Method for production of glass-forming materials

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PREPARING DUSTLESS GLASS-FORMING MATERIALS HAVING A SILICA CORE SURROUND E ED BY A SODIUM CARBONATE LAYER, WHICH COMPRISES: A. FLUIDIZING SILICA SAND HAVING LESS THAN 2 - 3 MM AVERAGE GRAIN SIZE IN A FLUID BED REACTION ZONE BY PASSING GAS CONTAINING FROM ABOUT 4% TO ABOUT 15% BY VOLUME CO2 THROUGH A TUYERE PLATE INCLINDED AT 1* TO 7* DOWNWARDS FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER END OF SAID ZONE TO FORM A FLUIDIZED BED OF SILICA SAND OVER SAID TUYERE PLATE, MAINTAINING SAID FLUIZED BED AT A TEMPERATURE FROM 300*C TO 700*C BY INTRODUCIING SAID GAS AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 700*C TO ABOUT 1,200*C INTO SAID FLUID BED REACTION ZONE THROUGH SAID TUYRENE PLATE AT 60 CM/SEC TO 150 CM/SEC, B. SIMULTANEOUSLY AND UNIFORMLY SPRAYING AN AQUEOUS SODIUM HYDROXIDE SOLUTION IN A RATIO OF SILICA SAND TO SODIUM HYDROXIDE OF 0.5 TO 6 MOLE RATIO OF SIO2/NA2O FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF THE REACTION ZONE INTO THE FLUIDIZED BED OF SILICA SAND; C. CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING SILICA INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID FLUIDIZED BED AND ONTO THE TOP SURFACE OF THE INCLINED TUYERE PLATE FROM SAID ONE END OF SAID ZONE AND REMOVING SAID GLASS-FORMING MATERIALS FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID FLUIDIZED BED FROM THE OTHER END OF SAID ZONE WHILE THE HOT GASES PASSING THROUGH THE FLUIDIZED BED FROM THE TUYERE PLATE AND ESCAPING FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID ZONE ATE PASSED THROUGH A COLLECTION ZONE AND THE GRAIN AND DUST IN THE ESCAPING GAS COLLECTED THEREIN; AND, D. RECYCLING BACK INTO SAID FLUIDIZED BED GRAIN AND DUST COLLECTED IN SAID COLLECTION ZONE.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PREPARING DUSTLESS GLASS-FORMING MATERIALS HAVING A SILICA CORE SURROUND E ED BY A SODIUM CARBONATE LAYER, WHICH COMPRISES: A. FLUIDIZING SILICA SAND HAVING LESS THAN 2 - 3 MM AVERAGE GRAIN SIZE IN A FLUID BED REACTION ZONE BY PASSING GAS CONTAINING FROM ABOUT 4% TO ABOUT 15% BY VOLUME CO2 THROUGH A TUYERE PLATE INCLINDED AT 1* TO 7* DOWNWARDS FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER END OF SAID ZONE TO FORM A FLUIDIZED BED OF SILICA SAND OVER SAID TUYERE PLATE, MAINTAINING SAID FLUIZED BED AT A TEMPERATURE FROM 300*C TO 700*C BY INTRODUCIING SAID GAS AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 700*C TO ABOUT 1,200*C INTO SAID FLUID BED REACTION ZONE THROUGH SAID TUYRENE PLATE AT 60 CM/SEC TO 150 CM/SEC, B. SIMULTANEOUSLY AND UNIFORMLY SPRAYING AN AQUEOUS SODIUM HYDROXIDE SOLUTION IN A RATIO OF SILICA SAND TO SODIUM HYDROXIDE OF 0.5 TO 6 MOLE RATIO OF SIO2/NA2O FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF THE REACTION ZONE INTO THE FLUIDIZED BED OF SILICA SAND; C. CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING SILICA INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID FLUIDIZED BED AND ONTO THE TOP SURFACE OF THE INCLINED TUYERE PLATE FROM SAID ONE END OF SAID ZONE AND REMOVING SAID GLASS-FORMING MATERIALS FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID FLUIDIZED BED FROM THE OTHER END OF SAID ZONE WHILE THE HOT GASES PASSING THROUGH THE FLUIDIZED BED FROM THE TUYERE PLATE AND ESCAPING FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID ZONE ATE PASSED THROUGH A COLLECTION ZONE AND THE GRAIN AND DUST IN THE ESCAPING GAS COLLECTED THEREIN; AND, D. RECYCLING BACK INTO SAID FLUIDIZED BED GRAIN AND DUST COLLECTED IN SAID COLLECTION ZONE.