Utilization of sulfate in the fining of submerged combustion melted glass

A method of producing and fining glass, the method comprising:

• providing a glass melt that is contained within an interior reaction chamber of a submerged combustion melter, the glass melt comprising unrefined molten glass having a soda-lime-silica glass chemical composition that includes 60 wt % to 80 wt % SiO2, 8 wt % to 18 wt % Na2O, and 5 wt % to 15 wt % CaO;
• discharging combustion products from one or more submerged burners directly into the glass melt contained within the interior reaction chamber of the submerged combustion melter, the combustion products discharged from the one or more submerged burners agitating the glass melt;
• delivering an inflow of unrefined molten glass into a fining chamber of a fining vessel, the fining chamber being defined by a housing, and the inflow of unrefined molten glass, which is drawn from the glass melt in the interior reaction chamber of the submerged combustion melter, merging with a molten glass bath contained within the fining chamber;
• monitoring a temperature of the molten glass bath within the fining chamber, wherein the temperature of the molten glass bath is determined within a temperature indication zone that encompasses a subsurface portion of the molten glass bath that lies beneath a surface of the molten glass bath;
• controlling an amount of a sulfate chemical fining agent added to the glass melt within the interior reaction chamber of the submerged combustion melter based on a comparison of the temperature of the molten glass bath within the fining chamber against a minimum glass fining temperature;
• and
• discharging an outflow of refined molten glass from the fining chamber of the fining vessel, the outflow of refined molten glass having a glass density that is greater than a glass density of the inflow of unrefined molten glass received in the fining chamber of the fining vessel.

A method of producing and fining glass, the method comprising:

• producing a glass melt in an interior reaction chamber of a submerged combustion melter, the glass melt comprising unrefined molten glass having a soda-lime-silica glass chemical composition;
• discharging combustion products from one or more submerged burners directly into the glass melt contained within the interior reaction chamber of the submerged combustion melter;
• delivering an inflow of unrefined molten glass from the glass melt and into a fining chamber of a fining vessel, the inflow of unrefined molten glass merging with a molten glass bath contained within the fining chamber;
• monitoring a temperature of the molten glass bath within the fining chamber in a temperature indication zone of the molten glass bath that encompasses a subsurface portion of the molten glass bath;
• comparing the temperature of the molten glass bath in the temperature indication zone against a minimum glass fining temperature, wherein the minimum glass fining temperature is between 1220° C. and 1260° C.;
• and
• controlling an amount of a sulfate chemical fining agent added to the glass melt in the interior reaction chamber of the submerged combustion melter based on the comparison of the temperature of the molten glass bath in the temperature indication zone against the minimum glass fining temperature such that the unrefined molten glass of the glass melt, upon being discharged from the interior reaction chamber of the submerged combustion melter, is provided with a retained sulfate content, as expressed as SO3, of (i) between 0 wt % and less than 0.04 wt % when the temperature of the molten glass bath in the temperature indication zone is equal to or greater than the minimum glass fining temperature and (ii) at least 0.04 wt % when the temperature of the molten glass bath in the temperature indication zone is less than the minimum glass fining temperature.

A method of producing and fining glass, the method comprising:

• producing a glass melt in an interior reaction chamber of a submerged combustion melter, the glass melt comprising unrefined molten glass;
• adding a sulfate chemical fining agent to the glass melt in the interior reaction chamber of the submerged combustion melter;
• discharging combustion products from one or more submerged burners directly into the glass melt contained within the interior reaction chamber of the submerged combustion melter;
• delivering an inflow of unrefined molten glass from the glass melt and into a fining chamber of a fining vessel, the inflow of unrefined molten glass merging with a molten glass bath contained within the fining chamber;
• monitoring a temperature of the molten glass bath within the fining chamber in a temperature indication zone of the molten glass bath that encompasses a subsurface portion of the molten glass bath;
• comparing the temperature of the molten glass bath in the temperature indication zone against a minimum glass fining temperature;
• and
• limiting or suspending an amount of the sulfate chemical fining agent added to the glass melt when the temperature of the molten glass bath in the temperature indication zone is equal to or greater than the minimum glass fining temperature.

A method of producing and fining glass, the method comprising:

• producing a glass melt in an interior reaction chamber of a submerged combustion melter, the glass melt comprising unrefined molten glass;
• discharging combustion products from one or more submerged burners directly into the glass melt contained within the interior reaction chamber of the submerged combustion melter;
• delivering an inflow of unrefined molten glass, which is drawn and originates from the glass melt contained the interior reaction chamber of the submerged combustion melter, into a fining chamber of a fining vessel, the inflow of unrefined molten glass merging with a molten glass bath contained within the fining chamber;
• monitoring a temperature of the molten glass bath within the fining chamber in a temperature indication zone of the molten glass bath that encompasses a subsurface portion of the molten glass bath, the temperature indication zone extending upwards from a floor of a housing of the fining vessel to a distance ranging from 10% to 60% of a depth of the molten glass bath while extending an entire width of the fining chamber and being spaced away from each of an inlet end wall of the housing and an outlet end wall of the housing by a distance ranging from 40% to 60% of a length of the fining chamber;
• comparing the temperature of the molten glass bath in the temperature indication zone against a minimum glass fining temperature, the minimum glass fining temperature being determined based on the chemical fining activity of the sulfate chemical fining agent in relation to the temperature of the molten glass bath within the temperature indication zone;
• and
• controlling an amount of a sulfate chemical fining agent added to the glass melt in the interior reaction chamber of the submerged combustion melter based on the comparison of the temperature of the molten glass bath in the temperature indication zone against the minimum glass fining temperature.