Process and apparatus for stabilizing the redox behaviour and water content of the melt

摘要

The invention relates to a process for stabilizing the redox behaviour and water content of glass melts in tank furnaces. In the feed zone of the melter, alternatively in the cullet feed zone, the magnitude of the water content, which is particularly variable there, and of the organic contamination are determined, it being possible to use neutron absorption for determining the hydrogen content in combination with microwave absorption for determining the total water content of the batch or cullet. The values for the water content together with the values for the hydrogen content allow conclusions to be drawn, by means of subtraction, on the approximate carbon content arising from organic impurities in the batch or cullet. Further processing of this information can be used for controlled addition of carbon and water in order to achieve a stable redox state and constant moisture levels, so that problems in the melting and shaping parts of production can be minimized.