Asahi Glass Co. has found a way to cut the fuel consumed in glass production by 50%. In a joint effort with partners including the National Institute for Materials Science, it has developed a techniqu…
Asahi Glass Co. has found a way to cut the fuel consumed in glass production by 50%. In a joint effort with partners including the National Institute for Materials Science, it has developed a technique to instantly melt raw materials using plasma at a temperature of 10,000 C. The largest glass manufacturer in Japan is now testing the technology at a facility in Yokohama to create mass production techniques within three years and start making glass using the method as early as 2013. The technique also cuts carbon dioxide emissions by half. In the plasma melting method, materials are in the furnace for only two to three hours.