Corning Incorporated

James Patrick Murphy

Lee Martin Adelsberg

David Myron Lineman

Martin Herbert Goller

Steven Roy Burdette

Joyce C Gillis Dunbar

Robert Michael Morena

Gilbert De Angelis

William Brashear Mattingly, Iii

Raymond Eugene Fraley

William Gurney Dorfeld

Robert Richard Thomas

Randy Dean Ziegenhagen

Paul Richard Grzesik

Daniel Arthur Nolet

Juan Camilo Isaza

Muluwork Geremew

Lawrence Henry Kotacska

A glass making process comprising a step of fining the molten glass in a fining vessel comprising a top wall portion not in direct contact with the molten glass, and a side wall portion in direct contact with the molten glass, wherein the top wall portion has a temperature T(top), the side wall portion has a temperature T(side), and T(top)&#x2212;T(side)&#x2266;10&#xb0; C., and a glass fining system. The invention is particularly useful for glass fining systems comprising a metal fining vessel made of precious metals such as Pt and/or Pt&#x2014;Rh alloys.

Process and system for fining glass

An apparatus for use in controlling a temperature of an oblong-shaped molten glass-carrying vessel, such as a conduit for transporting the molten glass from one location to another location, by flowing a current through the vessel. The apparatus comprises a metal flange comprising a plurality of electrically-conductive rings that include an inner ring joined to the vessel's exterior wall and an outer ring surrounding the inner ring. The inner ring, for example, may include an outer perimeter that is substantially oblong. In some embodiments the inner ring comprises a notch that aids in making current density more uniform. In some examples the width of the inner ring, excluding the notch, does not substantially vary as a function of angular position relative to the vessel.

Apparatus for use in direct resistance heating of platinum-containing vessels

A flange () for use in direct resistance heating of a glass-carrying vessel (), such as a finer, is provided. The flange comprises a plurality of electrically-conductive rings which include an innermost ring () which is joined to the vessel's exterior wall () during use of the flange and an outermost ring () which receives electrical current during use of the flange. The innermost ring () comprises a high-temperature metal which comprises at least 80% platinum and the outermost ring () comprises at least 99.0% nickel. This combination of materials both increases the reliability of the flange and reduces its cost. In certain embodiments, the flange can also include one or more rings () composed of a platinum-nickel alloy which has a lower thermal conductivity than platinum or nickel and thus can serve to reduce heat loss through the flange.

Nickel-containing flanges for use in direct resistance heating of platinum-containing vessels

Stirring apparatuses for stirring molten glass are disclosed. The method includes stirring a molten glass with a stirrer comprising a layer containing at least about 50% iridium. An apparatus comprising an iridium-containing layer is also presented. In one embodiment, an apparatus for stirring molten glass includes a cylinder comprising a bore. A stirrer may be disposed in the bore. The stirrer may include a platinum or platinum alloy shaft coaxial with the cylinder. A plurality of impellers may project radially from the shaft into close proximity of a wall of the cylinder. Each impeller may include an arcuate distal end portion farthest from the shaft. The distal end portion of each impeller consists of iridium or an iridium alloy and the remainder of the impeller consists of platinum or a platinum alloy. The stirring apparatuses reduce metal loss from the refractory metal of the stirring apparatus.

Stirrers for minimizing erosion of refractory metal vessels in a glass making system

The level of precious-metal inclusions in glass products, e.g., glass substrates for liquid crystal displays, is reduced by stirring molten glass in a stir chamber () under conditions such that the magnitude of the shear stress &#x3c4; on the chamber's wall () and on the surfaces of the stirrer () is reduced while at the same time, the Q&#x2022;E product for the system is kept high, where Q is the flow of glass through the stirring system and E is the system's stirring effectiveness.

Methods and apparatus for homogenizing molten glass

Methods of manufacturing glass sheets with manufacturing systems that including platinum-containing components are provided. The method includes providing a barrier coating to reduce the hydrogen permeability of the platinum-containing components which reduces the propensity for blistering of glass sheets made using the components.

Methods of manufacturing glass sheets with reduced blisters

Finger accessory appliance

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Corning, NY, United States of America

James Patrick Murphy