Processes and systems for producing glass fibers having regions devoid of glass using submerged combustion melters, including feeding a vitrifiable feed material into a feed inlet of a melting zone of a melter vessel, and heating the vitrifiable material with at least one burner directing combustion products of an oxidant and a first fuel into the melting zone under a level of the molten material in the zone. One or more of the burners is configured to impart heat and turbulence to the molten material, producing a turbulent molten material comprising a plurality of bubbles suspended in the molten material, the bubbles comprising at least some of the combustion products, and optionally other gas species introduced by the burners. The molten material and bubbles are drawn through a bushing fluidly connected to a forehearth to produce a glass fiber comprising a plurality of interior regions substantially devoid of glass.

The present invention relates to the field of forehearth frits, pearls, and/or concentrates for use in glass compositions. In particular, the present invention provides a system of forehearth frits, pearls, and/or concentrates that is capable of parting a fluorescent effect to a glass composition by adding a fluorescent glass fit, pearl or concentrate in the forehearth of a glass furnace, to form fluorescent glass and a method of using the fluorescent system of forehearth frits, pearls, and/or concentrates.

The present invention relates to the field of forehearth frits, pearls, and/or concentrates for use in glass compositions. In particular, the present invention provides a system of forehearth frits, pearls, and/or concentrates that is capable of parting a fluorescent effect to a glass composition by adding a fluorescent glass fit, pearl or concentrate in the forehearth of a glass furnace, to form fluorescent glass and a method of using the fluorescent system of forehearth frits, pearls, and/or concentrates.

The present invention concerns a method for producing a glass container comprising the steps of: a. melting a solid vitrifiable mixture to obtain a melted vitrifiable mixture; b. feeding the melted vitrifiable mixture to a plurality of glass container forming machines through respective feeding channels; c. combining at least one recycled glass frit in the melted vitrifiable mixture in at least one of the feeding channels, the frit being obtained from a vitrifiable mixture comprising recycled glass cullet and at least one fluxing agent; d. forming a glass container in said forming machines using the melted vitrifiable mixture coming from step c.

A cover plate structure for a glass fiber tank furnace forehearth includes chest wall bricks at two sides of the forehearth, cover plate bricks each spanning between a top end of at least one of the chest wall bricks at one of the two sides of the forehearth and a top end of at least one of the chest wall bricks at another one of the two sides of the forehearth, a thermal insulation layer covering outer surfaces of the cover plate bricks and the chest wall bricks, and a gap-covering brick fixed between the cover plate bricks and the thermal insulation layer and covering a gap between adjacent ones of the cover plate bricks.

A cover plate structure for a glass fiber tank furnace forehearth includes chest wall bricks at two sides of the forehearth, cover plate bricks each spanning between a top end of at least one of the chest wall bricks at one of the two sides of the forehearth and a top end of at least one of the chest wall bricks at another one of the two sides of the forehearth, a thermal insulation layer covering outer surfaces of the cover plate bricks and the chest wall bricks, and a gap-covering brick fixed between the cover plate bricks and the thermal insulation layer and covering a gap between adjacent ones of the cover plate bricks.

Methods for reducing the oxygen concentration in an enclosure including a platinum-containing vessel through which molten glass is flowing are disclosed. The methods include injecting hydrogen gas into an oxygen-containing atmosphere flowing between the enclosure and a reaction chamber. The atmosphere is heated with a heating element in the reaction chamber, whereupon oxygen in the oxygen-containing atmosphere reacts with the hydrogen. In other embodiments, the hydrogen gas and oxygen-containing atmosphere can be exposed to a catalyst comprising platinum positioned in the reaction chamber.

A sintered product having: the following chemical analysis, as percentage by mass based on the oxides: Al.sub.2O.sub.3: remainder to 100%, 0.26%≤Na.sub.2O≤4%, 0%≤oxides other than Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and Na.sub.2O≤6%, provided that SiO.sub.2≤2%, the following crystalline phases, as percentages by mass based on the total amount of crystalline phases: 5%≤beta-alumina≤37%, less than 6% of crystalline phases other than beta-alumina and alpha-alumina, remainder to 100%: alpha-alumina.

Disclosed is an apparatus for conditioning molten glass. The apparatus includes a connecting tube assembly having a conduit for conveying the molten glass, the conduit including at least two flanges and a sealing member disposed between the at least two flanges around an outer peripheral region of the flanges, thereby forming an enclosed volume between an outer wall of the conduit, the at least two flanges and the sealing member. An atmosphere within the volume may be controlled such that a predetermined partial pressure of hydrogen or a predetermined partial pressure of oxygen may be maintained within the volume. A current may be established between the at least two flanges to heat the conduit.

Disclosed is an apparatus for conditioning molten glass. The apparatus includes a connecting tube assembly having a conduit for conveying the molten glass, the conduit including at least two flanges and a sealing member disposed between the at least two flanges around an outer peripheral region of the flanges, thereby forming an enclosed volume between an outer wall of the conduit, the at least two flanges and the sealing member. An atmosphere within the volume may be controlled such that a predetermined partial pressure of hydrogen or a predetermined partial pressure of oxygen may be maintained within the volume. A current may be established between the at least two flanges to heat the conduit.