TH8564A - The process of making glass from a material periodically - Google Patents

Abstract

Silica reacts with sodium carbonate to form sodium silicate, the first step in the glassmaking process. The remaining ash, a residue containing calcium carbonate, should be burned separately and then combined with the sodium silicate at the start of the melting process. The material may be free of carbonates that cause foaming during the molten phase.

Claims (10)

1. The method of preparing glass from phased materials, namely silica, sodium carbonate, and calcium sources, involves minimal contact between the silica source and the sodium carbonate source in the first area at a sufficient temperature and time to form a product predominantly sodium silicate. A calcium source, mostly in the form of free carbonate, is then fed to a second area to come into contact with the sodium silicate product from the first area, and the contact material is heated to initiate glass melting. 2. The method under claim 1, in which the minority silica source material is first exposed to sodium carnate in the initial heating area before the majority silica source is exposed to the sodium silicate product. 3. The method under claim 2, which at least involves heating a significant portion of the said silica source while in contact at least with a portion of the calcium source. 4. The method under claim 3, in which the calcium source consists of calcium carbonate and the preheating of the calcium source in contact with the silica source to a temperature sufficient to calcify the remaining calcium carbonate. 5. The method under claim 1, where the calcium source consists of calcium carbonate and the calcium carbonate is heated in a third zone to burn off most of the ash before coming into contact with sodium silicate. 6. The method under claim 5, where the majority of the heat for burning the ash is obtained from the combustion of coal. 7. The method under claim 5 or 6 which heats the third area by combustion and passes the gases released from the third area to the first area. 8. A method under one of the aforementioned claims that heats a second area by combustion and then passes the gases released from the second area to the first area. 9. The method under claim 8, where the majority of the energy used in the first area is in the form of released gases. 10. The method under Claim 9, in which the majority of the energy requirements in the first area are obtained by recovering heat from the released gases (Clause 10, page 2, figure 1).