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US 11,814,313 B2Granted
Process and apparatus for refining molten glass
AssigneeOwens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.
InventorTerence J. Clark
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process and an apparatus for refining molten glass. The apparatus includes a porous body having an inlet, an outlet, and a plurality of pores through which molten glass can flow between the inlet and the outlet. The plurality of pores are defined by walls having wall surfaces that are configured to interact with the molten glass as the molten glass flows between the inlet and the outlet to help refine the molten glass.
Claims20
A process for refining molten glass that includes:
- (a) providing a flow of molten glass that includes a plurality of gas bubbles;
- (b) providing a porous body that has a three-dimensional non-planar shape at least partially submerged within the molten glass, wherein the porous body includes an inlet, an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet, and a plurality of pores through which molten glass can flow between the inlet and the outlet, the plurality of pores being defined by walls having wall surfaces, the porous body having a thickness, a width and a height with the thickness defined as a distance between the inlet and the outlet and wherein at least one of a ratio of the thickness to the height or a ratio of the thickness to the width is greater than 1;
- and
- (c) flowing the molten glass through the porous body and through the plurality of pores such that interaction between the molten glass and the wall surfaces of the pores promotes release of gas bubbles from the molten glass or causes at least some of the gas bubbles within the molten glass to collapse or rupture to reduce the size of the gas bubbles to a commercially acceptable size.
1 more element
A process for refining molten glass that includes:
- (a) providing a flow of molten glass that includes a plurality of bubbles;
- (b) providing a porous body that includes an inlet, an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet, and a plurality of pores defining a three-dimensional network of interconnected open pores through which molten glass can flow between the inlet and the outlet, the plurality of pores being defined by walls having wall surfaces;
- and
- (c) flowing the molten glass through the porous body and through the plurality of pores such that between the molten glass and the wall surfaces of the pores promotes release of the gas bubbles from the molten glass or causes at least some of the bubbles within the molten glass to collapse or rupture to reduce the size of the glass bubbles.
1 more element
A process for refining molten glass that includes:
- (a) providing a flow of molten glass that includes a plurality of bubbles;
- (b) providing a porous body having a longitudinal axis that includes an inlet, an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet and spaced apart from the inlet along the longitudinal axis, and a plurality of pores through which molten glass can flow between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the size of pores varies along the longitudinal axis of the porous body;
- and
- (c) flowing the molten glass through the porous body and through the plurality of pores such that between the molten glass and the wall surfaces of the pores promotes release of the gas bubbles from the molten glass or causes at least some of the bubbles within the molten glass to collapse or rupture to reduce the size of the glass bubbles.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.