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Glass and Energy CHRISTOPHER W. SINTON Alfred University Alfred, New York, United States 1. INTRODUCTION 1. 2. 3. 4. Introduction Types of Glass Introduction to Commercial Glass Manufacturing Energy Glossary container glass The largest glass sector; formed by a twostage process of initial forming by pressing followed by blowing to obtain the finished hollow shape. cullet Scrap or waste glass that is added to the batch materials. float glass Flat glass that is made by floating molten glass on a pool of molten tin. glass A material with a three-dimensional network of atoms that forms a solid lacking the long-range periodicity typical of crystalline materials. optical fibers Very high-purity silica glass fibers used to transmit light for telecommunications. oxy-fuel firing The replacement of the combustion air with oxygen in a glass furnace. recuperator A continuous heat exchanger that preheats combustion air with the heat from the exhaust gases. regenerator A stack of refractory material that absorbs the heat from exhaust gases. There are two regenerators in a regenerative furnace that are cycled over a specific time period. Glass is a material that enjoys widespread use in many commercial applications, including buildings, beverage containers, automobiles, and telecommunications. However, the manufacture of glass is a very energy-intensive undertaking and the industry is constantly working to reduce its energy consumption. This article describes the use and flow of energy in commercial glass production. In order to understand the relationship between energy and glass manufacturing, this articles first defines what glass is and then describes how it is produced. Encyclopedia of Energy, Volume 3. r 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. The atomic or molecular structure of solid materials can generally be found in two states: ordered and disorder