1. AFGM Edsa Shangri-la MANILA SEPTEMBER 21, 2006
CONTAINER GLASS FEEDERS : RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CHOICE OF REFRACTORY MATERIALS
AFGM Edsa Shangri-la MANILA
SEPTEMBER 21, 2006

2. It is clearly understood that feeders play a crucial role in the quality of glass produced by the furnace.
Any defects generated in the feeder zones could well be found in the finished product, since the glass at this stage works at relatively low temperatures and has a low capacity to absorb any flaws.
In addition, market demands for quality are constantly on the increase. Defects and flaws which were acceptable in the recent past are now often cause for rejecting the glass. This jeopardizes both yield and profitability of glass production.
Regardless of the design used to channel the glass from the distributor to the machines,and to condition it thermally for forming,the
choice of the refractories in glass contact is increasingly important.

3. SAINT-GOBAIN SEFPRO
GLASS CONTACT PRODUCT RANGE

4. Product Range AZS
Brand name
ER 1681 RN
ZA 33
Type of product
Fused cast
Bonded
Chemical analysis %
Al2O3
ZrO2
50.9
32.5
75.5
10.5
Physical characteristics
Bulk density
Open porosity %
Expansion at 1000 °C (%)
3.5 2
0.9
3.0 16
0.7
Glass quality
Bubbling index 1100 °C-1h (0-10)
Stoning index °C- 36h (0-5)
AZS cat scratches
Corrosion resistance
(MGR – 72 h – 1350 °C)
1-2
0-1 +
100 80

5. Product range Alumina
Brand name
JARGAL M SCIMOS M
BPAL
ARKAL 60 PR
Type of product
Fused cast
Bonded
Chemical analysis %
Al2O3
ZrO2
95.0 -
93.0
68.0
Physical characteristics
Bulk density
Open porosity %
Expansion at 1000 °C (%)
3.17 3
0.75
3.10 14
0.80
2.57 15
0.52
Glass quality
Bubbling index 1100 °C-1h (0-10)
Stoning index 1250 °C-36h (0-5)
AZS cat scratches
Corrosion resistance
(MGR – 72 h – 1350 °C)
0-2
100
1-2
0-1 80
4-5
2-3 45

6. Out of these 5 types of products, which one is the best technico-economical candidate to be used as feeder channel blocks for containers?

7. Corrosion curves as a function of temperature ( PFT test )
in mm 12
ER 1681 9 6 3
JARGAL M
BPAL
ZA33
1200°
1300°
1350°
1400°
1500°
1600°
Temperatures in ° Celsius

8. These curves show clearly that, for feeder
applications, where temperatures commonly occur
between 1200°C and 1280°C, corrosion resistance
difference between BPAL/ZA33 and fused cast AZS or
Alumina is very low.
For campaigns 8 – 12 years, which is the usual lifetime in containers, no need to use fused cast channel blocks.

9. What about « CAT SCRATCHES »?
One of the types of flaws most often
encountered in container glass are flaws
known as « cat scratches ».
Market sensitivity to this flaw is constantly
growing, and the flaw affects not only white
and flint glass, but also colored glass.

10. CAT SCRATCHES : definition
Vitreous defect,
Band of fine parallel cords,
Located at the outside surface of the article,
Diameter between 5 and 30 µm.
Microprobe analysis are done on the cat scratches section

11. CAT SCRATCHES: refractory characteristics
Throat
Feeder
Working end
Melting / Refining
Decrease of the glass potential to dissolve defects
1350°C
1550°C
Corrosion rate or temperature
1200°C
Main characteristic
Corrosion
Defect formation potential

12. Based on several decades of experience in
expert appraisals of glass inclusions, the
research teams at Saint-Gobain SEFPRO
have developed highly precise typology of
these cat scratches.
In 85% of the cases, they are characterized
by the simultaneous presence of significant
amounts of zirconia and alumina.

