A method and an apparatus for melting and refining glass, glass ceramic, or ceramizable to form glass ceramic are provided. The method and apparatus refine the materials such that less than 1 bubble/kg is included in the molten and refined material and the direct CO.sub.2 emissions amount to less than 100 kg per ton of molten material during the melting and refining.

Microspheres comprising a plurality of hollow microspheres, each of the plurality of hollow microspheres comprising a plurality of glass walls, and a plurality of hollow spaces, wherein the plurality of glass walls enclosing at least one of the plurality of hollow spaces, wherein the plurality of glass walls comprising a second glass, wherein the second glass comprising a processed first glass melt, wherein the processed first glass melt comprising a melt of a batch and a plurality of redox active group components capable of providing at least one of a plurality of redox reactions and a plurality of events in the second glass.

An apparatus and methods of refining glass, in a multi-stage, downwardly cascading manner, include a melting chamber housing molten glass and having an outlet, a first refining chamber downstream from the melting chamber and having a first outlet and a first inlet below the outlet of the melting chamber, and a second refining chamber downstream from the first refining chamber and having a second outlet and a second inlet below the first outlet of the first refining chamber. The first refining chamber has a first negative pressure and the second refining chamber has a second negative pressure.

An apparatus and methods of refining glass, in a multi-stage, downwardly cascading manner, include a melting chamber housing molten glass and having an outlet, a first refining chamber downstream from the melting chamber and having a first outlet and a first inlet below the outlet of the melting chamber, and a second refining chamber downstream from the first refining chamber and having a second outlet and a second inlet below the first outlet of the first refining chamber. The first refining chamber has a first negative pressure and the second refining chamber has a second negative pressure.

Microsphere comprising an outer shell enclosing a substantially hollow inner space, the outer shell comprising a fluid permeable porous structure, the fluid permeable porous structure comprising interconnected pores, the microsphere being capable of maintaining a vacuum in its substantially hollow inner space when its outer shell is sealed.

A large melting furnace suitable for borosilicate glass. Which has a melting area, a reinforcing area, an ascending area and a clarifying area. The melting area and the reinforcing area are separated by a partition wall, and a lower end of the partition wall goes deep below a surface of molten glass but is not in contact with a bottom of the melting furnace, so as to guarantee that the molten glass in the two areas is interconnected. The structures of the melting area and reinforcing area can also improve the problem of boron volatilization of the borosilicate glass caused by flame melting during a melting process. The molten glass flows out from a throat of the reinforcing area, passes through the ascending area and enters the shallower clarifying area.

A hybrid glass manufacturing furnace for supplying a unit for floating the glass on a molten metal bath, includes, from upstream to downstream: an electric melting zone with a cold-top including electrodes for melting a vitrifiable mixture in order to obtain a bath of glass; a refining and homogenizing zone with a hot-top, including a first convection loop and a second convection loop; and a zone for cooling the glass formed by a conditioning tank which, being passed through by the second convection loop, is connected to at least one flow channel, wherein the hybrid furnace includes at least one tank neck that includes a floor and connects the electric melting zone to the refining and homogenizing zone of the glass and the hybrid furnace includes a non-return separation device to prevent the molten glass in the refining and homogenizing zone from returning to the melting zone.

A glass melting plant having a fully electrically heated melt tank and a conditioning channel connected to the melt tank. In order to enable the recovery of wet waste without impairing the glass quality, in addition, a wet waste supply channel is provided, which opens laterally into the conditioning channel, for the melting of wet waste and for supplying the melted wet waste to the glass melt conducted in the conditioning channel. A corresponding method is provided for operating a glass melting plant.