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.

The present invention relates to a cover glass for a display, which is a glass plate having a first main surface and a second main surface. The cover glass contains, as represented by mol percentage based on oxides, from 50 to 75% of SiO.sub.2, from 5 to 20% of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, from 2 to 20% of Na.sub.2O, from 0 to 6% of K.sub.2O, from 0 to 15% of MgO, from 0 to 10% of a total amount (CaO+SrO+BaO) of CaO, SrO and BaO, from 0 to 5% of a total amount (ZrO.sub.2+TiO.sub.2) of ZrO.sub.2 and TiO.sub.2, from 0 to 10% of B.sub.2O.sub.3, and from 0 to 20% of Li.sub.2O. The cover glass has a ream minimum distance of 100 mm or more and 1,000 mm or less, and a ream period of 1 mm or more and 30 mm or less.

The present invention relates to a cover glass for a display, which is a glass plate having a first main surface and a second main surface. The cover glass contains, as represented by mol percentage based on oxides, from 50 to 75% of SiO.sub.2, from 5 to 20% of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, from 2 to 20% of Na.sub.2O, from 0 to 6% of K.sub.2O, from 0 to 15% of MgO, from 0 to 10% of a total amount (CaO+SrO+BaO) of CaO, SrO and BaO, from 0 to 5% of a total amount (ZrO.sub.2+TiO.sub.2) of ZrO.sub.2 and TiO.sub.2, from 0 to 10% of B.sub.2O.sub.3, and from 0 to 20% of Li.sub.2O. The cover glass has a ream minimum distance of 100 mm or more and 1,000 mm or less, and a ream period of 1 mm or more and 30 mm or less.

A process and apparatus for manufacturing glass. A mixture of solid glass-forming materials comprising at least one fining agent are introduced into a doghouse located upstream of an elongated tank. The glass-forming materials are melted in the doghouse at a temperature at or above a fining-onset temperature of the at least one fining agent by application of heat from one or more submerged combustion burners. The resulting molten glass is relatively foamy and may comprise greater than 25 vol. % gas bubbles. The molten glass is directed from the doghouse into an upstream end of the tank where it is refined to produce molten glass having on average less than 20 seeds per ounce.

A process and apparatus for manufacturing glass. A mixture of solid glass-forming materials comprising at least one fining agent are introduced into a doghouse located upstream of an elongated tank. The glass-forming materials are melted in the doghouse at a temperature at or above a fining-onset temperature of the at least one fining agent by application of heat from one or more submerged combustion burners. The resulting molten glass is relatively foamy and may comprise greater than 25 vol. % gas bubbles. The molten glass is directed from the doghouse into an upstream end of the tank where it is refined to produce molten glass having on average less than 20 seeds per ounce.

A submerged combustion melting system (90) includes a submerged combustion melter (100) having a housing with one or more side walls (104), a floor (106), and a ceiling (108) which at least partially define a melt chamber (110). The melter has one or more main burners (128) positioned along the floor of the housing and an oxygen/gas burner in a preheat burner system (300) removably attached to one of the sidewalls or the ceiling, the oxygen/gas burner arranged such that a flame from the oxygen/gas burner is directed downward into the melt chamber.

A process for treating a fused refractory product including more than 10% by mass of ZrO.sub.2, or base product. The process includes heating at least a portion of the surface of the product, so as to melt ZrO.sub.2 crystals in a superficial region extending to a depth of less than 2000 m. The process includes cooling the molten superficial region obtained in the preceding step so as to obtain a protective layer.

A process for treating a fused refractory product including more than 10% by mass of ZrO.sub.2, or base product. The process includes heating at least a portion of the surface of the product, so as to melt ZrO.sub.2 crystals in a superficial region extending to a depth of less than 2000 m. The process includes cooling the molten superficial region obtained in the preceding step so as to obtain a protective layer.

A method of making glass is disclosed in which a flue gas that comprises water vapor is exhausted from a submerged combustion melter that is operated to discharge combustion products into a glass melt that results from the combustion of a mixture of hydrogen gas and an oxidant gas. Heat may be recovered from the exhausted flue gas to heat batch feedstock material fed to the melter, or water vapor in the exhausted flue gas may be condensed and returned to the melter for cooling purposes, or both. A glass-melting system is also disclosed that includes a submerged combustion melter, a batch feedstock material preheater in fluid communication with the submerged combustion melter and configured to heat batch feedstock material, a condenser in fluid communication with the batch feedstock material preheater, and a cooling water reservoir in fluid communication with the condenser and the submerged combustion melter.

A method of making glass is disclosed in which a flue gas that comprises water vapor is exhausted from a submerged combustion melter that is operated to discharge combustion products into a glass melt that results from the combustion of a mixture of hydrogen gas and an oxidant gas. Heat may be recovered from the exhausted flue gas to heat batch feedstock material fed to the melter, or water vapor in the exhausted flue gas may be condensed and returned to the melter for cooling purposes, or both. A glass-melting system is also disclosed that includes a submerged combustion melter, a batch feedstock material preheater in fluid communication with the submerged combustion melter and configured to heat batch feedstock material, a condenser in fluid communication with the batch feedstock material preheater, and a cooling water reservoir in fluid communication with the condenser and the submerged combustion melter.