Environmental features review of glass production

A classification of methods of production of thick float glass using restriction of lateral spreading of the glass melt in the initial part of the melting tank is developed. Brief descriptions of patented methods are provided. The main methods developed by the Saratov Institute of Glass in the field of production of clear and tinted heat-absorbing glass exceeding the equilibrium in thickness are described.

Comparisons of tin depth profile analyses in float glass

This article explores the key technological stages of automotive glass production, their interconnections, and their impact on product quality. The study examines processes such as float glass production, bending, laminating, autoclaving, and final assembly and packaging. Special attention is paid to identifying the main factors influencing defect formation at different stages and methods for their elimination. The importance of float glass quality as the primary material is emphasized. Early-stage defects can propagate through subsequent processes, making initial quality control crucial. The bending process is identified as one of the most complex stages. Factors such as the condition of molding tools, temperature regimes, and the proper grouping of glass in furnace wagons are critical to achieving precise windshield geometry. Temperature monitoring using pyrometers is recommended to ensure accuracy, while improper adjustments to regimes may negatively impact other glass already in the furnace. Laminating and autoclaving are analyzed as essential stages for defining mechanical and aesthetic properties. The interaction between preceding processes and PVB film quality is critical, as misalignment of inner and outer glass layers during manual PVB film application can lead to microvoids and cracks during autoclaving. The final assembly and packaging stage is presented as the ultimate checkpoint for quality control. Comprehensive inspections and robust packaging practices ensure that products meet standards and reach clients in optimal condition. This study highlights the interdependence of all production stages and advocates a systemic approach to quality management. It offers practical recommendations for minimizing defects, optimizing processes, and enhancing efficiency, making it valuable for professionals in the glass manufacturing industry.

The current state of technologies for the production of glass products used in the architectural and construction industry, types of the energy-saving float-glasses and their role in the lighting quality of the buildings was analyzed. The relevance of the use of Low-E glass, in particular in the glass units, is shown. Innovative trends in the production of sheet architectural and construction float glass with the use of modern technologies and equipment, in particular, at PJSC "Lysychansk glass factory "Proletary ", considered. It is established that a significant disadvantage of more energy-efficient I-glasses, which have a wide range of color characteristics, is the insufficient mechanical strength of soft coatings applied by magnetron vacuum spraying. It is shown that the technology of manufacturing low-emission I-glasses with such coatings does not allow them to be hardened while maintaining all the necessary operating parameters. Physicochemical properties and operational characteristics of large-sized glasses with silver, sunscreen soft coating, laminated, flat and radial tempered glasses, as well as their areas of application are presented. The principles of strengthening soft magnetron coatings for low-emission Double Low-E glasses and composition, layer combinations and technological parameters of multilayer nanocoatings with a total thickness of up to 140 nm, which allows to harden I-glass with these coatings, investigated. The technological parameters of obtaining low-emission I-glasses with variable coatings, which regulate the spectral and operational indicators of these glassware according to the interstate standards GOST EN 673-2016 and GOST EN 410-2014, are analyzed. Technological methods of the sheet glass with low-emission coatings hardening by creating of the special compositions and optimizing magnetron sputtering processes optimizing, as well as the basic regularities of the arrangement of the film layers of the Si3N4 / NiCr / Si3N4 film for the heat treatment withstanding of the glasses in the R2O – RO – SiO2 system are considered. The principles of adjusting their spectral and mechanical characteristics depending on the concentration and ratio of the components of the thin-film nanolayer, which will contribute to the creation of a variation series of float glasses with the required level of reflection in the infrared spectrum, are proposed.

QUARTZ sand plays a crucial role in the production of float glass, as it is the main source of silicon dioxide, which is necessary for the production of glass. The research was conducted on two samples of QUARTZ sand from the Oleksiivka amber deposit. The aim of this study was to investigate the morphology and chemical composition of QUARTZ sand samples. The identification methods such as infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and electron microscopy with the Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometer detector were presented. Applied methods allowed to identify crystalline phases and non-crystalline components of the tested samples.

Float glass production line of a company, for example, cleaner production audit analysis. For glass production process, the the process sewage node and pollutants governance status quo, analysis of the clean production levels of the glass production process on the basis of material balance, and found the opportunity of clean production, float glass production, energy conservation, energy, pollution reduction and efficiency as a starting point, the glass production process cleaner production.

This paper poses the theory that the fracture resistance of basic float glass is dependent on it physicochemical properties and the surface defects formed under the float glass production, glass processing and handling at the service conditions compose the aggregate basis for structural glass strength assessment. The effect of loading conditions, constructional and technological factors on the engineering strength of glass can be evaluated in certain cases using fracture mechanics with information on the initial surface defects in glass elements. The correlation between the data on glass surface defects, fracture resistance and structural strength of glass is analyzed using the results received at the testing of different types of specimens. It is shown in the paper that quality management of the processing of glass elements gives a good possibility to control the strength of load bearing glass structures.

