Methods, systems and apparatus for producing continuous basalt fibers, microfibers, and microspheres from high temperature melts are disclosed. A cold crucible induction furnace is used to super heat crushed basalt rock to form a melt. The melt is cooled prior to forming a fiber. The fiber produced from the superheated melt possesses superior properties not found with conventional basalt fibers produced in gas furnaces. In some implementations, the superheated melt is spun into continuous basalt fibers. In some implementations, the superheated melt is blown into microfibers and microspheres.

The present invention relates to a plasma furnace which can efficiently treat various types of waste in large amounts. The plasma furnace comprises a melting chamber 101 for accommodating a melt, an upper surface forming the upper portion of the melting chamber 101 with a horizontal upper surface 111 and an inclined upper surface 112 having a slope with respect to the horizontal upper surface 111, a melt discharge portion 130 formed through a bottom surface of the melting chamber for discharging molten material therethrough, and an input apparatus 120 having a slope for inputting waste into the melting chamber 101, and the mixed type plasma torch 191, 192 provided on the inclined upper surface 112 with a slope for generating melting heat in the melting chamber 101.

Methods and apparatus for producing fibers from igneous rock, including basalt include heating igneous rock by electrical conductive coils to achieve an homogenous melt and forming homogenous fibers from the melt.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure can include at least one of a method, apparatus and system for the efficient melting of a feedstock to at least one of a molten and vitrified state to be used in a manufacturing system comprised of: a melter to which the feedstock is provided; and a heat recovery system configured to capture exhaust waste heat produced by the melter, wherein the heat recovery system transfers an energy recovered from the exhaust waste heat to pre-heat the feedstock provided to the melter.

Disclosed is an apparatus and method of making molten glass. The apparatus includes a vessel for conveying the molten glass and at least one flange configured to supply an electric current to the vessel through the flange, the flange including a first ring extending completely around the vessel in a closed loop, the first ring comprising a first portion including a first thickness and a second portion including a second thickness different from the first thickness, wherein the first portion and the second portion overlap in a plane of the flange such that at least a portion of the first portion is positioned between at least a portion of the second portion and the vessel wall, and neither the first portion nor the second portion extends completely around the vessel. Also disclosed is a method of making glass using the disclosed flange.

A method of making glass products includes: heating material to obtain a glass melt; heating the glass melt in a melting tank having a melting tank bottom, the glass melt having a melt volume, a melt surface, and a viscosity of 10.sup.2 dPas at a temperature above 1580 C. The glass melt is heated such that at least some of the glass melt has a viscosity of 10.sup.2.5 dPas or less. An amount of thermal energy introduced directly into the melt volume is more than 60% of a total amount of thermal energy introduced into the glass melt. A maximum difference between a temperature at a location on the melt surface and a temperature at a location at the melting tank bottom vertically underneath the location on the melt surface is such that a difference in glass melt densities is less than 0.05 g/cm.sup.3 per meter distance between the locations.

An apparatus for manufacturing glass includes radially inner and outer flaw channels physically separated from each other by a common wall that allows heat transfer to occur between molten glass flowing through the outer flow channel and molten glass flowing in the opposite direction through the inner flow channel.

An electric induction system and method is provided for induction heating and melting of basalt charge for the production of molten process basalt that can be used for molten basalt processes that produce basalt articles of manufacture including cast basalt articles and continuous basalt casting processes for producing basalt articles such as fibers and filaments.

Disclosed is an apparatus and method of making molten glass. The apparatus includes a vessel for conveying the molten glass and at least one flange (100) configured to supply an electric current to the vessel through the flange (100), the flange (100) including a first ring (112) extending completely around the vessel in a closed loop, the first ring (112) comprising a first portion (118) including a first thickness and a second portion (128) including a second thickness different from the first thickness, wherein the first portion (118) and the second portion (128) overlap in a plane of the flange (100) such that at least a portion of the first portion (118) is positioned between at least a portion of the second portion (128) and the vessel wall, and neither the first portion nor the second portion extends completely around the vessel. Also disclosed is a method of making glass using the disclosed flange. When the vessel comprises two flanges each connected to an electrode portion (116), current is more uniformly distributed about the vessel, which prevents hot spots.

Disclosed is an apparatus and method of making molten glass. The apparatus includes a vessel for conveying the molten glass and at least one flange configured to supply an electric current to the vessel through the flange, the flange including a first ring extending completely around the vessel in a closed loop, the first ring comprising a first portion including a first thickness and a second portion including a second thickness different from the first thickness, wherein the first portion and the second portion overlap in a plane of the flange such that at least a portion of the first portion is positioned between at least a portion of the second portion and the vessel wall, and neither the first portion nor the second portion extends completely around the vessel. Also disclosed is a method of making glass using the disclosed flange.