Glass Melting Technology: A Technical and Economic ... - OSTI

developing an innovative glass melting system. With development of new materials,
controls, and glass compositions, many technologies may be attractive to a NGMS and
meet economic constraints.
The glass industry should remember that new products within the glass industry have
often relied on changes within the total melting system. These could be moves to achieve
higher glass quality; produce new products of higher durability/strength made from
higher melting temperature systems; create new products by changes within the
conditioning and refining atmosphere or immediately downstream of final glass delivery
to fabrication. Couple this work with continued research into how surface coatings and
other surface modifications can change/enhance product. This is the best way to create
synergy toward new value-added glass products that ensure adequate capital
regeneration.
• Environmental regulation compliance
To avoid emissions, explore control of limits for heavy metals, corrosive halides, and
dioxins/furans by substituting chemical constituents that may ameliorate problems. Seek
new technologies that can avoid emissions of dioxins from combustion rather than using
the band-aid approach to current melters by adding expensive air pollution control
equipment.
Fewer solutions are available for reducing fine particle emissions and lowering carbon
dioxide levels as government environmental regulations become more stringent,
particularly for heavy metals, corrosive halides, and dioxins. Alternative melting with
electricity avoids some environmental emissions problems, but solutions might be sought
to overcome the shortcomings of insufficient refining and refractory corrosion. Interest
has intensified in vacuum refining, higher performance refractories, and new glass
products as a way to lower capital costs. Methods to improve operational flexibility,
thereby supplying product quickly to market, are also needed. Under current economic
conditions, glass manufacturers avoid the risks associated with trying technology that has
not been proven.
V.3.1. Economic assessment
Any new melter technology developed should be energy and capital efficient. Industry
should focus on reducing total costs for melting and refining raw glass for forming and
processing. When envisioning a new approach to glassmaking, economic factors
dominate technical considerations. Costs of glass manufacturing must be reduced,
preferably through research and development of new melting technologies that address
the consumption of fossil fuel and cost of energy; reduction of emissions and robotic and
advanced automation that reduce labor costs, require lower capital investment, and
improve technical and aesthetic product quality. Yet any cost effective, environmentally
compliant technology developed must not create greater complexity in processing
methods or require greater expense of operation.
Business and technical industry leaders must develop a common view of the forces that
will drive the industry in the future and increase cooperation if the industry is to survive.
94