Process and apparatus for making improved glass micro fibers
a technology processing equipment, which is applied in the field of process and equipment for making micro fibers, can solve the problems of increasing fuel requirements, deteriorating quality of glass micro fibers, and deteriorating quality of glass micro fibers, and achieves the effect of improving fuel requirements, superiority and cost effectiveness
Inactive Publication Date: 2007-04-05
LYDALL INC
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Benefits of technology
[0014] As a result of the above discoveries, it was found that substantially pure oxygen could be introduced into the process. This avoids the equilibrium shift, discussed above, and energy loss by increased nitrogen and water vapor induced by additional ambient air but, at the same time, increases the oxygen content of the air to effect complete combustion. By this technique, combustion efficiencies rise, the proper temperature for uniform attenuation (fiberization) is reached, and excess heat loss is avoided in expelling excessive amounts of waste nitrogen and water vapor. Also, this maximizes the through-put of glass and, hence fibers, in the process, which increases the cost effectiveness of the process.
[0016] Further, this approach avoids the result of a “starving” amount of oxygen in the combustion mixture during the summer when additional ambient air is introduced into the combustion process, which results in excess and uncombusted fuel combusting downstream of the combustion chamber and the attenuation zone of the fiberizer, which causes an further unstable attenuation of the glass streams, as described above. The unstable attenuation can result in shortened and unwanted fibers, which, again, is apparent from the deteriorated paper produced from such fibers.
[0018] The present invention also provides a fiberizer apparatus for producing improved, superior and more cost effective glass micro fibers comprising a premix device for combining ambient air flowing from an ambient air inlet and fuel flowing from a fuel inlet, an oxygen analyzer for analyzing an oxygen content of the combined air and fuel in the premix device, an oxygen generator for generating oxygen and flowing the generated oxygen to the premix device, a controller for adjusting the flow of oxygen from the oxygen generator to the premix device in response to signals generated by the oxygen analyzer so as to provided the mixture with at least 22% by volume of oxygen, and a burner for combusting the mixture into a flame in a former tube device for drawing and attenuating primary filaments of molten glass into glass micro fibers.
Problems solved by technology
First, it was found that the quality of the glass micro fibers deteriorated with the seasonal variations of the ambient air inducted into the combustion burners.
Second, of the variables involved in the seasonal variations of ambient air, it was found that the variable most responsible for the deterioration of the quality of the glass micro fibers is the moisture content of the ambient air.
Like nitrogen, mentioned above, it was found that the humidity / water acts as a diluent, cooling the combustion process, and thus either increasing fuel requirements or reducing the efficiency of the fiberization process.
Method used
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[0021] The invention involves enriching ambient combustion air, or ambient air in an ambient air / fuel mixture, for use in a combustion process for fiberizing molten glass streams into glass micro fibers, to between 22 and 35 volumetric % oxygen, by adding substantially pure oxygen, e.g., at least 70% pure oxygen, to the air or air / fuel mixture. That introduction is, preferably by way of the special spargers, described more fully below, or other means. The important point is the introduction of the substantially pure oxygen into the combustion process to avoid production of inferior micro fibers, as described above, and, thus, provide improved, superior and more cost effective fibers.
[0022] The oxygen may be obtained from any desired source, but commercially available “packaged” systems are preferred, e.g., PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) or VSA (Vacuum Swing Adsorption) systems. This is because they may be placed near a conventional combustion chamber / fiberizer apparatus and easily...
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Abstract
A process is provided for producing improved, superior and more cost effective glass micro fibers, wherein molten glass in filament form is attenuated into glass micro fibers by gasses of a combusted mixture of air and fuel. The improvement comprises introducing into the mixture a gas stream containing at east 70% by volume of oxygen. This avoids problems in glass micro fiber production where the quality of the fibers varies from time to time, as demonstrated by the quality of paper produced therefrom. An apparatus for producing the fibers is also provided, as well as improved glass micro fibers and improved papers made therefrom.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention related to a process and apparatus for making micro fibers, and especially a process and apparatus that produces glass micro fibers of uniform and improved quality, with greater cost effectiveness. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] In making glass micro fibers, typically high temperature burners combust fuel to reach temperatures for melting glass and attenuating extruded streams of molten glass into glass micro fibers. The velocity of the combusted fuel gasses impinging on the streams of molten glass causes attenuation of the molten glass streams to produce the glass micro fibers. Most of the velocity of the gas stream is a result of the thermal expansion of the combustion gases due to the rapid rise in temperature inside the burner or combustion chamber. [0003] However, it is known that the quality of glass micro fibers varies from time to time, and that quality is most apparent in connection with the properties of papers made w...
Claims
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CPCY10T428/2933C03B37/065
InventorGROSS, STEPHEN EDWARD
OwnerLYDALL INC