Current and future research goals in our laboratories include the study of the attack of glass-contact refractories and of crown refractories in glass tank melters, under either air-gas or oxyfuel conditions. There is an emphasis on evaluation and characterization of critical parameters of commercial refractories such as microstructure, porosity and mechanical properties. A second focus is the evaluation of the performance of refractory alternatives to traditional crown and superstructure refractories including their physical aspects, crown design, and joint quality.
Cathodoluminescence; corrosion; glass; refractories