Chamber furnace

meltinggascombustion

Overview
Sodium silicate melting furnaces are engineered for the high-corrosion environment of sodium silicate glass production. They accommodate a broad range of formulations with melting temperatures between 1300 °C and 1450 °C. The molten glass typically exits the furnace as a ribbon that is cooled on water-cooled rollers or on a cooling belt and then crushed into granules.

Furnace types

• Regenerative type
• Recuperative type

Batch formulation and refractories
The sodium silicate batch is highly aggressive and causes strong corrosion and significant sodium evaporation from both the charge and the glass surface. Refractory linings and structural components must be selected and designed specifically to resist this corrosion and the related alkali attack.

Heating and operation
Furnaces can be fired by gas (natural gas or LPG) or by heavy fuel oil. Design considerations include flue gas handling, refractory protection, controlled feed of the aggressive batch, and cooling system integration for continuous ribbon extraction and granulation.

Technical specifications

• Melting temperature range: 1300 °C – 1450 °C
• Product exit form: ribbon passing through water-cooled rollers or onto a cooling belt, subsequently crushed into small particles
• Furnace types: Regenerative; Recuperative
• Batch behaviour: very aggressive formulation with high sodium evaporation from batch and glass surface
• Refractories: must be designed to resist high corrosion rate and alkali attack
• Heating options: gas (NG or LPG) or heavy fuel oil
• Design features: corrosion-resistant layout and materials due to high corrosion of the melting batch