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Title: Enabling Tool for Innovative Glass Applications - Final Report

Abstract

The use of abrasive waterjet (AWJ) cutting systems in the industrial sector has been limited to applications that are difficult to machine using conventional methods. A major factor for this limited use is the high cost of the garnet abrasive currently used. Initial studies indicated that glass can be processed to produce particles with the desired characteristics at a fraction of the existing price of garnet. Inexpensive abrasive waterjet cutting systems would allow a wider array of glass products to be produced while eliminating many existing design limitations. Availability of low-cost abrasive waterjet cutting media would open new markets for glass applications by making glass a more versatile material. A fundamental goal of this project was to scale up and refine the circuit that was established in the initial phase of this project, which using waste glass as a feed stream, could economically produce glass particles displaying high angularity, sharp edges and a low aspect ratio which would prove suitable for use in abrasive waterjet (AWJ) cutting systems. Using commercial scale equipment, demonstration runs were conducted at various manufacturers facilities to further establish that waste glass is a viable source for the production of an inexpensive AWJ media for usemore » in cutting glass and a variety of other materials. The glass abrasive produced was used to demonstrate that processed waste glass could serve as a less costly alternative to garnet in many AWJ cutting applications. Studies indicated that glass can be processed to produce particles with the desired characteristics at less than 1% of the existing price of garnet. The waste stream resulting from the use of the glass abrasive in an AWJ system was in turn used as a source for inexpensive fillers in various polymers. The reduced energy requirements needed to produce glass abrasives and lower cost associated with the use of waste glass over garnet, as well as the environmental benefits associated with the recycling of glass waste streams were the primary objectives of this project. The use of the glass abrasive produced in this study did not result in feed rates as high as was expected when used as the media in the cutting of plate glass products. Furthermore, the process and equipment refinements that have been implemented at the PPG and Donnelly facilities since this project was initiated have also served to reduce their energy requirements and in turn the cost associated with the production of sidelites and foiled prisms using conventional means. In addition, further improvements would have to be realized in the cutting of these harder materials before the use of an AWJ system could be viewed as an economically viable means of establishing the perimeter of either product. The possibility of tempering to increase the hardness of the glass media may be one means of achieving this goal.« less

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, MI (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT) - (EE-20)
OSTI Identifier:
859907
DOE Contract Number:  
FG36-02GO12062
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; ABRASIVES; ASPECT RATIO; FILLERS; GARNETS; GLASS; HARDNESS; INDUSTRY; MANUFACTURERS; POLYMERS; PRICES; PRISMS; PRODUCTION; RECYCLING; TEMPERING; WASTES; glass

Citation Formats

Gillis, James M. Enabling Tool for Innovative Glass Applications - Final Report. United States: N. p., 2005. Web. doi:10.2172/859907.
Gillis, James M. Enabling Tool for Innovative Glass Applications - Final Report. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/859907
Gillis, James M. 2005. "Enabling Tool for Innovative Glass Applications - Final Report". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/859907. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/859907.
@article{osti_859907,
title = {Enabling Tool for Innovative Glass Applications - Final Report},
author = {Gillis, James M},
abstractNote = {The use of abrasive waterjet (AWJ) cutting systems in the industrial sector has been limited to applications that are difficult to machine using conventional methods. A major factor for this limited use is the high cost of the garnet abrasive currently used. Initial studies indicated that glass can be processed to produce particles with the desired characteristics at a fraction of the existing price of garnet. Inexpensive abrasive waterjet cutting systems would allow a wider array of glass products to be produced while eliminating many existing design limitations. Availability of low-cost abrasive waterjet cutting media would open new markets for glass applications by making glass a more versatile material. A fundamental goal of this project was to scale up and refine the circuit that was established in the initial phase of this project, which using waste glass as a feed stream, could economically produce glass particles displaying high angularity, sharp edges and a low aspect ratio which would prove suitable for use in abrasive waterjet (AWJ) cutting systems. Using commercial scale equipment, demonstration runs were conducted at various manufacturers facilities to further establish that waste glass is a viable source for the production of an inexpensive AWJ media for use in cutting glass and a variety of other materials. The glass abrasive produced was used to demonstrate that processed waste glass could serve as a less costly alternative to garnet in many AWJ cutting applications. Studies indicated that glass can be processed to produce particles with the desired characteristics at less than 1% of the existing price of garnet. The waste stream resulting from the use of the glass abrasive in an AWJ system was in turn used as a source for inexpensive fillers in various polymers. The reduced energy requirements needed to produce glass abrasives and lower cost associated with the use of waste glass over garnet, as well as the environmental benefits associated with the recycling of glass waste streams were the primary objectives of this project. The use of the glass abrasive produced in this study did not result in feed rates as high as was expected when used as the media in the cutting of plate glass products. Furthermore, the process and equipment refinements that have been implemented at the PPG and Donnelly facilities since this project was initiated have also served to reduce their energy requirements and in turn the cost associated with the production of sidelites and foiled prisms using conventional means. In addition, further improvements would have to be realized in the cutting of these harder materials before the use of an AWJ system could be viewed as an economically viable means of establishing the perimeter of either product. The possibility of tempering to increase the hardness of the glass media may be one means of achieving this goal.},
doi = {10.2172/859907},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/859907}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Nov 16 00:00:00 EST 2005},
month = {Wed Nov 16 00:00:00 EST 2005}
}