A Changing World - Electricity For Glass Melting

In the past the relatively high operating costs of all-electric melting meant that its use was mainly restricted to special glass compositions such as borosilicate and lead crystal, that are liable to evaporation and surface depletion. In the container sector, electric boosting was mostly used to augment pull when it was not possible to increase furnace size. Recent energy cost developments and more stringent emission limits now mean that electric melting can be considered as a viable alternative, especially in Western Europe and the USA. This article puts the case for electric melting.