An apparatus for refining molten glass that includes a housing having a vertically oriented longitudinal axis and a transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. Molten glass is received at an upper end of the housing and is discharged from a lower end of the housing. A guide extends at least partway across the housing and directs molten glass in a generally downward direction through the housing and in a parallel or oblique direction relative to the transverse axis of the housing.

An alkali-free glass substrate contains, as represented by mass % based on oxides: 54% to 66% of SiO.sub.2; 10% to 23% of Al.sub.2O.sub.3; 6% to 12% of B.sub.2O.sub.3; and 8% to 26% of MgO+CaO+SrO+BaO. The alkali-free glass substrate has β-OH of 0.15 mm.sup.−1 to 0.5 mm.sup.−1, and a Cl content of 0.1 to 0.35 mass %. A bubble growth index I of the alkali-free glass substrate given by the following formula is 280 or more: I=590.5×[β-OH]+874.1×[Cl]−5.7×[B.sub.2O.sub.3]−33.3. In the formula, [β-OH] is β-OH of the alkali-free glass substrate in mm.sup.−1, [Cl] is the Cl content of the alkali-free glass substrate in mass %, and [B.sub.2O.sub.3] is a B.sub.2O.sub.3 content of the alkali-free glass substrate in mass %.

A glass-producing system is disclosed that includes a glass melter and a glass fining tower positioned downstream of the glass melter. The glass fining tower includes a shell, a tubular wall disposed within and surrounded by the shell, and a base receiving wall that extends inwardly from the shell to the tubular wall. The tubular wall and the base receiving wall provide an interior fining chamber within the shell. The interior fining chamber comprises an elongated vertical well that is defined by the tubular wall and has an opening that is at least partially surrounded by a glass distribution surface of the base receiving wall. The glass fining tower further includes a heater and a vacuum source operable to maintain the interior fining chamber at a subatmospheric pressure. A method of producing glass is also disclosed.

A method for producing a glass product having a low bubble content from a melt is provided, wherein the melt at least partly comes into contact with a noble metal-comprising component.

A glass has a basic soda-lime-silica glass portion, and a colorant portion including total iron as Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 selected from the group of total iron as Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 in the range of greater than zero to 0.02 weight percent; total iron as Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 in the range of greater than 0.02 weight percent to less than 0.10 weight percent and total iron as Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 in the range of 0.10 to 2.00 weight percent; redox ratio in the range of 0.2 to 0.8, and tin and/or fin compounds, e.g. SnO.sub.2 greater than 0.000 to 5.0 weight percent. In one embodiment of the invention, the glass has a fin side and an opposite air side, wherein the tin side of the glass is supported on a molten fin bath during forming of the glass. The tin concentration at the tin side of the glass is greater than, less than, or equal to the fin concentration hi “body portion” of the glass. The “body portion” of the glass extending from the air side of the glass toward the fin side and terminating short of the tin side of the glass.

A process and an apparatus for refining molten glass that includes a housing having a vertically oriented longitudinal axis and a transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. Molten glass is received at an upper end of the housing and is discharged from a lower end of the housing. A guide extends at least partway across the housing and directs molten glass in a generally downward direction through the housing and in a parallel or oblique direction relative to the transverse axis of the housing.

Described herein are systems and methods for heating and melting glass through the use of induction based heating and methods for forming a fiberglass strand. An exemplary induction melter system for melting glass can include a melting vessel and a heated drain. The melting vessel can include a crucible, a first induction coil positioned around at least a portion of the crucible, and a first electromagnetic current generator coupled to the first induction coil. The heated drain can be coupled to the melting vessel, and the heated drain can include a drain tube, a second induction coil positioned around at least a portion of the drain tube, and a second electromagnetic current generator coupled to the second induction coil.

The present invention relates to a float glass substrate including an alkali-free glass, the float glass substrate having a Cl content of from 0.10 to 0.50 mass %, containing substantially no SnO.sub.2, and having a Pt content of, by mass, from 0.001 to 0.30 ppm. The float glass substrate may have a Rh content of, by mass, from 0.001 to 0.50 ppm.

A glass fining system, glass fining device, and method are disclosed. The glass fining device in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure includes at least one heated orifice through which molten glass flows from a glass melter to produce at least one superheated glass stream; and a low-pressure chamber disposed downstream from the heated orifice, where the at least one superheated glass stream flows from the at least one heated orifice and into the low-pressure chamber, and where the low-pressure chamber surrounds the at least one superheated glass stream. In some embodiments, the low-pressure chamber may include at least one surface extender.

A glass refining system, glass refining device, and method are disclosed. The apparatus in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure includes an objective having a laterally outer extremity, where a molten metal stream flows from an opening in the objective and over the objective, and separates from the objective at a molten metal separation location that is inboard of the extremity; and a molten metal receptacle disposed below the objective and configured to receive the molten metal stream, wherein a molten glass stream flows downwardly toward the objective and over the molten metal stream, and wherein the molten glass stream separates from the molten metal stream at a molten glass separation location that is laterally outboard of the molten metal separation location and flows into a molten glass receptacle.