Flow control in hot aggressive melts is a big challenge for metallurgical and glass technology applications. For instance, during the production of float glass, the glass melt solidifies on the top of a liquid tin bath. To achieve a spatially homogeneous glass thickness, both global and local control of the thermofluiddynamic transport phenomena in the tin bath are crucial. The concept a global flow control involves the coupling of the non‐contact electromagnetic flow rate measurement technique of Lorentz force velocimetry and the non‐contact flow driving technique of electromagnetic pumps based on rotating permanent magnets. The paper presents a model experiment using the low‐melting test melt GaInSn as well as numerical simulations using the commercial code FLUENT/MHD. (© 2011 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Strength and durability of glass structures depend directly on the state of the cracked surface layer and the degree of surface damage [1, 2]. Lack of control of surface micro-cracks and damage during the production of float glass and processing of glass element as well as under operation conditions leads to significant uncertainty in the estimates of the carrying capacity of glass structures [3]. A technical approach based on precision control of critical surface micro-cracks and damages was developed to guarantee a minimum level of strength of carrying glass structures such as beams and plates under bending and tension. The results of an experimental study of damage resistance of glass under contact loading were studied by looking at the effects on the surface cracked layer. The glass surface was damaged by a hard-alloy cutting roller using different cutting force. The dependence of bending strength values and depth of critical surface micro-cracks on the conditions of contact loading was found. Conditions of glass damage resistance changing due to the changes in the surface cracked layer were defined. The possibility of damage resistance and load bearing capacity of glass constructions increasing as a result of protective coatings was investigated.

An information analysis is performed of the good-glass output in the production process. The influence of the waste from individual stages of production on the glass utilization factor is shown. Using fuzzy systems a model is set up to describe the dependence of the glass utilization factor on the chemical composition of the batch, glass, and process conditions for the formation and annealing of the glass ribbon. The method proposed for analyzing the glass utilization factor can be used in quality management systems in the production of float glass.

The problems of conveying glass batch over large distances are examined. A plan for reconstructing a continuous conveyer for raw materials and glass batch in the production of float glass is examined. Different variants of technological schemes for the batch mixing division located outside the batch house are shown. An algorithm is proposed for using conditionally rejected batch with the aid of a backup mixer.

The experience of the Saratov Institute of Glass in replacing Tashlinskoe sand by local sand with a variable chemical composition in the production of light- and heat-protective float glass is described. Practical recommendations are presented.

Saudi Arabia’s 2030 Vision plans to install 40 GW of photovoltaic capacity in the country by 2030. This includes a requirement that deployed systems achieve a local content threshold of 33–35% for 2024–25, increasing to 40–45% for 2028 and beyond. With the exception of financing (75%), the level of local content for all other aspects of PV farms in Saudi Arabia is low (22–50%). In this paper, we consider the domestic manufacturing capacities of key components such as float glass, aluminum framing, steel, and concrete. Capacity constraints are evident, importing PV cells rather than modules (to increase local content by undertaking module lamination in the country) would require 58% of Saudi Arabia’s float glass production from now until 2030. We estimate that 85% of modules will need to be manufactured in their entirety in country if the local content of all other aspects does not change. Such an approach could result in higher commodity prices in Saudi Arabia, certainly in the short term, leading to import sourcing and, in effect, worsening of local content of PV systems. Therefore, increasing local content across all aspects of PV systems is needed, with a focus on the local skills base and capacity.

In float glass production, the homogeneity of molten glass significantly influences the product quality. Usually, stirrers are used to diminish the inhomogeneity of molten glass. In this study, the vertical stirring process in a float glass furnace was simulated and analysed using the ANSYS Fluent 14·0 software. The particle track method was used to qualitatively describe the stirring effect. The stretch rate was used to quantitatively evaluate the stirring effect. The influence of stirring on the waist backward flow was studied. The relationship between the stirrer insertion depth and the optimal rotational speed was obtained. The particles presented an S-shaped distribution after stirring. The rotation effect of the stirrer can bring the backward flow upward into the forward flow at a high rotational speed. The optimal rotational speed decreased with the insertion depth of the stirrer and presented a linear relationship. The physical simulation method was used to verify the correctness of the particle tracks obtained in the numerical simulation.

The effect of the gas atmosphere on the physicochemical processes in float-glass production is considered based on the analysis of the patent and scientific literature and the research carried out at the Saratov Institute of Glass. The methods for controlling the physicochemical conditions in the melting tank are described. The possibilities of deliberately modifying the composition and properties of float glass using the effect of the gas medium are demonstrated.