A furnace, and a method of firing it, wherein part of the fuel supplied to the furnace is produced from waste plastics by a depolymerisation process, waste heat from the furnace being used to promote the depolymerisation process. The furnace is equipped with regenerators for waste heat recovery and is fired alternately in first and second opposed directions, with the direction of firing periodically reversing between the first direction and the second direction. The supply of fuel to the furnace is temporarily interrupted while the direction of firing is reversing, means being provided to accommodate the fuel produced during the temporary interruption. The furnace may be used for producing glass.

The multicomponent oxide glass has a composition including: 45-53 mol % SiO.sub.2; 22-30 mol % B.sub.2O.sub.3; 5-9 mol % Al.sub.2O.sub.3; 0.02-0.10 mol % Sb.sub.2O.sub.3; 0-18 mol % Li.sub.2O; 0-18 mol % Na.sub.2O; 0-18 mol % K.sub.2O; 0-13 mol % MgO; 0-13 mol % CaO; 0-13 mol % BaO; and 0-13 mol % ZnO. When the total content of Li.sub.2O, Na.sub.2O, and K.sub.2O is X mol % and the total content of MgO, CaO, BaO, and ZnO is Y mol %, 11≤X≤18 and 14≤X+Y≤24 hold, and the value of βOH calculated from βOH=α/t, where α represents a height of an absorption peak due to OH groups, observed in a range of 3400 cm.sup.−1 to 3800 cm.sup.−1 of an infrared absorption spectrum in no unit and t represents a thickness of the glass in cm, is 4 cm.sup.−1 or more.

The multicomponent oxide glass has a composition including: 45-53 mol % SiO.sub.2; 22-30 mol % B.sub.2O.sub.3; 5-9 mol % Al.sub.2O.sub.3; 0.02-0.10 mol % Sb.sub.2O.sub.3; 0-18 mol % Li.sub.2O; 0-18 mol % Na.sub.2O; 0-18 mol % K.sub.2O; 0-13 mol % MgO; 0-13 mol % CaO; 0-13 mol % BaO; and 0-13 mol % ZnO. When the total content of Li.sub.2O, Na.sub.2O, and K.sub.2O is X mol % and the total content of MgO, CaO, BaO, and ZnO is Y mol %, 11≤X≤18 and 14≤X+Y≤24 hold, and the value of βOH calculated from βOH=α/t, where α represents a height of an absorption peak due to OH groups, observed in a range of 3400 cm.sup.−1 to 3800 cm.sup.−1 of an infrared absorption spectrum in no unit and t represents a thickness of the glass in cm, is 4 cm.sup.−1 or more.

Disclosed are state monitoring method and system for a heating device including a conductive path that electrically series-connects heating elements. The method includes obtaining a potential difference of a conductive path portion including at least one of the heating elements, obtaining monitoring information used to monitor a state of the heating elements, and determining occurrence of an anomaly in the conductive path portion based on the obtained monitoring information. The step of obtaining the potential difference includes obtaining a first potential difference of a first conductive path portion and obtaining a second potential difference of a second conductive path portion that differs from the first conductive path portion. The monitoring information includes comparison information obtained by comparing potential differences including the first potential difference and the second potential difference.

According to an aspect of the disclosure, a glass manufacturing system includes a hot-end subsystem, including: a submerged combustion melter that melts feedstock to produce molten glass; a stiller that receives the molten glass from the submerged combustion melter and that includes a stilling tank to still the molten glass and that is configured to control outflow of the stilled molten glass to effectively decouple viscosity of the molten glass from the flow rate of the molten glass and thereby control finer molten glass levels; and a finer that is mechanically decoupled from the stiller, and that receives and fines the stilled molten glass to produce fined molten glass. Many other aspects of the system are also disclosed and claimed.

A burner holder for a burner lance in a glass melting plant. To easily and quickly change the burner lance angle to influence the process conditions in the glass melting plant, the burner holder has a retaining unit for securing the burner lance and a sealing plate with a passage. The sealing plate is configured to secure to the glass melting plant and is provided with a recess for receiving a burner lance head. The recess forms at least one part of a passage through the sealing plate. The retaining unit is connected to the sealing plate via at least one first pivot bearing, such that the retaining unit can be pivoted or swiveled about a first axis of rotation. The pivot bearing is attached or embedded directly on the sealing plate or is connected to the sealing plate via a support arm arranged on the sealing plate.

A burner holder for a burner lance in a glass melting plant. To easily and quickly change the burner lance angle to influence the process conditions in the glass melting plant, the burner holder has a retaining unit for securing the burner lance and a sealing plate with a passage. The sealing plate is configured to secure to the glass melting plant and is provided with a recess for receiving a burner lance head. The recess forms at least one part of a passage through the sealing plate. The retaining unit is connected to the sealing plate via at least one first pivot bearing, such that the retaining unit can be pivoted or swiveled about a first axis of rotation. The pivot bearing is attached or embedded directly on the sealing plate or is connected to the sealing plate via a support arm arranged on the sealing plate.

The present invention relates to a method for producing mineral wool having a chemical composition, expressed as a percentage by weight of oxides, comprising:

TABLE-US-00001 SiO2 30-50%  Al2O3 15-35%  CaO 5-25% MgO 1-25% Fe2O3 2-15% Na2O + K2O  >10%
said method comprising providing a mixture of raw materials, melting said mixture of raw materials to obtain a molten material, and fiberizing the molten material; characterized in that the mixture of raw materials comprises at least 8.5% by weight of a recycled raw material comprising at least 3% of magnesium, expressed by weight of oxides, said recycled raw material being substantially free of carbonates, and in that the mixture of raw materials is free of dolomite and magnesia.

A mixture of biomass and vitrifiable raw material for introducing into a fuel combustion furnace for the melting of a vitrifiable inorganic material, such as glass or rock or a silicate, includes an oleaginous biomass, the use of which reduces the damage to the equipment for metering and transporting the vitrifiable raw material.

Efficiency of the combustion that is carried out in the forehearth of a glass manufacturing facility is improved by replacing air-fuel burners with a smaller number of air-fuel injectors and oxygen injectors.