Selective chemical fining of small bubbles in glass
AssigneeOwens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.
InventorsScott Weil, Zhongming Wang, Roger P. Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of fining glass is disclosed that includes flowing a molten glass bath through a fining chamber. The molten glass bath has an undercurrent that flows beneath a skimmer that is partially submerged in the molten glass bath. One or more fining agents are introduced into the undercurrent of the molten glass bath directly beneath the skimmer from a dissolvable fining material component. In this way, the fining agent(s) may selectively target the gas bubbles drawn under the skimmer within the undercurrent of the molten glass for removal. The method may be employed to fine molten gas produced in a submerged combustion melter. A fining vessel for fining molten glass is also disclosed.
Claims26
A method of fining glass, the method comprising:
- supplying input molten glass into a fining chamber of a fining vessel, the input molten glass combining with a molten glass bath contained within the fining chamber and introducing entrained gas bubbles into the molten glass bath, the input molten glass having a density and a concentration of gas bubbles;
- flowing the molten glass bath through the fining chamber in a flow direction, the molten glass bath having an undercurrent that flows beneath a skimmer, which is partially submerged in the molten glass bath, and through a submerged passageway defined in part by the skimmer;
- and
- introducing one or more fining agents into the undercurrent of the molten glass bath directly beneath the skimmer from a dissolvable fining material component.
A method of fining glass, the method comprising:
- supplying input molten glass into a fining chamber of a fining vessel, the input molten glass combining with a molten glass bath contained within the fining chamber and introducing entrained gas bubbles into the molten glass bath, the input molten glass having a density and a concentration of gas bubbles;
- flowing the molten glass bath through the fining chamber in a flow direction, the molten glass bath having an undercurrent that flows beneath a skimmer, which is partially submerged in the molten glass bath, and through a submerged passageway defined in part by the skimmer;
- and
- introducing one or more fining agents into the undercurrent of the molten glass bath directly beneath the skimmer from a dissolvable fining material component that releases the one or more fining agents, the dissolvable fining material component being supported within the skimmer and having an exposed portion that protrudes beyond a distal free end of the skimmer into the submerged passageway.
A method of fining glass, the method comprising:
- supplying input molten glass into a fining chamber of a fining vessel, the input molten glass combining with a molten glass bath contained within the fining chamber and introducing entrained gas bubbles into the molten glass bath, the input molten glass having a density and a concentration of gas bubbles;
- flowing the molten glass bath through the fining chamber in a flow direction, the molten glass bath having an undercurrent that flows beneath a skimmer, which is partially submerged in the molten glass bath, and through a submerged passageway defined in part by the skimmer;
- introducing one or more fining agents into the undercurrent of the molten glass bath directly beneath the skimmer from a dissolvable fining material component that releases the one or more fining agents;
- wherein the fining vessel includes a housing that defines the fining chamber, the housing comprising a floor, wherein the floor defines a channel extending across the fining chamber beneath the skimmer, and wherein the dissolvable fining material component is in the form of a rod that is received within the channel defined in the floor of the housing and that rises above the floor into the submerged passageway.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.