Plansee has launched a glass-melting electrode made of MoZrO2, which is, according to the company, extremely corrosion-resistant. Among many other applications, it offers superior properties in the manufacture of extremely aggressive glass, for example where antimony oxide is needed for refining. Doping molybdenum with small amounts of ZrO2 improves its properties considerably, thus offering higher corrosion resistance against molten glass, while increasing high-temperature strength. These new MoZrO2 glass melting electrodes are especially suitable for glass production in the solar industry. To achieve the desired properties, the glass is refined in the melting tank using antimony oxide, which can cause molybdenum electrodes to break rapidly. MoZrO2 can withstand these attacks much longer, preventing or significantly delaying breakage and electrode loss.
