % to 0.06 wt % and also has a redox ratio that ranges from 0.1 to 0.4, and the vitrifiable feed material further includes between 0.008 wt % and 0.016 wt % of selenium or between 0.1 wt % and 0.2 wt % of manganese oxide in order to achieve an appropriate content of selenium or manganese oxide in the glass melt.

Abstract: A method of producing glass using submerged combustion melting is disclosed. The method includes introducing a vitrifiable feed material into a glass melt contained within a submerged combustion melter. The glass melt contained in the melter has a redox ratio defined as a ratio of Fe2+ to total iron in the glass melt. The method further includes combusting a combustible gas mixture supplied to each of the submerged burners to produce combustion products, and discharging the combustion products directly into the glass melt. Still further, the method includes adjusting the redox ratio of the glass melt by controlling one or more operating conditions of the submerged combustion melter selected from (1) an oxygen-to-fuel ratio of the combustible gas mixture supplied to each of the submerged burners, (2) a residence time of the glass melt, and (3) a gas flux through the glass melt.

Abstract: A method of producing and fining glass includes monitoring a temperature of a molten glass bath contained within a fining chamber of a fining vessel and, based on the monitored temperature, controlling an amount of a sulfate chemical fining agent added into a glass melt contained within an interior reaction chamber of an upstream submerged combustion melter that feeds the fining vessel. The temperature of the molten glass bath may be determined within a temperature indication zone that encompasses a subsurface portion of the molten glass bath that lies adjacent to a floor of a housing of the fining vessel. By monitoring the temperature of the molten glass bath and controlling the amount of the sulfate chemical fining agent added to the glass melt of the submerged combustion melter, the wasteful use of the sulfate chemical fining agent can be minimized and the fining process rendered more efficient.

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.

Abstract: A method of producing flint glass using submerged combustion melting involves introducing a vitrifiable feed material into a glass melt contained within a submerged combustion melter. The vitrifiable feed material is formulated to provide the glass melt with a glass chemical composition suitable for producing flint glass articles. To that end, the glass melt comprises a total iron content expressed as Fe2O3 in an amount ranging from 0.04 wt % to 0.06 wt % and also has a redox ratio that ranges from 0.1 to 0.4, and the vitrifiable feed material further includes between 0.008 wt % and 0.016 wt % of selenium or between 0.1 wt % and 0.2 wt % of manganese oxide in order to achieve an appropriate content of selenium or manganese oxide in the glass melt.

Abstract: A method of producing flint glass using submerged combustion melting is disclosed. The method includes operating a submerged combustion melter such that combustion products are discharged from one or more submerged burners combusting a combustible gas mixture that comprises fuel and oxygen. An oxygen-to-fuel ratio of the combustible gas mixture ranges from stoichiometry to 30% excess oxygen relative to stoichiometry, a temperature of a glass melt in the submerged combustion melter is between 1200° C. and 1500° C., a residence time of the glass melt is maintained between 1 hour and 10 hours, and a specific throughput rate of molten glass discharged from the submerged combustion melter ranges from 2 tons per day per meter squared of cross-sectional area of the submerged combustion melter [tons/day/m2] to 25 tons/day/m2. A method of forming glass containers from the molten glass discharged from the melter is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of producing glass using submerged combustion melting is disclosed. The method includes introducing a vitrifiable feed material into a glass melt contained within a submerged combustion melter. The glass melt contained in the melter has a redox ratio defined as a ratio of Fe2+ to total iron in the glass melt. The method further includes combusting a combustible gas mixture supplied to each of the submerged burners to produce combustion products, and discharging the combustion products directly into the glass melt. Still further, the method includes adjusting the redox ratio of the glass melt by controlling one or more operating conditions of the submerged combustion melter selected from (1) an oxygen-to-fuel ratio of the combustible gas mixture supplied to each of the submerged burners, (2) a residence time of the glass melt, and (3) a gas flux through the glass melt.

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.

