An apparatus for melting and refining a silica-based glass composition includes a vertical first reaction chamber having an input adjacent to a lower end for receiving glass-forming components. The glass-forming components are heated to elevated temperature during upward flow through the vertical first reaction chamber to form a glass precursor melt adjacent to an upper end of the vertical first reaction chamber. A vertical second reaction chamber has an input adjacent to an upper end and an output adjacent to a lower end for delivering glass melt. A cross passage connects the upper end of the vertical first reaction chamber to the upper end of the vertical second reaction chamber such that the precursor melt flows from the vertical first reaction chamber through the cross passage and then through the vertical second reaction chamber to homogenize the precursor melt. Vacuum preferably is applied to the cross passage both to assist upward flow through the vertical first reaction chamber, and to assist refining of the precursor melt during such upward flow and during flow through the cross passage.

An apparatus for melting and refining a silica-based glass composition includes a vertical first reaction chamber having an input adjacent to a lower end for receiving glass-forming components. The glass-forming components are heated to elevated temperature during upward flow through the vertical first reaction chamber to form a glass precursor melt adjacent to an upper end of the vertical first reaction chamber. A vertical second reaction chamber has an input adjacent to an upper end and an output adjacent to a lower end for delivering glass melt. A cross passage connects the upper end of the vertical first reaction chamber to the upper end of the vertical second reaction chamber such that the precursor melt flows from the vertical first reaction chamber through the cross passage and then through the vertical second reaction chamber to homogenize the precursor melt. Vacuum preferably is applied to the cross passage both to assist upward flow through the vertical first reaction chamber, and to assist refining of the precursor melt during such upward flow and during flow through the cross passage.

Controlling foam in apparatus downstream of a melter by adjustment of alkali oxide content in the melter. One method includes feeding a feedstock into a submerged combustion melter (SCM) apparatus having an internal space containing a flowing or non-flowing molten mass of foamed glass comprising molten glass and bubbles entrained therein, the molten mass having glass foam comprising glass foam bubbles on at least a portion of a top surface of the molten mass. The molten mass from the SCM is routed to a downstream apparatus, stability of the glass foam in the downstream apparatus is observed, and alkali oxide percentage fed to the SCM apparatus is adjusted based on the observation to positively or negatively affect the foam stability. Systems for carrying out the methods, and the products of the methods are also considered novel and inventive.

Controlling foam in apparatus downstream of a melter by adjustment of alkali oxide content in the melter. One method includes feeding a feedstock into a submerged combustion melter (SCM) apparatus having an internal space containing a flowing or non-flowing molten mass of foamed glass comprising molten glass and bubbles entrained therein, the molten mass having glass foam comprising glass foam bubbles on at least a portion of a top surface of the molten mass. The molten mass from the SCM is routed to a downstream apparatus, stability of the glass foam in the downstream apparatus is observed, and alkali oxide percentage fed to the SCM apparatus is adjusted based on the observation to positively or negatively affect the foam stability. Systems for carrying out the methods, and the products of the methods are also considered novel and inventive.

A submerged combustion melter includes a floor, a roof, and a sidewall structure connecting the floor and roof defining an internal space. A first portion of the internal space defines a melting zone, and a second portion defines a fining zone immediately downstream of the melting zone. One or more combustion burners in either the floor, roof, the sidewall structure, or any combination of these, are configured to emit the combustion gases from a position under a level of, and positioned to transfer heat to and produce, a turbulent molten mass of glass containing bubbles in the melting zone. The fining zone is devoid of combustion burners or other apparatus or components that would increase turbulence above that in the melting zone. The melter may include a treating zone that stabilizes or destabilizes bubbles and/or foam. Processes of using the melters are a feature of the disclosure.

A submerged combustion melter includes a floor, a roof, and a sidewall structure connecting the floor and roof defining an internal space. A first portion of the internal space defines a melting zone, and a second portion defines a fining zone immediately downstream of the melting zone. One or more combustion burners in either the floor, roof, the sidewall structure, or any combination of these, are configured to emit the combustion gases from a position under a level of, and positioned to transfer heat to and produce, a turbulent molten mass of glass containing bubbles in the melting zone. The fining zone is devoid of combustion burners or other apparatus or components that would increase turbulence above that in the melting zone. The melter may include a treating zone that stabilizes or destabilizes bubbles and/or foam. Processes of using the melters are a feature of the disclosure.

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 flawing through the outer flow Channel and molten glass flowing in the opposite direction through the inner flow channel.

A submerged combustion melter includes a floor, a roof, and a sidewall structure connecting the floor and roof defining an internal space. A first portion of the internal space defines a melting zone, and a second portion defines a fining zone immediately downstream of the melting zone. One or more combustion burners in either the floor, roof, the sidewall structure, or any combination of these, are configured to emit the combustion gases from a position under a level of, and positioned to transfer heat to and produce, a turbulent molten mass of glass containing bubbles in the melting zone. The fining zone is devoid of combustion burners or other apparatus or components that would increase turbulence above that in the melting zone. The melter may include a treating zone that stabilizes or destabilizes bubbles and/or foam. Processes of using the melters are a feature of the disclosure.

A fabrication method of a mass-produced glass containers with visible light shielding using recovered post-consumer glass, the method comprising obtaining successive batches of raw material for glass manufacture, each batch including between 80% and 100% by weight of a mixture of pieces of soda-lime-silica recovered post-consumer glass with a heterogeneous chromatic composition predominantly transparent; mixing to the successive batches of raw material visible light shielding additives including at least cobalt oxide, nickel oxide, manganese oxide, chromium oxide and iron oxide; melting the successive batches of raw material and automatically manufacturing therewith the mass-produced glass containers with a glass thickness of at least 2 mm through an automatic blow molding process; automatically detecting and rejecting manufactured containers with permeability against visible light between 450 nm and 680 nm wavelength above 3% or above 1%.

A fabrication method of a mass-produced glass containers with visible light shielding using recovered post-consumer glass, the method comprising obtaining successive batches of raw material for glass manufacture, each batch including between 80% and 100% by weight of a mixture of pieces of soda-lime-silica recovered post-consumer glass with a heterogeneous chromatic composition predominantly transparent; mixing to the successive batches of raw material visible light shielding additives including at least cobalt oxide, nickel oxide, manganese oxide, chromium oxide and iron oxide; melting the successive batches of raw material and automatically manufacturing therewith the mass-produced glass containers with a glass thickness of at least 2 mm through an automatic blow molding process; automatically detecting and rejecting manufactured containers with permeability against visible light between 450 nm and 680 nm wavelength above 3% or above 1%.