A method of recycling a composite material which comprises a mineral portion maintained within a thermoset resin, wherein the thermoset resin makes up at least 30 wt % of the composite material; and wherein the mineral portion makes up at least 30 wt % of the composite material comprises: introducing the composite material in granulated form into a mineral melt in a submerged combustion melter; providing additional heat energy to the mineral melt by combustion of the thermoset resin of the composite material within the mineral melt; and melting and incorporating the mineral portion of the composite material in the mineral melt by heat transfer from the mineral melt.

An apparatus for manufacturing glass includes a furnace. A doghouse of the furnace receives and melts solid-glass forming material using one or more submerged combustion burners. An elongated tank positioned downstream of the doghouse includes a melting chamber, a refining chamber, and a thermal conditioning. The melting chamber has in inlet through which molten glass is received from the doghouse. The refining chamber is positioned downstream of the melting chamber and receives molten glass from the melting chamber. The thermal conditioning chamber is positioned downstream of the refining chamber and receives molten glass from the refining chamber. Additionally, the thermal conditioning chamber delivers molten glass to a glass forming machine.

A submerged combustion melter and system are disclosed. The submerged combustion melter includes a bottom wall, at least one side wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall, a crown extending inwardly with respect to the at least one side wall and over the bottom wall to establish a melting chamber, an exhaust port configured to exhaust gas from the melting chamber, at least one baffle extending from the at least one side wall to divide the melting chamber into melting sub-chambers that share the exhaust port, at least one inlet configured for introducing a glass batch into the submerged combustion melter, and at least one outlet configured to remove molten glass from the at least one melting chamber.

Devices and methods of using a burner and/or a protective cap for a melting chamber are disclosed. In particular, the melting chamber includes a chamber wall and a burner. The chamber wall has a longitudinal axis and forms a passage having a passage axis transverse to the longitudinal axis. The chamber wall also has an inner wall surface with an inner wall edge extending about the passage. The burner is positioned in the passage and has a tubular body with a burner end spaced away from the inner wall edge so that a space exists between the burner end and the inner wall edge. The tubular body also has an outer burner diameter, an inner burner diameter, and a central conduit within the inner burner diameter.

Submerged combustion burners having a burner body and a burner tip connected thereto. The burner body has an external conduit and first and second internal conduits substantially concentric therewith, forming first and second annuli for passing a cooling fluid therethrough. The burner includes a generally central flow passage for a combustible mixture, the flow passage partially defined by an inner wall of the burner tip. The burner tip has an outer wall and crown connecting the inner and outer walls. The inner and outer walls and crown comprise materials having greater corrosion and/or fatigue resistance than the burner external conduit. The burner tip is connected to the burner body by inner and outer connections, at least one of which includes members interference fit to the burner tip and burner body, the members welded, soldered, or brazed together, in certain instances by fiber laser welding.

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.

Submerged combustion methods and systems including a melter equipped with an exhaust passage through the ceiling or the sidewall having an aggregate hydraulic diameter. Submerged combustion burners configured to create turbulent conditions in substantially all of the material being melted, and produce ejected portions of melted material. An exhaust structure including a liquid-cooled exhaust structure defining a liquid-cooled exhaust chamber having a cross-sectional area greater than that of the exhaust stack but less than the melter. The exhaust passage and liquid-cooled exhaust structure configured to maintain temperature and pressure of the exhaust, and exhaust velocity through the exhaust passage and the exhaust structure, at values sufficient to prevent the ejected material portions of melted material from being propelled out of the exhaust structure as solidified material, and maintain any molten materials contacting the first interior surface molten so that it flows down the first interior surface into the melter.

The present invention relates to a process for producing a boron containing glass, comprising melting raw materials including boron compounds in a submerged combustion melter (11), withdrawing flue gases from said melter and recovering heat from said flue gases in appropriate heat recovery equipment prior to release into the environment.

Submerged combustion burners having improved fuel and oxidant mixing characteristics. Submerged combustion melters including the burners. Methods of using submerged combustion melters to melt glass-forming materials and produce molten glass.

The present invention relates to a process for producing a boron containing glass, comprising melting raw materials including boron compounds in a submerged combustion melter (11), withdrawing flue gases from said melter and recovering heat from said flue gases in appropriate heat recovery equipment prior to release into the environment.