The present disclosure discloses a process for knotting roving packages, comprising steps of: arranging a plurality of roving packages in a single layer or multiple layers; classifying all roving packages into at least one group of roving packages; selecting, from each group of roving packages, two roving packages as a starting roving package and an ending roving package; successively connecting all roving packages in each group of roving packages from the starting roving package to the ending roving package; and, connecting an inner fiber of a roving package other than the starting roving package and the ending roving package in each group of roving packages to an outer fiber of a previous roving package and connecting an outer fiber of this roving package to an inner fiber of a next roving package, or connecting an outer fiber of a roving package other than the starting roving package and the ending roving package in each group of roving packages to an inner fiber of a previous roving package and connecting an inner fiber of this roving package to an outer fiber of a next roving package. By the process of the present disclosure, the labor cost for manually knotting and moving roving packages per unit can be saved, and creels for holding roving packages per unit can also be reduced. This process is a technical improvement of the packaging technology.

The present disclosure discloses a process for knotting roving packages, comprising steps of: arranging a plurality of roving packages in a single layer or multiple layers; classifying all roving packages into at least one group of roving packages; selecting, from each group of roving packages, two roving packages as a starting roving package and an ending roving package; successively connecting all roving packages in each group of roving packages from the starting roving package to the ending roving package; and, connecting an inner fiber of a roving package other than the starting roving package and the ending roving package in each group of roving packages to an outer fiber of a previous roving package and connecting an outer fiber of this roving package to an inner fiber of a next roving package, or connecting an outer fiber of a roving package other than the starting roving package and the ending roving package in each group of roving packages to an inner fiber of a previous roving package and connecting an inner fiber of this roving package to an outer fiber of a next roving package. By the process of the present disclosure, the labor cost for manually knotting and moving roving packages per unit can be saved, and creels for holding roving packages per unit can also be reduced. This process is a technical improvement of the packaging technology.

A glass fiber according to the present invention is suitable for preventing filament breakage and suitable for being stably produced for a long term, and has a ?-OH value of 0.02 mm.sup.?1 or more and less than 0.55 mm.sup.?1. The preferred content of SO.sub.3 is more than 0 ppm and 70 ppm or less on a mass basis. The glass fiber is preferably substantially free of As and Sb. SO.sub.3 can be supplied to a glass raw material as, for example, a sulfuric acid salt of an alkali metal or an alkaline-earth metal.

The present invention concerns a glass fibre manufacturing plant comprising a forehearth (31) comprising a longitudinal wall provided with at least one burner assembly comprising: (A) a burner block (20) made of a refractory material and comprising a through-passage and comprising a hot surface (20H) forming a portion of the longitudinal wall (31 L); and (B) a burner sub-assembly comprising: (a) an oxy-burner (1) comprising a downstream end ending at a free end of the downstream end, wherein a cross-sectional area of said downstream end of the oxy-burner body decreases towards the free end of the downstream end; characterized in that, the burner sub-assembly further comprises: (b) a cooling unit (3) comprising: a cooling plate (5) comprising an aperture which geometry matches the geometry of the downstream end of the oxy-burner which is inserted in said aperture to form a thermal contact therewith; a cooling channel (3C) defined by walls and comprising an inlet (3U) and an outlet (3D) for circulating a refrigerating fluid, wherein a cooling wall (5W) of said cooling channel is formed by a portion of the cooling plate, and in that, the cooling plate is encased in the through-passage.

Embodiments of the present invention pertain to antimicrobial glass compositions, glasses and articles. The articles include a glass, which may include a glass phase and a cuprite phase. In other embodiments, the glasses include as plurality of Cu.sup.1+ ions, a degradable phase including B.sub.2O.sub.3, P.sub.2O.sub.5 and K.sub.2O and a durable phase including SiO.sub.2. Other embodiments include glasses having a plurality of Cu.sup.1+ ions disposed on the surface of the glass and in the glass network and/or the glass matrix. The article may also include a polymer. The glasses and articles disclosed herein exhibit a 2 log reduction or greater in a concentration of at least one of Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and E. coli, under the EPA Test Method for Efficacy of Copper Alloy as a Sanitizer testing conditions and under Modified JIS Z 2801 for Bacteria testing conditions. In some embodiments, the glass and articles exhibit a 2 log reduction or greater in a concentration of Murine Norovirus under Modified JIS Z 2801 Test for Viruses testing conditions.

