Process and apparatus for decontaminating glass cullet

摘要

The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for the processing contaminated glass cullet, or foreign cullet, into furnace-ready cullet. A furnace may also be used to melt the furnace-ready cullet into glass articles of manufacture. Foreign cullet is continuously fed into a tank containing a solution of sodium hydroxide. The sodium hydroxide reacts with metallic aluminum particles in the foreign cullet, dissolving small aluminum particles, and floating particulate contamination to the surface where it is skimmed and filtered. Crushed glass sufficiently free of metallic aluminum is removed from the tank by a drag chain running along the bottom of the tank producing a furnace-ready cullet. A crusher or pulverizer may be used prior to the treating tank, and a glass melting furnace and glass molding operation may be employed downstream from the treatment tank.