Selective chemical fining of small bubbles in glass

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11459263-B2
Application number	US-201916590062-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2019
Priority date	Oct 1, 2019
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

A method of fining glass is disclosed that includes flowing a molten glass bath through a fining chamber. The molten glass bath has an undercurrent that flows beneath a skimmer that is partially submerged in the molten glass bath. One or more fining agents are introduced into the undercurrent of the molten glass bath directly beneath the skimmer from a dissolvable fining material component. In this way, the fining agent(s) may selectively target the gas bubbles drawn under the skimmer within the undercurrent of the molten glass for removal. The method may be employed to fine molten gas produced in a submerged combustion melter. A fining vessel for fining molten glass is also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of fining glass, the method comprising:
supplying input molten glass into a fining chamber of a fining vessel, the input molten glass combining with a molten glass bath contained within the fining chamber and introducing entrained gas bubbles into the molten glass bath, the input molten glass having a density and a concentration of gas bubbles;
flowing the molten glass bath through the fining chamber in a flow direction, the molten glass bath having an undercurrent that flows beneath a skimmer, which is partially submerged in the molten glass bath, and through a submerged passageway defined in part by the skimmer; and
introducing one or more fining agents into the undercurrent of the molten glass bath directly beneath the skimmer from a dissolvable fining material component.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein introducing one or more fining agents into the undercurrent of the molten glass bath comprises releasing one or more fining agents from the dissolvable fining material component, the dissolvable fining material component being supported within the skimmer and having an exposed portion that protrudes beyond a distal free end of the skimmer into the submerged passageway.

3. The method set forth in claim 2 , wherein the dissolvable fining material component is in the form of a plate that is moveable within an internal cavity defined in a main body of the skimmer.

4. The method set forth in claim 3 , wherein the plate is perforated to allow the undercurrent of the molten glass bath to flow through openings defined in the exposed portion of the plate.

5. The method set forth in claim 2 , wherein the dissolvable fining material component is in the form of a rod movable within a bore defined in a main body of the skimmer.

6. The method set forth in claim 2 , further comprising:
advancing the dissolvable fining material component relative to a main body of the skimmer along a height of the skimmer to maintain the exposed portion of the component as the component disintegrates in the undercurrent of the molten glass bath.

7. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein the fining vessel includes a housing that defines the fining chamber, the housing comprising a floor, and wherein introducing one or more fining agents into the undercurrent of the molten glass bath comprises releasing one or more fining agents from the dissolvable fining material component, the dissolvable fining material component being supported in the floor of the housing directly beneath the skimmer and rising above the floor into the submerged passageway.

8. The method set forth in claim 7 , wherein the floor defines a channel extending across the fining chamber beneath the skimmer, and wherein the dissolvable fining material component is in the form of a rod and is received within the channel defined in the floor of the housing.

9. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein the one or more fining agents that are introduced into the undercurrent of the molten glass bath include a sulfate that decomposes to release O 2 and SO 2 .

10. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein the one or more fining agents that are introduced into the undercurrent of the molten glass bath include sodium sulfate, Cr 2 O 3 , WO 3 , carbon, aluminum, a carbonate, silicon carbide (SiC), an oxidized metal powder, or a combination thereof.

11. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein the input molten glass has a soda-lime-silica glass chemical composition.

12. The method set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:
discharging output molten glass from the fining vessel, the output molten glass having a density that is greater than the density of the input molten glass and further having a concentration of gas bubbles that is less than the concentration of gas bubbles of the input molten glass.

13. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein the dissolvable fining material component is a solid that disintegrates over time to introduce the one or more fining agents.

14. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein the dissolvable fining material component comprises a mixture of a glass compatible base material and one or more fining agents.

15. A method of fining glass, the method comprising:
supplying input molten glass into a fining chamber of a fining vessel, the input molten glass combining with a molten glass bath contained within the fining chamber and introducing entrained gas bubbles into the molten glass bath, the input molten glass having a density and a concentration of gas bubbles;
flowing the molten glass bath through the fining chamber in a flow direction, the molten glass bath having an undercurrent that flows beneath a skimmer, which is partially submerged in the molten glass bath, and through a submerged passageway defined in part by the skimmer; and
introducing one or more fining agents into the undercurrent of the molten glass bath directly beneath the skimmer from a dissolvable fining material component that releases the one or more fining agents, the dissolvable fining material component being supported within the skimmer and having an exposed portion that protrudes beyond a distal free end of the skimmer into the submerged passageway.

16. The method set forth in claim 15 , wherein the dissolvable fining material component is in the form of a plate that is moveable within an internal cavity defined in a main body of the skimmer.

17. The method set forth in claim 16 , wherein the plate is perforated to allow the undercurrent of the molten glass bath to flow through openings defined in the exposed portion of the plate.

18. The method set forth in claim 15 , wherein the dissolvable fining material component is in the form of a rod movable within a bore defined in a main body of the skimmer.

19. The method set forth in claim 15 , further comprising:
advancing the dissolvable fining material component relative to a main body of the skimmer along a height of the skimmer to maintain the exposed portion of the component as the component disintegrates in the undercurrent of the molten glass bath.

20. The method set forth in claim 15 , wherein the one or more fining agents that are introduced into the undercurrent of the molten glass bath include a sulfate that decomposes to release O 2 and SO 2 .

21. The method set forth in claim 15 , wherein the one or more fining agents that are introduced into the undercurrent of the molten glass bath include sodium sulfate, Cr 2 O 3 , WO 3 , carbon, aluminum, a carbonate, silicon carbide (SiC), an oxidized metal powder, or a combination thereof.

22. The method set forth in claim 15 , wherein the input molten glass has a soda-lime-silica glass chemical composition.

23. The method set forth in claim 15 , further comprising:
discharging output molten glass from the fining vessel, the output molten glass having a density that is greater than the density of the input molten glass and further having a concentration of gas bubbles that is less than the concentration of gas bubbles of the input molten glass.

24. The method set forth in claim 15 , wherein the dissolvable fining material component comprises a mixture of a glass compatible base material and one or more fining agents.

25. A method of fining glass, the method comprising:
supplying input molten glass into a fining chamber of a fining vessel, the input molten glass combining with a molten glass bath contained within the fining chamber a

Assignees

• Owens Brockway Glass Container

Inventors

• Weil Scott
• Wang Zhongming
• Smith Roger P

Classifications

• C03B5/2353

  by combustion with pure oxygen or oxygen-enriched air, e.g. using oxy-fuel burners or oxygen lances · CPC title

• C03B5/2356

  Submerged heating, e.g. by using heat pipes, hot gas or submerged combustion burners (bubblers C03B5/193) · CPC title

• C03C1/004

  Refining agents (refining C03B5/225) · CPC title

• C03B2211/23

  using oxygen, i.e. pure oxygen or oxygen-enriched air · CPC title

• C03B5/225 Primary

  Refining (C03B5/18 takes precedence {; Refining agents C03C1/004}) · CPC title