Microspheres comprising a plurality of hollow microspheres, each of the plurality of hollow microspheres comprising a plurality of glass walls, and a plurality of hollow spaces, wherein the plurality of glass walls enclosing at least one of the plurality of hollow spaces, wherein the plurality of glass walls comprising a second glass, wherein the second glass comprising a processed first glass melt, wherein the processed first glass melt comprising a melt of a batch and a plurality of redox active group components capable of providing at least one of a plurality of redox reactions and a plurality of events in the second glass.

Combustion burners, burner panels, submerged combustion melters including the panels, and methods of using the same are disclosed. In certain embodiments, the burner includes an annular liquid cooled jacket defining a central longitudinal through passage. An inner conduit is positioned substantially concentrically within an outer conduit, the latter positioned in the through passage, each conduit comprising proximal and distal ends, the conduits configured so that the outer and inner conduits are movable axially. The inner conduit forms a primary passage and the outer conduit forms a secondary passage between the outer conduit and the inner conduit. In one embodiment the outer conduit has an exterior surface configured along at least a portion thereof with threads mating with adjacent threads on an inner surface of the annular liquid cooled jacket. Other embodiments including lock and release dogs or bolt arrangements. The burners promote burner life and melter campaign length.

The present invention relates to a process and a facility for the continuous vitrification treatment of fibrous materials, and in particular of asbestos and/or of asbestos-containing materials.

According to the invention, this process comprises the following steps: a bath of molten glass at a temperature of 1300° C. to 1600° C. is prepared; introduced into said bath of molten glass are said fibrous materials and optionally melting additives chosen so that said bath has, after addition of these fibrous materials and melting additives, the following composition: SiO.sub.2: between 30% and 55% by weight; FeO: between 25% and 45% by weight; alkali and alkaline-earth metal oxides: between 15% and 25% by weight; an oxidizer and a fuel are injected under pressure into said molten bath by means of at least one lance, one end of which is immersed in said bath; said oxidizer being introduced in a molar amount greater than or equal to the molar amount of fuel needed to maintain the temperature of the bath between 1300° C. and 1600° C.; and the temperature of at least one portion of the molten glass is lowered so as to render it solid.

A glass melting plant refiner for thermal post-treatment of a glass melt containing bubbles, in particular for the production of fiberglass. To reduce the glass melt bubble content produced by submerged combustion burners, a refiner forms a glass melt tank, the glass melt flowing through the tank in a transport direction. The tank has a floor, side walls and a superstructure. A barrier, forming a raised floor part, runs essentially in the transport direction. The barrier forms, at each lateral side, a channel-shaped constriction with the side walls, a width of each constriction transverse to the transport direction being at most 0.45 times the tank width. At least one first fossil fuel heater heats the glass melt from above. At least one second electrical heating device, in each side wall and/or in the floor of the tank in the region of each constriction, extends into the glass melt.

Continuous flow submerged combustion melter cooling wall panels, including a primary metal plate, and several 90 degree metal pieces welded to the primary metal plate in parallel configuration, each of the 90 degree metal pieces having metal leg plates forming a 90 degree vertex there between. Each metal leg plate has an edge distal to the vertex, the distal edge of the first metal leg plate welded to the first major surface of the primary metal plate, the distal edge of the second metal leg plate welded to the vertex of an adjacent 90 degree metal piece. The plurality of 90 degree metal pieces may have a length (l) such that l<L, each welded to the primary metal plate in staggered configuration to form, along with first and second end plates and a seal plate, a serpentine continuous flow coolant channel.

A for melting batch material includes a furnace equipped with a submerged burner, a system for supplying the submerged burner with fuel gas and with oxidizer, a system for supplying the furnace with raw material including fragments of mineral wool below the surface of the molten batch materials, a system for supplying the furnace with raw material including a vertical duct for receiving raw material through its upper side and for conveying this raw material downward toward the molten batch materials. The duct receives the combustion flue gases originating from the furnace and conveys them upward through the raw material in the duct. A system supports the solid raw material in the duct and is positioned above the surface of the molten batch material and retains the solid raw material in the duct and lets descending molten raw material pass through to fall into the molten batch material.

A method of melting glass and glass-ceramics that includes the steps: conveying a batch of raw materials into a submerged combustion melting apparatus, the melting apparatus having liquid-cooled walls and a floor; directing a flame into the batch of raw materials and the melted batch with sufficient energy to form the raw materials into the melted batch; and heating a delivery orifice assembly in the floor of the submerged melting apparatus to convey the melted batch through the orifice assembly into a containment vessel. The melted batch has a glass or glass-ceramic composition that is substantially reactive to a refractory material comprising one or more of silica, zirconia, alumina, platinum and platinum alloys.

A method of fining low-density submerged combustion glass is disclosed. The method involves introducing unfined molten glass produced in a submerged combustion melter into a fining chamber of a downstream fining tank. Additionally, additive particles are also introduced into the fining chamber to release one or more fining agents into the molten glass bath contained in the fining chamber to accelerate the removal of bubbles from the molten glass bath. The fining of the molten glass bath as assisted by the one or more fining agents allows for fined glass to be discharged from the fining tank that has fewer bubbles and a greater density than that of the unfined molten glass introduced into the fining tank. Additive particles that include a physical mixture of a glass reactant material and the fining agent(s) are also disclosed.

Fly ash and/or rice husk ash is molten in a submerged combustion melter, possibly together with fluxing agent and/or further vitrifiable material, and vitrified upon cooling.

A feed assembly for a melting chamber having a plurality of walls and at least one submerged burner, and related methods of its operation are disclosed. The feed assembly includes a tubular body being hollow and having a first end and extending to a second end. The second end is for connecting to one of the plurality of walls. The tubular body further includes a port proximate the second end wherein the port has a first port end and tapers radially inwardly to a second port end at the second end. The feed assembly also has a batch charger disposed within the tubular body and having a first charger end and extending to a second charger end.