摘要 |
<p>The present invention provides a glass melting furnace, a process for producing molten glass, an apparatus for producing a glass product and a process for producing a glass product, which are capable of preventing deterioration of the quality of molten glass caused by deposition of particles floating in the furnace on a furnace wall. In the melting tank 12 of the present invention, a flue 16 is disposed substantially at the center of a ceiling wall 14, and around this flue 16, eight first heating units (combinations of inlets for glass material particles and heating means to form a gas phase zone to convert the glass material particles to liquid glass particles) 18, 18··· are disposed. Therefore, particles floating in the furnace (floating particles) 24, 24 ··· are suctioned by a suction power of the flue 16 and discharged out of the furnace without being directed to a surrounding furnace wall. Thus, by this melting tank 12, the deposition amount of floating particles 24, 24 ··· deposited on the furnace wall 44 is drastically reduced, and it is thereby possible to prevent damages to the furnace wall and deterioration of the quality of glass melt G caused by the deposition of the floating particles 24, 24 ··· on the furnace wall.</p> |