GLASS MELTING
Before glass can even be formed, raw materials, mainly sand, and recycled glass must be melted at extremely high temperatures (1,400°C). To achieve the heat intensity required in the glass furnaces, Air Liquide steps in with oxy-combustion technologies that replace air with oxygen, thus improving the melting process, reducing air pollutant emissions and saving fuel. Our solutions allow for rapid alternation of melting temperatures, for operational flexibility and for automatic temperature control in a wide range of glass furnace sizes.
GLASS FORMING
Air Liquide supplies protective atmospheres and oxy-combustion solutions to drive molten glass from the melting furnace to the forming units.
GLASS CONDITIONING
Before a finished product can be packaged and put on the market, defaults must be removed. Air Liquide supplies oxy-natural based gas and oxy-hydrogen based combustion technologies to polish the product surface and remove the defaults present in glass.
Oxy-combustion is based on implementing pure oxygen combustion to boost productivity and improve the overall energy efficiency of glass processing. Oxy-combustion technology is used to maintain glass temperature in the channels leading the glass to the drawing dies and the molding machines.