Effect of Iron Oxides on Glass Furnace Efficiency and Product Quality in Float-Glass Production

It is noted that the efficiency of glassmaking furnaces can be increased by maintaining the content of iron oxides in glass within prescribed limits and the optimal ratio between bi- and trivalent iron oxides. More stringent requirements are formulated for the quality of raw materials used in the production of float-glass. The magnitude of the fluctuations of iron oxides in raw materials and its effect on the stability of the glass melting and working process is determined and analyzed. A method is described for introducing an iron-containing component (crocus) into the batch in order to smooth the sharp fluctuations of iron oxides in the raw material. It is shown that the changes in the temperatures of the gas space, the molten glass in the furnace, and the total consumption of the gas fuel are interrelated with the character of the changes in the amounts of FeO and Fe2O3.