Use of alkali-containing secondary products in glass technology

Russian enterprises in the glass industry, including Western Siberia, are faced with a shortage of alkali-containing raw material, primarily soda ash, due to the fluctuating economy and the serious ecological situation. The use of alkali-containing secondary products from the manufacture of caprolactam and ethylene for partial or total replacement of soda in the production of special and sheet glass are reported. The concentration of colouring oxide impurities was determined by spectral analysis; the amount present should not affect the light transmission of the glass. TGA, DTA, and X-ray phase analysis showed that replacing soda ash with such products intensifies glass melting processes and produces glass of satisfactory quality. 2 refs.