Process for producing glass in a rotary furnace

Claim 1

In a process for producing molten glass in a generally cylindrical continuously rotating chamber comprising the following steps: (a) feeding inorganic raw materials comprising (i) inorganic raw materials, which alone or in mixture with each other melt at a temperature of less than about 2500° F., in an amount of about 6 percent to about 45 percent by weight; (ii), inorganic raw materials, which alone or in mixture with each other melt at a temperature greater than about 2500° F. in an amount of about 55 percent to about 94 percent by weight; and (iii) silica, as a component of (ii), in an amount of at least about 50 percent by weight, percent by weight being based on the total weight of the inorganic raw materials, into the chamber; (b) providing a flame of high intensity heat produced by the combustion of fuel with a gas containing about 50 to about 100 percent by volume oxygen and directing the flame into the chamber in such a manner that the raw materials are melted; and (c) rotating said chamber at a sufficient speed and cooling the exterior of the chamber with a liquid coolant in such a manner that the inner surface of the chamber is coated with a layer of molten glass, the layer is solidified, and a solidified layer of glass is maintained throughout the process whereby the solidified layer essentially prevents impurities from the inner surface of the chamber from entering the melt, and (d) withdrawing molten glass, the improvement comprising heating the inorganic raw materials of (ii), including the silica, just prior to step (a) to a temperature im the range of about 500° F. to about 2500° F.