The Manufacturing Outlook

Harriet prince

Carbon neutrality and circularity are two new paradigm-shifting challenges for the glass industry in addition to sustainably producing high-quality glass.

Carbon neutrality and circularity are major paradigm-shifting problems facing the glass industry. Achieving low-carbon glass production is the glass industry's top aim for the foreseeable future. In the following decades, numerous governments and corporations have declared carbon neutrality as their primary objective, and the glass industry must contribute.

The circular economy is the second most significant challenge facing the glass sector. Beyond the increasing use of the cullet, the complete lifecycle of the furnace, including its end-of-life and refractory recycling, must be considered. Refractory solutions are vital to the operation and performance of glass furnaces, and consequently, they play a crucial role in assisting glassmakers in meeting these new problems.

Supporting services for the transition to carbon-neutrality

The manufacturing of carbon-neutral glass on an industrial scale still confronts numerous hurdles. The most important is the transition to renewable energy sources. Multiple industry participants are evaluating and developing the two leading candidates, electricity and hydrogen. Biogas and biofuels are also being investigated as alternatives.

Despite this uncertainty, switching fuels will affect glass furnace refractories, and that greater energy mix flexibility would be required, particularly during the transition period.

Expertise in refractories and the use of numerical simulation services to predict and make optimal refractory choices are necessary to reduce hazards to furnace safety and longevity. Corrosion models evaluate the effect on the refractory lifetime of characteristics such as glass temperature profile, glass velocity profile, refractory composition, and cooling efficiency. These numerical simulation services aids in selecting the optimal refractory solutions for certain glass furnace settings.

The unprecedented magnitude of the changes in operating circumstances will further increase the requirement for real-time monitoring of furnaces. Instrumenting refractories with sensors to monitor the evolution of furnace wear in real-time will safeguard furnace operations, trigger appropriate adjustments to operating conditions, and, if necessary, prompt maintenance or repair operations before a catastrophic catastrophe.

Solutions with enhanced refractory performance

Technologies and methods that facilitate the transition to carbon neutrality, such as electrical boosting, increased insulation at both the glass contact and superstructure levels, and hydrogen combustion technology, necessitate improved refractory performance.

Utilizing oxy-combustion technology and increasing thermal insulation in superstructure applications increases exudation and corrosion.

Many high-quality refractory products meet these specifications. Utilizing low-exudation fused cast AZS with high alumina and/or high zirconia fused cast materials has proven to be a highly effective strategy for dealing with increasingly demanding furnace conditions.

Utilization of high zirconia for tuckstone

Particularly superstructures and tuckstones will be exposed to more corrosive atmospheres. High zirconia tuckstones will provide the necessary increased corrosion resistance but will be more vulnerable to thermo-mechanical stress. By affixing a composite ceramic shield with high compression resistance and low heat conductivity to a high zirconia tuckstone, the latter will be protected from the possibility of cracking caused by these pressures. Consequently, the insulated tuckstone will be able to prevent thermal losses. Soldier blocks beneath the superstructure and the stability of the superstructure contribute to the furnace's long life.