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

of funding for development; inadequate material for construction; problems from scale
up; unreliability of the technology; limitations of the glass compositions that could be
processed; environmental failure; safety issues; high net cost; lack of process control; or
production of poor quality glass.
Technical innovations explored, but not developed over the past three decades, deserve
further consideration with the advancements in refractory materials; instrumentation and
computer modeling; state-of-the-art equipment; new fining technologies; and fuel
replacements. Previous technology will be reviewed for pursuit in the future because of
the necessity to comply with clean air laws; to recycle glass industry waste and used glass
products; and to provide electric melting for longer furnace life and to improve quality of
glass products.
Expert Perspective
In one important aspect of this study—the industry forum, glass melting experts pooled
hundreds of years of knowledge and experience and concluded, “The glassmaking
process is ripe for drastic change.”
• Any solutions to save energy, comply with environmental regulations, secure capital
investment must be cost effective and practical for glass manufacturing.
• To remain vigorous and competitive, the glass industry must mount major research
efforts and develop innovative technology.
• The most promising long-range directions for research are forced convection melters;
melter designs for faster glass composition changes; sub-atmospheric pressure fining to
eliminate chemical fining agents; refractories to allow higher melting temperatures;
thermodynamic modeling of melting for which properties of glassmaking materials can
be measured and analyzed.
• All segments of the industry must collaborate to pool technical knowledge, share cost,
and distribute risks.
Vision for the Future
The conservative, risk-averting glass industry has waited far too long to confront the
challenges and establish a strategy for survival, according to this study. Immediate action
must be taken to identify and solve problems that affect the industry as a whole. The
areas of critical concern across the industry are for expanding research and development;
enhancing batch and cullet preheating; developing accelerated shear dissolution in fusion;
and reducing fining time. Under a new business model concept, conceived as Glass Inc.,
the industry could cooperate to benefit from economies of scale for purchasing raw
materials, obtaining energy sources and capital equipment, and constructing and
rebuilding facilities.
In the future, the glass industry must be prepared to respond to an uncertain environment
with increased innovation in research and development. Members of the industry must
collectively identify and solve common problems for the industry as a whole. All
segments of the industry, working collaboratively, can secure the glass industry as a vital
entity in the economy of the United States.
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