Process and Apparatus for Refining Molten Glass
AssigneeOwens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.
InventorTerence J. Clark
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims36
A porous body for refining molten glass that includes:
- an inlet;
- an outlet in fluid communication with said inlet and spaced apart from said inlet in a longitudinal direction;
- and
- a plurality of pores through which molten glass can flow between said inlet and said outlet,
- wherein said pores are defined by walls having wall surfaces that are configured to interact with the molten glass as the molten glass flows between said inlet and said outlet to help refine the molten glass.
An apparatus for melting and refining molten glass that includes:
- to a melter;
- a refiner downstream of said melter;
- a throat between said melter and said refiner;
- and
- a porous body having an inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with said inlet, said porous body being disposed within at least one of said melter, said refiner, and said throat,
- wherein said porous body includes a plurality of pores through which molten glass can flow between said inlet and said outlet, said pores being defined by walls having wall surfaces that are configured to interact with the molten glass to help refine the molten glass.
An apparatus for melting and refining molten glass that includes:
- a melter having an upstream end and an opposite downstream end;
- a throat in fluid communication with said downstream end of said melter;
- and
- a porous body having an inlet, an outlet in fluid communication with said inlet, and a plurality of pores through which molten glass can flow between said inlet and said outlet, wherein said porous body is configured to intercept molten glass that is flowing from said downstream end of said melter into said throat and to interact with the molten glass to promote release of gas bubbles from the molten glass or to reduce the size of the gas bubbles within the molten glass to a commercially acceptable size.
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 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;
- 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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.