Glass Melting

Increasing your process efficiency and productivity while reducing emissions

Depending on your individual needs and challenges in the melting process, industrial gases can contribute significantly to your business success. With our oxyfuel combustion solutions (= using oxygen instead or in addition to air) you can realise the following benefits:

  • Fuel consumption down by as much as 35% due to improved heat transfer

  • 15% saving on the OPEX front

  • Up to 40% rise in productivity due to faster melting cycles

  • Emissions of NOx, SO2 and CO2 down by up to 75%, 30% and 5% respectively

  • and many more.

Below you find a full list of our applications for oxyfuel combustion as well as for gas bubbling and atmosphere control.

Application technology for glass melting

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Applications
COROX® oxyfuel melting

This solution is ideal if you

  • - require very high melting temperatures (e.g. 1560°C and higher),
  • - produce fibre or speciality glass,
  • - need to improve energy efficiency,
  • - need to reduce emissions,
  • - want to increase your capacity,
  • - operate heat recovery systems with low preheating temperatures
      (e.g. recuperative systems),
  • - wish to reduce your footprint.

We supply gases and application technologies for all oxyfuel melting furnaces and for the conversion of side-port regenerative, end-port regenerative and recuperative furnaces to all oxyfuel furnaces. With a full range of burners (tube-in-tube as well as flat flame), we will recommend the model best suited to your specific furnace.

Highlights within our oxyfuel melting portfolio include our COROX® convective glass melting application, which is a unique crown burner solution that offers enhanced heat transfer capabilities. Thanks to the more targeted application of energy, it is more efficient than a traditional side-mounted burner:

  • - more melting capacity
  • - less raw material costs
  • - further energy savings
  • - improved glass quality

Download Linde glass brochure

COROX® oxyfuel boosting

Boosting is the method of choice if you

  • - wish to increase your melting capacity without changing your furnace footprint
  • - wish to optimise the number of furnaces you have in operation.

Complementing your air-fuel burners, oxyfuel burners are installed and/or oxygen is injected through high-pressure lances. This raises flame temperatures by eliminating nitrogen and increasing the oxygen concentration. As a result, oxyfuel boosting also raises the concentration of CO2 and H2O in the vicinity of the flame. And since these gases are mainly responsible for thermal radiation, they make gas jets more efficient. 

Download Linde glass brochure

COROX® oxyservice during maintenance and repair work

This is a temporary installation designed to ensure continuity of service during maintenance or repair work.

Our COROX® Oxyservice is of particular interest to operators with a plugged regenerator or leaking recuperative heat recovery system. Here we deliver the oxygen lances and all supporting supply equipment for the duration of the maintenance work.

Download Linde glass brochure

COROX® LowNOx for decreased emission

Our innovative COROX® LowNOx solution is the ideal way to reduce NOx emissions in order to comply with stricter legislation.

It involves injecting additional oxygen through high-pressure lances to create a more intense, directional flue gas recirculation effect within the furnace. As a result, the main air/gas burner system produces a diluted, staged combustion process. The fuel dilution leads to a more homogenous flame and a reduced flame temperature. As the flame temperature has a direct impact on NOx levels, this lowers emissions significantly. A lower flame temperature also reduces the concentration of hydrocarbon radicals in the furnace, thereby limiting NOx formation. In addition, an improved heat transfer rate shortens the window during which NOx can form.

Download COROX-LowNOx brochure

Gas bubbling

During melting and refining, gas bubbling through molten glass can help to enhance glass melting convection currents and improve re-adsorption of any remaining bubbles into the melt in order to eliminate defects. 

Gases can also be bubbled through the melt to help improve glass conditioning. As oxygen is more soluble than air, it is an effective way to reduce seed formation. Helium is often used for premium products. 

We provide the full range of regular and inert gases (e.g. HE, O2, N2, Ar) and supply systems to support all bubbling applications. 

Download Linde glass brochure

Atmosphere analysis & process control

You can also rely on us to provide the full range of high-precision calibration gases and process control gas mixtures to support compliance with emissions regulations through accurate monitoring and reporting of atmosphere and flue gas measurements.

Download Atmosphere analysis & process control brochure