Method for controlling particulate emissions

A process for producing glass by charging to a melting furnace and melting therein a boron or fluorine containing batch comprising the steps of agglomerating the batch using a liquid, charging the wet agglomerates onto the upper surface of a vertical bed preheat hopper having a lower discharge end communicating with the furnace, substantially simultaneously (1) withdrawing agglomerates through said lower discharge end for charging to the furnace, (2) moving the remaining agglomerates by gravity downwardly through the bed, (3) passing the hot furnace exhaust gas upwardly through the bed to heat the agglomerates therein, (4) drying the wet agglomerates on the upper surface of the bed with spent exhaust gas which has already passed through the bed, (5) electrically charging the spent exhaust gases which have passed through the bed wherein the spent exhaust gases contain glass batch particulate which are charged when step (5) is carried out, and (6) passing the charged exhaust gases through an electrified bed of granules wherein the charged glass batch particulate is removed from the spent exhaust gases by collecting on the charged granules when step (6) is carried out and wherein the granules are limestone or calcium oxide.