A glass includes a first glass portion and a second glass portion. The first glass portion has a higher ion packing density than the second glass portion (has a composition that forms a glass in which, out of plastic deformation characteristics, plastic flow is dominant). The second glass has a lower ion packing density than the first glass portion (has a composition that forms a glass in which, out of the plastic deformation characteristics, densification is dominant).

A glass includes a first glass portion and a second glass portion. The first glass portion has a higher ion packing density than the second glass portion (has a composition that forms a glass in which, out of plastic deformation characteristics, plastic flow is dominant). The second glass has a lower ion packing density than the first glass portion (has a composition that forms a glass in which, out of the plastic deformation characteristics, densification is dominant).

A bulk material handling system includes a majors material handling system including bulk material storage modules and bulk material dispensing modules. The dispensing modules include bulk material dosing assemblies and docking assemblies. A bulk material handling method includes conveying bulk material from a mobile bulk material container into a stationary bulk material container at a glass manufacturing facility via dense phase pneumatic conveying.

A bulk material transport system includes one or more bulk material transport bins, weighing platforms, and vehicles arranged in various combinations as bulk material transporters, assemblies, and units. The system is useful for coupling with a bulk material container, forming a reduced pressure region at an inlet of the transport bin, and dispensing bulk material into the transport bin through the reduced pressure region.

A method for preparing a raw material composition adapted to be fed into the melting chamber of a facility adapted to obtain cullet, glass wool and/or rock wool, textile glass yarns, flat glass and/or hollow glass, the method including grinding a mineral wool mixture adapted to enter into the raw material composition, such that the granular mixture obtained after grinding has a bulk density greater than or equal to 30 kg/m.sup.3.

A method for preparing a raw material composition adapted to be fed into the melting chamber of a facility adapted to obtain cullet, glass wool and/or rock wool, textile glass yarns, flat glass and/or hollow glass, the method including grinding a mineral wool mixture adapted to enter into the raw material composition, such that the granular mixture obtained after grinding has a bulk density greater than or equal to 30 kg/m.sup.3.

The present invention provides for synthesizing high optical quality multicomponent chalcogenide glasses without refractive index perturbations due to striae, phase separation or crystal formation using a two-zone furnace and multiple fining steps. The top and bottom zones are initially heated to the same temperature, and then a temperature gradient is created between the top zone and the bottom zone. The fining and cooling phase is divided into multiple steps with multiple temperature holds.

The present invention provides for synthesizing high optical quality multicomponent chalcogenide glasses without refractive index perturbations due to striae, phase separation or crystal formation using a two-zone furnace and multiple fining steps. The top and bottom zones are initially heated to the same temperature, and then a temperature gradient is created between the top zone and the bottom zone. The fining and cooling phase is divided into multiple steps with multiple temperature holds.

A method of making a glass article includes melting batch materials to produce molten glass, heating or cooling the molten glass to a temperature, forming a glass article from the molten glass. The batch materials include a plurality of viscosity-affecting components that become at least part of the glass article. Selection of the batch materials or the temperature was made at least in part using computer-implemented modeling where predicted equilibrium viscosity of the glass at the temperature is a function comprising concentrations of viscosity-affecting components and temperature-independent fitting coefficients for the viscosity-affecting components.

A method of making a glass article includes melting batch materials to produce molten glass, heating or cooling the molten glass to a temperature, forming a glass article from the molten glass. The batch materials include a plurality of viscosity-affecting components that become at least part of the glass article. Selection of the batch materials or the temperature was made at least in part using computer-implemented modeling where predicted equilibrium viscosity of the glass at the temperature is a function comprising concentrations of viscosity-affecting components and temperature-independent fitting coefficients for the viscosity-affecting components.