Effect of Injection Position on In-Flight Melting Behavior of Granular Alkali-Free Glass Raw Material in 12-Phase AC Arc Plasma

An innovative in-flight glass melting technology with a multi-phase AC arc plasma was developed to save energy and reduce emissions for the glass industry. The effect of the injection position on the in-flight melting behavior of granulated powders was investigated. Results show that the injection position has a strong effect on the melting behavior of alkali-free glass raw material. With the increase in injection distance, the vitrification, decomposition, and particle shrinkage of initial powders are improved. Longer injection distance causes much energy to transfer to particles due to a longer residence time of powder in the high temperature zone. The high vitrification and decomposition degrees indicate that the new in-flight melting technology with 12-phase AC arc can substantially reduce the melting and refining time for glass production.