Owens-brockway Glass Container Inc.

Qing Jiang

Zhongming Wang

Liming Shi

A method of producing glass includes discharging an outflow () of fined molten glass from a fining tank () of a vacuum induction fining apparatus () and delivering the fined molten glass into a thermal conditioning tank () that is separated from the fining tank by an open space () occupied by an ambient environment (). The fining tank includes a vertically-elongated housing () that defines an interior fining chamber () where a bath () of molten glass is collected and maintained. The interior fining chamber is maintained at subatmospheric pressure and the housing is surrounded by at least one induction coil () to introduce heat into the molten glass bath. The vacuum maintained in the interior fining chamber and the heating supplied by the induction coil(s) promote the ascension of gas bubbles upwards through the molten glass bath. A glass-producing system that includes the vacuum induction fining apparatus is also disclosed.

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Sylvania, OH, United States of America

Qing Jiang