Effect of aluminum-containing raw materials on the melting of borosilicate glass for fiber

Abstract Aluminum-containing raw materials for the synthesis of aluminum-borosilicate glasses for E-glass fiber should be rationally chosen to comprehensively assess their effect on the glass melting processes. The characteristic properties of the chemical, phase, and granulometric composition of the raw materials such as metallurgical alumina, non-metallurgical alumina, disthene, and kaolin were under study. It was revealed that the type of aluminum-containing raw materials significantly influenced the rate of glass formation processes and heat consumption required for these processes. The efficiency of aluminum-containing raw materials is influenced by the following factors: the phase composition, which determines the sequence and rate of phase transformations, as well as the heat-absorbing ability of the furnace batch and glass melt. The most energy-efficient material is non-metallurgical alumina of the White Alumina brand. Using it facilitates saving energy resources for glass formation processes from 2.64% to 16.30% as compared with other types of aluminum-containing raw materials. The use of kaolin proves to be the least efficient due to the additional energy consumption for the process of destruction of the crystal structure of kaolinite, the reduced thermal conductivity of the batch, and the thermal transparency of the borosilicate glass melt.