A process for cullet beneficiation by precipitation. A mass of cullet is melted to form a body of molten glass having a heavy metal con ration of greater than 100 ppm. A precipitate agent is introduced into the body of molten glass to form a heavy metal-containing precipitate phase and a liquid beneficiated glass phase within the body of molten glass. The precipitate phase may have a density greater than that of the liquid beneficiated glass phase. Thereafter, the liquid beneficiated glass phase is physically separated from the precipitate phase. The separated liquid beneficiated glass phase has a reduced concentration of heavy metals, as compared to the concentration of heavy metals in the body of molten glass.

A process for cullet beneficiation by precipitation. A mass of cullet is melted to form a body of molten glass having a heavy metal con ration of greater than 100 ppm. A precipitate agent is introduced into the body of molten glass to form a heavy metal-containing precipitate phase and a liquid beneficiated glass phase within the body of molten glass. The precipitate phase may have a density greater than that of the liquid beneficiated glass phase. Thereafter, the liquid beneficiated glass phase is physically separated from the precipitate phase. The separated liquid beneficiated glass phase has a reduced concentration of heavy metals, as compared to the concentration of heavy metals in the body of molten glass.

Methods and apparatus provide for: producing a plasma plume within a plasma containment vessel from a source of plasma gas; feeding an elongate feedstock material having a longitudinal axis into the plasma containment vessel such that at least a distal end of the feedstock material is heated within the plasma plume; and spinning the feedstock material about the longitudinal axis as the distal end of the feedstock material advances into the plasma plume, where the feedstock material is a mixture of compounds that have been mixed, formed into the elongate shape, and at least partially sintered.

A method of making glass having a basic soda-lime-silica glass portion, and a colorant portion, the colorant portion including total iron as Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 in the range of at least 0.00 to no more than 0.02 weight percent, a redox ratio in the range of 0.35 to 0.6, and tin metal providing tin in an amount within the range of greater than 0.005 to 5.0 weight percent; the glass product has a tin side and an opposite air side, said tin side of the glass having a higher concentration of tin than the air side, the air side having a uniform concentration of tin from the air side of the glass product towards the tin side of the glass product.

A method for melting vitrifiable materials to produce flat glass, including: providing a furnace including: a main melting tank, an auxiliary melting tank, a fining tank, a neck, at least one inlet means located at the main melting tank, an outlet means located downstream of the fining tank, and at least one extraction means of a flue gas; charging the vitrifiable materials including raw materials and cullet in the main melting tank with the at least one inlet means and/or in the auxiliary melting tank; pre-melting at least a part of the cullet in the auxiliary melting tank and flowing the pre-melted cullet to the main melting tank; melting the vitrifiable materials in the main melting tank; fining the melt in the fining tank; flowing the melt from the fining tank to a working zone through the outlet means; and capturing CO.sub.2 from the flue gas.

An apparatus for charging a heating element for heating a glass melt, to restart a vitrified melting furnace, during emergency stop of the vitrified melting furnace for vitrifying radioactive waste is disclosed. The apparatus for charging a heating element into a vitrified melting furnace according to the present invention comprises a main frame, a universal joint positioned at one end of the main frame, at least one heating element binding portion rotating by being connected to the universal joint, and a gripper positioned at an end of the heating element binding portion, gripping the heating element.

Rotary heat-exchanger for glass batch and/or cullet, comprising a stationary casing having a gas inlet and outlet, and an interior region between the gas inlet and outlet; a chamber positioned in the casing rotatable with respect to the casing and configured to receive batch material or a mixture with cullet; at least one heat exchange tube in the casing in fluid communication with the gas inlet and outlet; a feeder in communication with the chamber and comprising a feeder housing configured to discharge the batch material or mixture of batch material and cullet into the chamber along an infeed length and in contact with the at least one tube; wherein the infeed length is a length effective to heat the batch or mixture with cullet material up to at least 100 C. in the infeed length. A method of preheating glass batch is also disclosed.

Rotary heat-exchanger for glass batch and/or cullet, comprising a stationary casing having a gas inlet and outlet, and an interior region between the gas inlet and outlet; a chamber positioned in the casing rotatable with respect to the casing and configured to receive batch material or a mixture with cullet; at least one heat exchange tube in the casing in fluid communication with the gas inlet and outlet; a feeder in communication with the chamber and comprising a feeder housing configured to discharge the batch material or mixture of batch material and cullet into the chamber along an infeed length and in contact with the at least one tube; wherein the infeed length is a length effective to heat the batch or mixture with cullet material up to at least 100 C. in the infeed length. A method of preheating glass batch is also disclosed.

The present invention concerns a process for melting vitrifiable materials to produce flat glass, comprising the steps of (i) providing a furnace with a specific segmented design; (ii) charging the vitrifiable materials comprising raw materials and cullet in the melting tank with the inlet mean(s), the amount of cullet being at least 10% in weight of the total amount of vitrifiable materials and the raw materials comprising less than 25% in weight of carbonate compounds; (iii) melting the vitrifiable materials in said melting tank; (iv) fining melt in the fining tank by heating with the oxy-combustion heating means alimented with gas and/or hydrogen; (v) flowing the melt from the fining tank to a working zone trough the outlet mean; (vi) capturing CO.sub.2 from flue gas, said flue gas has a CO.sub.2 concentration of at least 35%; the electrical input fraction ranging from 30% to 85% and the step of capturing CO.sub.2 comprising step(s) of compression and/or dehydration.