13. Research into the ZrO2/Al2O3 ratio, and the
presence of certain elements which clearly show
a fusion origin (V2O5 for example in the case of
fuel-heated furnaces) have helped identify the
origin, which, in 80% to 90% of the cases, is the end
zone of the furnace : distributor and feeders.
This understanding has led many glassmakers to
reduce the use of Zircon-Mullite type materials as
much as possible, and generally speaking to
reduce the use of any material with significant
amounts of zirconia, in their feeders.

14. As a consequence of these results:
A good way to significantly decrease AZS cat-scratches is to remove ZrO2 from « cold-end »:
- Working end = JARGAL M / SCIMOS M
- Feeders = BPAL

15. BPAL channel blocks feasability
TO-DATE :
inside width : mm
60 ’’
bottom/walls thickness : 150 mm
6 ’’
lenght : mm
18 ’’
inside height : mm
12  ’’
Bigger sizes on request.

16. ABOUT 500 FEEDER LINES SINCE 1990
BPAL references
ABOUT 500 FEEDER LINES SINCE 1990
WORLDWIDE

17. BPAL

18. BPAL

19. BPAL

20. Baby-food/flint glass/8.5 years campaign
BPAL

21. Baby-food/flint glass/8.5 years campaign
BPAL

22. HPAL LAST DEVELOPMENT (2005-2006)
ON BONDED ALUMINA FEEDER CHANNEL BLOCKS
HPAL
Even better corrosion resistance vs BPAL +
Almost no blistering in contact
with extra-white soda-lime glass

23. New alumina product for feeder
SEFPRO
BPAL
HPAL
JARGAL M
Product
Sintered
Fused
Bulk density (gr/cm3)
3.1
3.2
3.17
Open Porosity (%) 14 17 3
Cold crushing strenght (Mpa)
190
160
200
Chemical analysis Al2O3 93 95
SiO2 6 2
0.5
Fe2O3
0.1
Corrosion resistance 1300°C - 170h
100
125
Brand Name

24. ABOUT BLISTERING Beside « cat scratches » , market can also be
sensitive to another type of flaw,
particulary for white glass: Blisters.
In the bonded Alumina range of products for
channel blocks one can find differences on
blistering, going more deeply in the
laboratory testing.

25. Blistering test “Le Pontet”
- 1100°C – 1h : immersed sample in the glass
- Scale : 0-1 (very low blistering)  10 (very high blistering)
1100°C – 1h, white / flint soda lime glass (Fe2O3 = 1000 ppm) :
No big differentiation
HPAL 2
JARGAL M 1
BPAL

26. New crucible blistering test
- 1250°C – 30h or more : glass inside crucible, like in the feeder.
- Scale : 10 (low blistering) 100 (high blistering).
- Closer to feeder running conditions (T°, air, …)
- More blistering differences than in “LP” test.
- Need more tests in order to have a large data base

27. New crucible blistering test
1250°C – 30h – white / flint soda lime glass :
More differentiation
JARGAL M
high Alumina product
BPAL
HPAL 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
100

28. New crucible blistering test
1250°C – 30h – extra-white soda lime glass (Fe2O3 < 300 ppm) :
JARGAL M
high Alumina product
BPAL
HPAL 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
100

29. HPAL First two orders to be delivered end 2006
New alumina product for feeder
1100 mm
HPAL
First two orders to be delivered end 2006

30. NEW PRODUCTS IN THE FIELD OF EXPENDABLES
Spouts with Zirchrom 85 inserts
ZA33 LB : Low seeding after starting up
ZA33HR : Higher thermal shock resistance
to prevent fracturation

31. SPOUT with ZIRCHROM 85 insert
ZA 33 (11 % ZrO2) or
ZIRAL 61 (19 % ZrO2)
Patented high chrome product (83,5 % Cr2O3) with better thermal shock resistance than any other
More than 3 times the life of monolithic spouts