Abstract: A method of producing and fining glass includes monitoring a temperature of a molten glass bath contained within a fining chamber of a fining vessel and, based on the monitored temperature, controlling an amount of a sulfate chemical fining agent added into a glass melt contained within an interior reaction chamber of an upstream submerged combustion melter that feeds the fining vessel. The temperature of the molten glass bath may be determined within a temperature indication zone that encompasses a subsurface portion of the molten glass bath that lies adjacent to a floor of a housing of the fining vessel. By monitoring the temperature of the molten glass bath and controlling the amount of the sulfate chemical fining agent added to the glass melt of the submerged combustion melter, the wasteful use of the sulfate chemical fining agent can be minimized and the fining process rendered more efficient.

Abstract: A glass furnace includes a furnace chamber for containing glass melt and a conveyor for receiving glass batch material and feeding the glass batch material to the furnace chamber. A dam wall is disposed with respect to the conveyor such that batch material from the conveyor must flow upward over the dam wall before entering the furnace chamber. The top of the dam wall may be below the level of the melt pool in the furnace chamber.

Abstract: A glass furnace includes a furnace chamber including a side wall and a bottom wall and containing a pool of glass melt having a melt level. A batch feed hopper is adjacent to the side wall of the furnace chamber to supply batch material under gravity to a bottom of the hopper. A feed opening is in the side wall of the furnace chamber and feeds batch material from the bottom of the hopper to the pool of glass melt below the melt level. A conveyor is proximate the bottom wall of the hopper and feeds the batch material from the bottom of the hopper through the feed opening and into the furnace chamber.

Abstract: A glass furnace includes a furnace chamber including a side wall and a bottom wall and containing a pool of glass melt having a melt level. A batch feed hopper is adjacent to the side wall of the furnace chamber to supply batch material under gravity to a bottom of the hopper. A feed opening is in the side wall of the furnace chamber and feeds batch material from the bottom of the hopper to the pool of glass melt below the melt level. A conveyor is proximate the bottom wall of the hopper and feeds the batch material from the bottom of the hopper through the feed opening and into the furnace chamber.

Abstract: A glass furnace includes a furnace chamber for containing glass melt and a conveyor for receiving glass batch material and feeding the glass batch material to the furnace chamber. A dam wall is disposed with respect to the conveyor such that batch material from the conveyor must flow upward over the dam wall before entering the furnace chamber. The top of the dam wall may be below the level of the melt pool in the furnace chamber.

Abstract: A glass furnace includes a furnace chamber for containing glass melt and a screw conveyor for receiving glass batch material and feeding the glass batch material to the furnace chamber. A dam wall is disposed with respect to the screw conveyor such that batch material from the screw conveyor must flow upward over the dam wall before entering the furnace chamber. The top of the dam wall may be below the level of the melt pool in the furnace chamber.

Abstract: A process for cullet beneficiation by precipitation. A mass of cullet is melted to form a body of molten glass having a heavy metal con ration of greater than 100 ppm. A precipitate agent is introduced into the body of molten glass to form a heavy metal-containing precipitate phase and a liquid beneficiated glass phase within the body of molten glass. The precipitate phase may have a density greater than that of the liquid beneficiated glass phase. Thereafter, the liquid beneficiated glass phase is physically separated from the precipitate phase. The separated liquid beneficiated glass phase has a reduced concentration of heavy metals, as compared to the concentration of heavy metals in the body of molten glass.

Abstract: A glass furnace includes a furnace chamber for containing glass melt and a screw conveyor for receiving glass batch material and feeding the glass batch material to the furnace chamber. A dam wall is disposed with respect to the screw conveyor such that batch material from the screw conveyor must flow upward over the dam wall before entering the furnace chamber. The top of the dam wall may be below the level of the melt pool in the furnace chamber.

Abstract: A process for cullet beneficiation by precipitation. A mass of cullet is melted to form a body of molten glass having a heavy metal con ration of greater than 100 ppm. A precipitate agent is introduced into the body of molten glass to form a heavy metal-containing precipitate phase and a liquid beneficiated glass phase within the body of molten glass. The precipitate phase may have a density greater than that of the liquid beneficiated glass phase. Thereafter, the liquid beneficiated glass phase is physically separated from the precipitate phase. The separated liquid beneficiated glass phase has a reduced concentration of heavy metals, as compared to the concentration of heavy metals in the body of molten glass.