Melter with heat exchanger

General description
Glass Service srl designs and installs mineral wool melting furnaces for the industrial production of insulating and specialty glass fibres. These furnaces are tailored to continuous production of various glass wool grades and fibre types for thermal and acoustic insulation applications.

Produced glass fibre types

• Glass wool
• Glass C type
• Microfiber glass wool
• E glass fibre
• Silica glass fibre

Design and heating
The furnaces are primarily of the recuperative type with metal recuperators; regenerative layouts are generally not recommended due to reduced regenerator checker life in boron/sodium-rich melts. Heating can be by natural gas or heavy fuel oil, with optional electric heating in forehearths. Typical melting temperatures range from 1300 to 1600°C depending on glass composition.

Refractory and corrosion control
The refractory system is specifically engineered to resist corrosion from high boron and sodium contents. Glass Service srl implements specialized lining materials and installation techniques to extend campaign life. Chimneys and exhaust paths are fitted and detailed to limit vapour condensation and related corrosion.

Equipment and accessories
All installed equipment is adapted for the aggressive environment of mineral-wool glass melts and includes dedicated design features for durability and maintenance.

• Electrically heated forehearths (option) when fossil fuels are limited or costly
• Electric boosting systems with molybdenum electrodes, divided into independent heating sections
• Water-cooled bubbling systems for reduced wear and simplified maintenance
• Forehearth designs optimized for bushing and fibreizing areas

Technical specifications

• Furnace type: mainly recuperative with metal recuperators
• Heating fuel: natural gas or heavy fuel oil (electric heating option for forehearths)
• Melting temperature range: 1300–1600°C (depending on glass type)
• Typical throughput: approximately 20 tpd to 120 tpd
• Refractory design: anti-corrosion solutions for high boron/sodium batches
• Accessories: electric boosting (molybdenum electrodes), water-cooled bubbling, specialized forehearth designs