	US 12,459,848 B2
	High temperature and low pressure fining of submerged combustion or other glass
Zhongming Wang, Ypsilanti, MI (US); Liming Shi, Perrysburg, OH (US); and Qing Jiang, Sylvania, OH (US)
Assigned to Owens-Brockway Glass Container Inc., Perrysburg, OH (US)
Appl. No. 18/550,319
Filed by Owens-Brockway Glass Container Inc., Perrysburg, OH (US)
PCT Filed Apr. 26, 2022, PCT No. PCT/US2022/026293 § 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 13, 2023, PCT Pub. No. WO2022/232105, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 3, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/182,000, filed on Apr. 30, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0300840 A1, Sep. 12, 2024
Int. Cl. C03B 5/225 (2006.01); C03B 5/12 (2006.01); C03B 5/193 (2006.01); C03B 5/235 (2006.01); C03B 5/26 (2006.01); C03C 3/087 (2006.01)

CPC C03B 5/2252 (2013.01) [C03B 5/12 (2013.01); C03B 5/193 (2013.01); C03B 5/235 (2013.01); C03B 5/2356 (2013.01); C03B 5/262 (2013.01); C03C 3/087 (2013.01); C03B 2211/22 (2013.01)]

16 Claims

1. A method of producing glass, the method comprising:

producing a volume of unfined molten glass that comprises at least 20 vol % of entrained gas bubbles;

receiving an inflow of unfined molten glass from the volume of unfined molten glass and introducing the inflow of unfined molten glass into a fining tank that holds a molten glass bath, the fining tank having a housing that defines an interior fining chamber in which the molten glass bath is contained, the housing of the fining tank having a height and a width, with the height of the housing being greater than the width of the housing, the inflow of unfined molten glass combining with the molten glass bath in the interior fining chamber of the fining tank;

maintaining the interior fining chamber of the fining tank at a subatmospheric pressure;

inductively heating the molten glass bath contained within the fining tank to maintain the molten glass bath within a temperature range for glass fining;

discharging an outflow of fined molten glass from the fining tank, the outflow of fined molten glass being drawn from the molten glass bath and having a lower volume percentage of entrained gas bubbles and a higher density than the inflow of unfined molten glass received into the fining tank;

passing the outflow of fined molten glass through an ambient environment as the outflow of fined molten glass falls from the fining tank into a thermal conditioning tank through an open space that separates the fining tank and the thermal conditioning tank, the outflow of fined molten glass cooling down when exposed to the ambient environment;

introducing the outflow of fined molten glass into the thermal conditioning tank in which the outflow of fined molten glass combines with a flowing molten glass bath held within a conditioning chamber of the thermal conditioning tank; and

discharging an output of conditioned molten glass from the thermal conditioning tank, the output of conditioned molten glass having a temperature that is less than a temperature of the outflow of fined molten glass introduced into the thermal conditioning tank.

11. A method of producing glass, the method comprising:

producing a volume of unfined molten glass in a submerged combustion melter which includes discharging combustion products from one or more submerged burners directly into a glass melt held within an interior reaction chamber of the submerged combustion melter;

receiving an inflow of unfined molten glass from the submerged combustion melter and introducing the inflow of unfined molten glass into a fining tank that holds a molten glass bath having a depth, the fining tank having a vertically-elongated housing that defines an interior fining chamber in which the molten glass bath is contained, the housing of the fining tank having a height and a width, with the height of the housing being greater than the width of the housing, the inflow of unfined molten glass combining with the molten glass bath in the interior fining chamber of the fining tank;

maintaining the interior fining chamber of the fining tank at a subatmospheric pressure; inductively heating the molten glass bath contained within the fining tank to maintain the molten glass bath at a temperature ranging from 1250° C. to 1650° C.;