cold-top furnace
Quick Summary
The term "cold-top furnace" refers to a specific type of glass-melting furnace where the batch material is introduced from the top. In these furnaces, the melting process is vertically organized, meaning the batch remains solid at the top while molten glass flows from the bottom. This method is advantageous because it minimizes the emission of decomposition and vaporization products, and it can effectively melt batches containing fluorides with little to no toxic fluorine escape. This contrasts with traditional furnaces where the entire chamber is heated, potentially leading to more emissions.1
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