Environmental Impact for Regenerators Materials Selection in Soda-Lime Flat Glass Furnaces

Abstract:

The function of regenerators is to use the thermal energy of the waste gases to preheat the combustion air and thereby provide better heat transfer via a high flame temperature. Satisfactory furnace operation can only be achieved if the regenerator chambers are in good condition. Today, environmental issues play a major role in the selection of regenerators and checkers refractories. The impact on the environment has been studied on 35 side-fired flat glass furnaces. Firstly, we will describe in this paper the issues raised by increased carry over and CO content observed in various furnaces with different types of checker packing such as basket weaves, box blocks and cruciforms . Secondly, we will talk about how the impact on health and waste/recycling solutions is analyzed and should be taken into consideration before ordering refractories. Finally, some new materials are now appearing on the market. The fact that China dominates magnesia production (51% of the world production) entails the rise of new raw material sources for the basic refractories used for checker bricks. Besides that, the refractories suppliers are continuously improving their materials to offer glassmakers new solutions to overcome the actual issues in the regenerators. These new sources of materials have been analyzed in R&D and are now considered as potential solutions which need further testing under industrial conditions.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volumes 39-40)
• Pages: 619-624
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.39-40.619
• Online since: April 2008
• Authors: Jean Pierre Meynckens, Benoît Cherdon
• Keywords: Basics, Biosoluble, Checkers, Electrocast, Environmental, Fiber, Fused, Insulating, RCF, Recycling, Reducing Atmosphere, Refractory, Regenerator, Sintered

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