# US 2018/0022628 A1 · Manufacturing of continuous mineral fibers

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- Number: US 2018/0022628 A1
- Document ID: US20180022628A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/546,277
- Filed: 2016-01-27
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Earliest claimed: 2015-01-27
- Assignees: Knauf Insulation, Inc.
- Applicants: Knauf Insulation
- Inventors: Gerard DEMOTT; Bostjan MAROLT; David DUCARME
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180022628A1

## CPC

- C03B 5/183: using thermal means, e.g. for creating convection currents
- C03B 5/2356: {Submerged heating, e.g. by using heat pipes, hot gas or submerged combustion burners (bubblers C03B5/193)}
- C03B 5/44: Cooling arrangements for furnace walls
- C03C 3/087: containing calcium oxide, e.g. common sheet or container glass
- C03C 13/06: Mineral fibres, e.g. slag wool, mineral wool, rock wool
- F27B 3/20: Arrangements of heating devices
- Y02P 40/50: Glass production, e.g. reusing waste heat during processing or shaping
- C03B: MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
- C03C: CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
- F27B: FURNACES, KILNS, OVENS OR RETORTS IN GENERAL; OPEN SINTERING OR LIKE APPARATUS
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

Continuous basalt fibers are produced by melting basalt rock in a submerged combustion melter, and by forming said melt into continuous basalt fibers.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Process for the manufacturing of continuous mineral fibers, comprising the steps of:
introducing a solid batch material for preparation of continuous mineral fibers into a melter;
melting the solid batch material in the melter by submerged combustion to form a liquid melt;
forming at least a portion of the liquid melt into continuous mineral fibers.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the raw material comprises 45.0-60.0 wt % SiO2, 12.0-25.0 wt % Al2O3, 5.0-25.0 wt % tot iron oxide expressed as Fe2O3, total alkali of 2.0-6.0 wt %, 5.0-25.0 wt % CaO, 4.0-25.0 wt % MgO and 0.0-5.0 wt, TiO2 and trace amounts of other oxides to add up to 100%.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the raw material is basalt rock and the obtained continuous mineral fibers are basalt fibers.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the melting chamber walls comprise double steel walls separated by circulating cooling liquid, preferably water.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein heat is recovered from the hot fumes and/or from the cooling liquid.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein heat is recovered from the hot fumes to preheat the raw materials.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein part at least of the melt is withdrawn continuously or batchwise from the melter.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the melter comprises at least one submerged burner, and the said at least one submerged burner is controlled such as to maintain the melt in a turbulent state such that the volume of the turbulent melt is at least 8%, preferably at least 10%, more preferably at least 15% higher than the level the melt would be at if no burners are firing.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The process of claim 8, wherein it is operated such that no significant foam layer is generated over the top of the melt level.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the submerged combustion is performed such that a substantially toroidal melt flow pattern is generated in the melt, having a substantially vertical central axis of revolution, comprising major centrally inwardly convergent flows at the melt surface; the melt moves downwardly at proximity of the vertical central axis of revolution and is recirculated in an ascending movement back to the melt surface, thus defining an substantially toroidal flow pattern.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the melting step comprises melting the solid batch material, in a submerged combustion melter by subjecting the melt to a flow pattern which when simulated by computational fluid dynamic analysis shows a substantially toroidal melt flow pattern in the melt, comprising major centrally inwardly convergent flow vectors at the melt surface, with the central axis of revolution of the toroid being substantially vertical.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The process of claim 11 wherein towards the melter bottom, the flow vectors change orientation showing outward and then upward components.

### Claim 13

Production equipment for the manufacturing of continuous mineral fibers comprising a submerged combustion meter (1) comprising melting chamber (3) walls (19) and at least one submerged burner, and equipped with a raw material discharge or feeder (10) and melt outlet (9), and a continuous fiber forming device (20).

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The production equipment of claim 13 wherein the melting chamber (3) walls comprise double steel walls (19) separated by circulating cooling liquid, preferably water.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The production equipment of claim 13 wherein submerged combustion burners (21,22,23,24,25,26) are arranged at the melter bottom in a substantially annular burner zone, preferably on a burner circle (27).

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The production equipment of claim 13 wherein the burners (21,22,23,24,25,26) are arranged with a distance between adjacent burners of about 250-1250 mm, advantageously 500-900 mm, preferably about 600-800, even more preferably about 650-750 mm.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The production equipment of claim 13 wherein each burner axis and/or a speed vector of the melt moving upwards over or adjacent to the submerged burners is slightly inclined from the vertical, for example by an angle which is ≧1°, ≧2°, ≧3° or ≧5 and/or which is ≦30°, preferably ≦15°, more preferably ≦10°, notably towards the center of the melter (1).

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The production equipment of claim 13 wherein each central burner axis is inclined by a swirl angle with respect to a vertical plane passing through a central vertical axis of melter and the burner center, the swirl angle being ≧1°, ≧2°, ≧3°, ≧5° and/or ≦30°, ≦20°, ≦15° or ≦10°.