Method of improving glass batch melting by use of water glass

Claim 1

In the preparation of a glass composition containing Na 2 O as an oxide constituent thereof, said composition being melted from a batch of glass making materials including sodium-containing batch materials which upon melting provide the said Na 2 O content of said composition, the improvement comprising, preparing an unreacted batch of glass making materials into which sodium silicate water solution is mixed as one of the sodium-containing materials thereof, the amount of sodium silicate water solution being such as to provide about 1-10% of the total Na 2 O content of said composition, said batch including the said sodium silicate water solution being prepared at ambient temperature so that the components thereof do not react or set up, including in said batch at least one other sodium-containing material in addition to said sodium silicate water solution, the other sodium-containing material being present in said batch in particulate solid form and providing about 90-99% of the total Na 2 O content of said composition, the batch being semi-wet through the inclusion of said water solution, gradually charging the thus prepared unreacted semi-wet batch to a continuous melting furnace after said sodium silicate water solution has been mixed into it but before it hardens, so that batch setup does not occur, melting the batch so formed in the furnace, and forming non-particulate bulk articles such as beverage containers from the molten glass, the percent pack of the finished articles exceeding that of similar articles having the same oxide analysis but made without use of any sodium silicate water solution.