Plansee has launched a glass-melting electrode made of MoZrO2, which is, it says, extremely corrosion-resistant. Among many other applications, it offers superior properties in the manufacture of extr…
Plansee has launched a glass-melting electrode made of MoZrO2, which is, it says, extremely corrosion-resistant. Among many other applications, it offers superior properties in the manufacture of extremely aggressive glass, for example in the solar industry, where antimony oxide is needed for refining. Doping molybdenum with small amounts of ZrO2 improves its properties considerably, offering higher corrosion resistance against molten glass, and increasing high-temperature strength. One important area of application for the new MoZrO2 glass melting electrodes is the glass production for the solar industry. To achieve the desired properties, the glass is refined in the melting tank using antimony oxide which can cause molybdenum electrodes to break rapidly. MoZrO2 can withstand these attacks much longer, preventing or significantly delaying breakage and electrode loss. In the SO4 refined glasses used in the container industry, the doped MoZrO2 glass-melting electrode shows much better corrosion resistance in white, brown and green glass. Laboratory tests showed that it can decrease the corrosion rate on molybdenum glass melting electrodes up to 40%.