Refining method for molten glass and an apparatus for refining molten glass
AssigneeAsahi Glass Company, Limited
InventorsShinji Takeshita, Chikao Tanaka, Kazuhiko Ishimura
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Abstract
A refining method for molten glass comprising a stirring step for stirring molten glass in a stirring vessel, a feeding step for feeding the molten glass into a vacuum vessel via an uprising pipe, a degassing step wherein the molten glass is put under a reduced pressure in the vacuum vessel, bubbles produced on the molten glass surface and a flow of the molten glass just below the molten glass surface are blocked by a barrier provided in the vacuum vessel, and the molten glass is degassed in a state that a bubble layer is formed on the molten glass surface, and a discharging step for discharging the molten glass after degassing from the vacuum vessel through a downfalling pipe to a storage vessel.
Claims9
A refining method for molten glass comprising:
- a stirring step for stirring molten glass in a stirring vessel;
- a feeding step for feeding the molten glass into a vacuum vessel via an uprising pipe;
- a degassing step wherein the molten glass is put under a reduced pressure in the vacuum vessel, and the molten glass is degassed in a state that a bubble layer is formed on a molten glass surface, the vacuum vessel being provided with a barrier having a width traversing an entire width of the vacuum vessel at a side of said downfalling pipe with respect to a center of the vacuum vessel, said barrier blocking bubbles produced on the molten glass surface and a flow of the molten glass just below the molten glass surface during said degassing step;
- and
- a discharging step for discharging the molten glass after degassing from the vacuum vessel through a downfalling pipe to a storage vessel.
A refining apparatus for molten glass comprising:
- a stirring vessel for stirring molten glass;
- a vacuum vessel which is communicated with the stirring vessel via an uprising pipe;
- a storage vessel connected to the vacuum vessel via a downfalling pipe to receive the molten glass after degassing;
- and
- a barrier provided in the vacuum vessel and having a width traversing an entire width of the vacuum vessel at a side of said downfalling pipe with respect to a center of the vacuum vessel, said barrier blocking bubbles produced on a molten glass surface and a flow of the molten glass just below the molten glass surface whereby the molten glass is degassed, under a reduced pressure, in a state that a bubble layer is formed on the molten glass surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.