Embodiments of the present invention pertain to antimicrobial glass compositions, glasses and articles. The articles include a glass, which may include a glass phase and a cuprite phase. In other embodiments, the glasses include as plurality of Cu.sup.1+ ions, a degradable phase including B.sub.2O.sub.3, P.sub.2O.sub.5 and K.sub.2O and a durable phase including SiO.sub.2. Other embodiments include glasses having a plurality of Cu.sup.1+ ions disposed on the surface of the glass and in the glass network and/or the glass matrix. The article may also include a polymer. The glasses and articles disclosed herein exhibit a 2 log reduction or greater in a concentration of at least one of Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and E. coli, under the EPA Test Method for Efficacy of Copper Alloy as a Sanitizer testing conditions and under Modified JIS Z 2801 for Bacteria testing conditions. In some embodiments, the glass and articles exhibit a 2 log reduction or greater in a concentration of Murine Norovirus under Modified JIS Z 2801 Test for Viruses testing conditions.

Mineral fibers have a chemical composition including the following constituents, as weight percentages: SiO.sub.2 30% to 50%, Al.sub.2O.sub.3 10% to 20%, CaO+MgO 20% to 35%, Na.sub.2O+K.sub.2O 1% to 10%, wherein the mineral fibers include a content of total iron, expressed as Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, of from 5% to 15% and a redox, which corresponds to the weight ratio between the content of ferrous iron, expressed as Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, and the total content of iron, expressed as Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, of less than 0.6.

Mineral fibers have a chemical composition including the following constituents, as weight percentages: SiO.sub.2 30% to 50%, Al.sub.2O.sub.3 10% to 20%, CaO+MgO 20% to 35%, Na.sub.2O+K.sub.2O 1% to 10%, wherein the mineral fibers include a content of total iron, expressed as Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, of from 5% to 15% and a redox, which corresponds to the weight ratio between the content of ferrous iron, expressed as Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, and the total content of iron, expressed as Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, of less than 0.6.

Glass compositions suitable for fiber forming having rare earth oxides (RE.sub.2O.sub.3) and glass fibers having a high modulus are disclosed. The glass composition may include SiO.sub.2 from about 44.5 to about 64 weight percent, Al.sub.2O.sub.3 from about 12 to about 32 weight percent, CaO from about 0.1 to about 15.5 weight percent, MgO from about 5 to about 22 weight percent, Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 less than 1 weight percent, TiO.sub.2 less than 2 weight percent, Na.sub.2O less than 3 weight percent, Y.sub.2O.sub.3 up to 12 weight percent, CeO.sub.2 up to 6 weight percent, ZnO up to 4 weight percent, and B.sub.2O.sub.3 less than 4.5 weight percent. The glass compositions can be used to form glass fibers and incorporated into various composites.

Glass compositions suitable for fiber forming having rare earth oxides (RE.sub.2O.sub.3) and glass fibers having a high modulus are disclosed. The glass composition may include SiO.sub.2 from about 44.5 to about 64 weight percent, Al.sub.2O.sub.3 from about 12 to about 32 weight percent, CaO from about 0.1 to about 15.5 weight percent, MgO from about 5 to about 22 weight percent, Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 less than 1 weight percent, TiO.sub.2 less than 2 weight percent, Na.sub.2O less than 3 weight percent, Y.sub.2O.sub.3 up to 12 weight percent, CeO.sub.2 up to 6 weight percent, ZnO up to 4 weight percent, and B.sub.2O.sub.3 less than 4.5 weight percent. The glass compositions can be used to form glass fibers and incorporated into various composites.