Expert Glass Lab

LAB EXPERIMENTS AND GLASS QUALITY.

Our glass experts have developed several unique set-ups to study raw materials, refractory materials and physical properties of glass.
 

Melt observation and Evolved Gas Analysis (EGA)

Video recording of glass forming raw material batches during heating process up to 1600 °C and observe foaming & bubble formation. We report on
• Analyses of released gases during melting as a function of temperature
• On-set of fining (fining onset temperature)
• Foam formation
• Effect of furnace atmosphere on fining, redox and foaming
 

Glass melting tests

• To develop new glass types/new batch recipes
• For preparation of glass samples e.g. glass bars, ingots
• Under simulated furnace atmospheres
 

Fining tests

• Videos of bubbles in molten glass
• Fining onset temperature
• Monitoring bubble size and ascension
• Effect of furnace atmosphere of bubble removal
• Effect of batch composition and fining agents on bubble behavior
 

Dissolved gas analyses

• Determination dissolved gases (N2, SO2, CO2) in production glasses
• Determination of dissolved gases in saturated melt (solubility measurements: N2, CO2, SO2, O2)
 

Refractory corrosion by flue gases

For regenerator refractory testing under simulated glass furnace flue gases (500-1400 °C)
• Flue gases with water vapor, O2 or CO, N2, CO2, salt vapors (Na or K vapors), SO2
• Different refractory qualities (based on MgO, Al2O3, ZrO2, Cr2O3, SiO2 or combinations of these refractory oxides) and binding phases in refractory
• Chemical attack of these refractory materials depending on flue gas composition, reducing/oxidizing conditions and temperature
 

Refractory corrosion by glass melts

• Rotating refractory finger in melt (comparative tests)
• Standard refractory tests for glass melt contact
 

Batch-Free-Time (BFT) tests for batches

• Determination of time for complete melting of batch (no crystalline inclusions in melt) at isothermal conditions
• Typical temperatures 1350, 1400, 1500 °C