Ppg Industries, Inc.

Joseph M Matesa

Gerald E Kunkle

Henry M Demarest, Jr

Ronald L Schwenninger

Larry J Shelestak

Wright M Welton

Bert K Krushinski

Kwang J Won

Frank John Rau

Arthur C Knickerbocker

Joseph R Staahl, Jr

Boyd S Dawson

David E Worth

A melt of a material such as glass is inductively heated at a stage intermediate an initial liquefying stage and a refining stage. The function of the intermediate induction heating stage is essentially limited to raising the temperature of the melt a relatively minor amount to a refining temperature. Therefore, the induction heating stage may be compact with an intensified heating rate and rapid throughput, thereby permitting the induction heating zone to be a 'cold' walled vessel without an appreciable effect on efficiency.

Method for rapid induction heating of molten glass or the like

Foaming of molten glass or the like as it enters a vacuum refining vessel is enhanced by altering the incoming stream so as to increase its surface area and/or retarding the passage of the stream through the vacuum headspace so as to increase its exposure to the vacuum.

Vacuum refining of glass or the like with enhanced foaming

A lid construction for a heating vessel. Discrete insulating members are supported by water cooled pipes above the vessel. The cooling pipes fit into grooves along the vertical side walls of the insulating members. Each member has a support independent from the supports for the other members so that an individual member can be removed within having to remove additional members.

Heating vessel lid construction for a glass melting furnace

In the process for refining glass or the like by vacuum, the collapse of foam is expedited by heating the headspace within the vacuum chamber.

Vacuum refining of glassy materials with controlled foaming

Converting thermally meltable materials to a liquefied state is carried out on a lining of pulverulent material. As liquefied material is drained from the surface, additional unmelted material is fed onto the surface to maintain the lining substantially intact.

Apparatus and method for ablating liquefaction of materials

Glass or the like is melted by liquefying batch materials in a first stage by means of radiant heating, and further advancing the melting process in a second stage where the melt is heated by induction heating. Another aspect of the invention provides a residence zone at the exit of the induction heating stage to aid elimination of gaseous inclusions.

Method and apparatus for inductively heating molten glass or the like

In a glass batch liquefying process, batch-entrained nitrogen is purged by contacting the batch with a substantially nitrogen-free gas in a pretreating stage.

Method of pretreating glass batch

Method for ablating liquefaction of materials

Converting thermally meltable materials to a liquefied state is carried out on a support surface of the unmelted material. As liquefied material is drained from the surface, additional unmelted material is fed onto the surface to maintain a substantially constant layer of the unmelted material.

Ablating liquefaction method

Converting thermally meltable materials to a liquefied state is carried out by a plasma heat source encircled by a layer of the unmelted material. As liquefied material is drained from the surface, additional unmelted material is fed onto the surface to maintain a substantially constant layer of the unmelted material, thereby maintaining the temperature of the melting vessel relatively low and eliminating the need for forced cooling of the vessel.

Ablating liquefaction employing plasma

In a two stage glass batch liquefying process, calcium source material is preheated in a first stage in the absence of the major sodium source material, and the heated calcium source material and the sodium source material are combined and liquefied in a second stage.

Method of calcining and liquefying glass batch

The initial step of melting glass, converting particulate batch materials to a partially melted, liquefied state, is carried out on a support surface of batch. As liquefied batch is drained from the surface, additional batch is fed onto the surface to maintain the surface substantially constant.

Glass batch liquefaction

A coherent thin sheet of glass batch materials is advanced onto a pool of molten metal contained in a glass melting furnace to melt thereon, preferably in non-contacting relation to refractory sidewalls of the furnace.

Method of melting glass making ingredients

Method and apparatus are provided for circulating molten metal in a glass-supporting pool of molten metal in a direction counter to the advance of freshly delivered molten glass and outwardly into marginal spaces between glass restraining members and the side walls of the bath where it is subjected to forces establishing wave action in the surface of the pool of molten metal and then through means for dampening those waves to return the flow of molten metal to the main portion of the glass-supporting pool of molten metal whereby the metal can be purified and desirable thermal conditions can be established in the vicinity of the molten glass delivery onto the pool of molten metal.

Apparatus and method for circulating molten metal in a bath used in the

The rate at which a continuous sheet of flat glass is manufactured by a float process is controlled by regulating the position of a tweel in a channel or canal used for delivering molten glass for forming in response to the temperature of the molten glass and in response to directly detected width, thickness and speed of the continuous sheet of glass being conveyed from the forming process.

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Plum Boro, PA, United States of America

Joseph M Matesa