Pilkington Brothers P.l.c.

David Gordon Loukes

William Ramsey Maltman

Jack Lawrenson

Colin Robert Howard

Albert Sidney Robinson

A glass surface is modified by maintaining a molten alloy body in contact with the surface, which molten body clings to a locating face which comprises at least two metals which migrate into the glass from the molten alloy body, and which dissolve from the locating face into the molten alloy body as migration proceeds, thereby replenishing the molten alloy body.

Electrolytic ion migration into glass

Molten glass is poured on to a bath of molten metal to form a pool of molten glass on the bath, which pool is held back on the bath surface by a solid member, preferably wetted by the glass, extending across the downstream end of the pool. A ribbon of glass is drawn from a forward flow of molten glass beneath the solid member and the ribbon is rapidly cooled to stabilize its dimensions as it is drawn away from the solid member. The method is suitable for the production of flat glass of thickness in the range 0.5 mm to 10 mm; also the production of glass foil of thickness in the range 0.005 mm to 0.5 mm.

Manufacture of flat glass

Surface modified glass is produced by method and apparatus in which the glass is contacted with a molten body, for example of a molten metal or molten alloy while the glass temperature is such that it can be modified by migration of cations from the molten body into the glass surface. This cationic migration is electrically induced and the molten material is periodically connected as a cathode with respect to the glass for a preset time sufficient at least partially to deoxidise the molten material. Non-oxidising conditions may be maintained in the molten material and the electrical action at the interface between the molten body and the glass while the molten body is connected as a cathode causes reduction of at least a proportion of the cations in the glass surface to produce a metallic dispersion. The invention is particularly applicable to the modification of the upper surface of a ribbon of float glass advancing along a molten metal bath.

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Prescot, United Kingdom

David Gordon Loukes