Method of making glass including surface treatment with aluminum chloride at or just prior to annealing lehr
This invention relates to a method of making glass. In certain example embodiments, a major surface(s) of the glass is treated with aluminum chloride (e.g., AlCl 3 ) at or just prior to the annealing lehr. The aluminum chloride treatment at or just prior to the annealing lehr, in either a float or patterned line glass making process, is advantageous in that it allows the treatment to be performed at a desirable glass temperature and permits exhaust functions in or proximate the annealing lehr to remove byproducts of the treatment in an efficient manner.
1 . A method of making soda-lime-silica based glass comprising a base glass portion that includes:
Ingredient
wt. %
SiO 2
67–75%
Na 2 O
10–20%
CaO
5–15%
Al 2 O 3
0–7%
K 2 O
0–7%
the method comprising:
providing glass raw materials in a furnace to form a glass melt;
pouring the glass melt onto a tin bath in order to form a glass strip;
forwarding the glass strip to an annealing lehr where the glass strip is annealed; and
treating at least one major surface of the glass strip with AlCl 3 , at or just prior to the annealing lehr, when the glass strip is at a temperature(s) of from about 540 degrees C. to 850 degrees C.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said treating comprises applying a mixture of AlCl 3 and at least one solvent to the surface of the glass strip, wherein a weight ratio of solvent:AlCl 3 in the mixture is from about 1:8 to 1:40.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said treating comprises applying a mixture of AlCl 3 and at least one solvent to the surface of the glass strip, wherein a weight ratio of solvent:AlCl 3 in the mixture is from about 1:10 to 1:20.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said treating comprises applying a mixture of AlCl 3 and at least one solvent to the surface of the glass strip, wherein the mixture is from about 1-25% AlCl 3 .
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said treating comprises applying a mixture of AlCl 3 and at least one solvent to the surface of the glass strip, wherein the mixture is from about 2-20% AlCl 3 .
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said treating comprises applying a mixture of AlCl 3 and at least one solvent to the surface of the glass strip, wherein the mixture is from about 3-15% AlCl 3 .
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said treating comprises applying a mixture of AlCl 3 and at least one solvent to the surface of the glass strip, wherein the mixture is from about 5-10% AlCl 3 .
8 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the solvent comprises methanol.
9 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the solvent comprises one or more of methanol, ethanol, and isopropyl alcohol.
10 . A method of making soda-lime-silica based glass, the method comprising:
providing glass raw materials in a furnace to form a glass melt;
forwarding a glass strip formed from the melt to an annealing lehr where the glass strip is annealed; and
treating at least one major surface of the glass strip with aluminum chloride, at or just prior to the annealing lehr, when the glass strip is at a temperature(s) of from about 540 degrees C. to 850 degrees C.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein said treating comprises applying a mixture of aluminum chloride and at least one solvent to the surface of the glass strip, wherein a weight ratio of solvent to aluminum chloride in the mixture is from about 1:8 to 1:40.
12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein said treating comprises applying a mixture of aluminum chloride and at least one solvent to the surface of the glass strip, wherein a weight ratio of solvent to aluminum chloride in the mixture is from about 1:10 to 1:20.
13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein said treating comprises applying a mixture of AlCl 3 and at least one solvent to the surface of the glass strip, wherein the mixture is from about 1-25% AlCl 3 .
14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein said treating comprises applying a mixture of AlCl 3 and at least one solvent to the surface of the glass strip, wherein the mixture is from about 2-20% AlCl 3 .
15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein said treating comprises applying a mixture of AlCl 3 and at least one solvent to the surface of the glass strip, wherein the mixture is from about 3-15% AlCl 3 .
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said treating comprises applying a mixture of aluminum chloride and at least one solvent to the surface of the glass strip, wherein the mixture is from about 5-10% aluminum chloride.
17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the solvent comprises methanol.
18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the solvent comprises one or more of methanol, ethanol, and isopropyl alcohol.
19 . An apparatus for making soda-lime-silica based glass, the apparatus comprising:
a furnace into which glass raw materials are introduced to form a glass melt;
an annealing lehr where a glass strip formed from the glass melt is annealed; and
means for treating at least one major surface of the glass strip with aluminum chloride, at or just prior to the annealing lehr, when the glass strip is at a temperature(s) of from about 540 degrees C. to 850 degrees C.
20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the means for treating is at least partially located in the annealing lehr.
21 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the means for treating is at least partially located just upstream of the annealing lehr.
22 . The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising a tin bath upstream of the annealing lehr.