32. Spouts with bonded chrome insert (ZIRCHROM 85)
Case story 1
- Cascade bowl ZA 33/ZIRCHROM 85 insert
- soda-lime glass CHR
- spout temperature : 1225° C
- average pull : 80/100 T pd
- average ring changes : every 8 weeks
- spout change : 8 hours, glass to glass
- Service life : 26 months (furnace repair)
- ZA33/F.C insert life (average) : about 12 months

33. Spouts with bonded chrome insert (ZIRCHROM 85)
Case story 2
Pre-heating procedure 6 h 6 h 6 h
Daily pull 50 tpd 40 tpd 15 tpd
Gob temperature °C 1180 °C 1280 °C
Glass flint flint flint
Average job changes/
Months
Service Life 20 to 26 months
ZA 33 mono service life 6 to 8 months

34. Reduction of Seeding after starting up and during production
Expendables : ZA33LB
Reduction of Seeding after starting up and during production
Target : table-ware / flaconnage :
- short runs
- critical problem : mainly with plungers « seeding » during 1 to 10 h or more after starting, whatever the supplier
production losses : 8 to 12 K EUR/hour (EUROPE)

35. Blistering test for expendables
Test conditions 1250°C, after 30h or with a record of the blistering during the test.
JARGAL M
Refractory sample
Glass

36. Blistering after 30 h
Test conditions : Extra White soda lime 1250°C – 30h
333
ZA33 LB
Index 4
333 : seeding during the starting hours (>30h within conditions of the present test)
ZA33 LB : Lower blistering, decreasing with time
Index 1
blisters

37. EXPENDABLES : new product ZA33 Tubes fracturation during production
worldwide problem with any type of tube from any supplier :
- breakage during heating-up
- breakage after 1,2,3 … weeks of production
- breakage frequency unpredictable
difficulties to differentiate products (333, ZIRAL 61, competition) with standard thermal shock tests (USA thermal shocks test)
a specific test has been developed by R & D in order to differentiate products

38. A new thermal shock testing method
Methodology
Our methodology is based on the study of the impact of the thermal shock on the mechanical properties of the materials.
Samples of the material are first submitted to one or multiple severe thermal shock (rapid heat up to the test temperature followed by a thermal quenching in cold water) and then mechanically characterized (typically flexural strength MOR).
The residual MOR of the material is compared to the original strength of the material, and a characteristic ratio is calculated :
TR (%) = ( MOR before quenching – MOR after quenching ) x 100
MOR before quenching
The lower the ratio, the better the material withstands thermal shocks.
Among a family of materials having the same crystallographic properties, the best material thermal shock wise is the one with the lowest MOR loss ratio and higher residual strength after quenching.
*MOR=Modulus of rupture

39. A new Thermal shock testing method
Equipment
Samples :
120 x 20 x 20 mm bars are sampled and dried in 110 °C
Procedure :
Samples are machined, 2 sets of 5 from same bloc
5 samples are loaded in the furnace preheated at the test temperature, and soaked for 20 mn
samples are removed from the furnace and immediately quenched in water
once cool, samples are dried in an oven
flexural modulus of rupture are measured at room temperature on both sets of samples
Cold Water box for quenching
Electrical furnace

40. New product ZA33
Whatever the quenching temperature is, the new product presents always lower MOR losses (and so a better thermal shock resistance).
*MOR=Modulus of Rupture

41. New product ZA33
This better thermal shock resistance remains available after 1, 2 or 3 shocks.

42. Standard
  THERMAL SHOCK 1250 °C- 20°C
New

43. Saint-Gobain SEFPRO - R & D
Saint-Gobain SEFPRO is permanently looking for high
perfomance refractories in partnerships with
customers thank’s to it’s strong R&D, dedicated to
glass industry.
Saint-Gobain SEFPRO has the largest Research
Center in the world specialising in refractories and
their interactions with different types of glass. 140
engineers and technicians in the R&D use the most
progressive, multidisciplinary technologies.

44. Thank you