A molten material apparatus can include a container including a wall at least partially defining a containment area and an opening extending through the wall. The molten material apparatus can include a protective sleeve mounted at least partially within the opening of the wall of the container. A thermocouple can be positioned within an internal bore of the protective sleeve. A method of processing molten material can include inserting a thermocouple into a protective sleeve fabricated from a refractory ceramic material, and measuring a temperature of material within a containment area of a container with the thermocouple.

In embodiments, a melter for melting glass may include an inlet wall, an outlet wall opposite the inlet wall, and sidewalls extending from the inlet wall to the outlet wall. The inlet wall, outlet wall, and sidewalls define a glass melting space enclosed by a floor and a top. In embodiments, the inlet wall may comprise a glass contact wall comprising a glass contact surface facing the glass melting space. A superstructure of the inlet wall comprises a jack arch positioned over the glass contact wall and at least a portion of the glass melting space. A plane of an interior face of the jack arch and a plane of the glass contact surface are off-set in a horizontal direction. A vertical distance from the floor to an underside of the jack arch is less than a vertical distance from the floor to an underside of the top.

In various embodiments, refractory-metal glass melt electrodes are single-crystalline, at least within an outer layer thereof.

A method of of fining low-density submerged combustion glass includes introducing unfined molten glass produced in a submerged combustion melter into a fining chamber of a fining tank and, further, introducing additive particles into the fining chamber that comprise a glass reactant material and one or more fining agents. The one or more fining agents are released into the molten glass bath upon consumption of the additive particles in the molten glass bath to chemically fine the molten glass bath and the glass reactant material includes one or more materials that integrate into the molten glass bath upon melting. Additionally, the method includes discharging fined molten glass out of the fining chamber of the fining tank. The discharged fined molten glass has a volume percentage of gas bubbles that is less than the volume percentage of gas bubbles in the unfined molten glass introduced into the fining chamber.

A glass furnace including an additive-containing product including an additive selected from: phosphorus compounds other than glasses and vitroceramics, tungsten compounds other than glasses and vitroceramics, molybdenum compounds other than glasses and vitroceramics, iron in the form of metal, aluminum in the form of metal, silicon in the form of metal, and their mixtures, silicon carbide, boron carbide, silicon nitride, boron nitride, glasses including elemental phosphorus and/or iron and/or tungsten and/or molybdenum, vitroceramics including elemental phosphorus and/or iron and/or tungsten and/or molybdenum, and their mixtures, and having the following chemical analysis, exclusively of the additive, as a percentage by weight on the basis of the oxides: Cr.sub.2O.sub.3?2%, and Cr.sub.2O.sub.3+Al.sub.2O.sub.3+CaO+ZrO.sub.2+MgO+Fe.sub.2O.sub.3+SiO.sub.2+TiO.sub.2?90%, and Cr.sub.2O.sub.3+Al.sub.2O.sub.3+MgO?60%, the content by weight of additive being in the range 0.01% to 6%.

Apparatus and methods used in the manufacture of glass articles, the apparatus and methods including a surface of crystal zirconia are disclosed. Methods of making glass articles utilizing the apparatus and methods of manufacturing the apparatus are also disclosed.

A process for producing a glass melting component composed of refractory metal. A surface zone of the glass melting component is densified at least in sections by application of local compressive stress. As a result the surface zone has its porosity reduced compared to a volume section which is located underneath the surface zone and which has residual porosity.

To form, on a ceramic member or a metal member, a thermal spray ceramic coating film which achieves both the quality of a ceramic coating film and gas barrier property, and with which a composite oxide having a melting point lower than the ambient temperature will not form when used as a coating film on a ceramic member or a metal member constituting a glass article manufacturing apparatus.

A ceramic coating film-provided member comprising a ceramic member or a metal member and a thermal spray ceramic coating film formed on at least a part of the surface of the ceramic member or the metal member, wherein the thermal spray ceramic coating film contains Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and 12CaO.7Al.sub.2O.sub.3, and the weight ratio of CaO to Al.sub.2O.sub.3 (CaO/Al.sub.2O.sub.3) is more than 0.11 to 0.50.

Submerged combustion burners having a burner body, a burner tip connected thereto, and a protective cap and/or cladding layer. Submerged combustion melters including the burners and methods of using them to produce molten glass. The burner body has an external conduit and first and second internal conduits substantially concentric therewith, forming first and second annuli for passing a cooling fluid therethrough. The burner tip body is connected to the burner body at ends of the external and second internal conduits. The burner tip and protective cap and/or cladding layer include a generally central flow passage for a combustible mixture, the flow passage defined by an inner wall of the burner tip and protective cap.