Method and facility for manufacturing cross-linked fiberglass material

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and facility for manufacturing a cross-linked fiberglass material, in which melted glass is produced in a melting furnace heated via combustion of a fuel with an oxygen-rich oxidant. The melted glass is converted into glass filaments, the filaments are bonded, a sheet is made from the bonded filaments, and the sheet is then cross-linked. The fumes from the melting furnace are used to preheat a combustion reagent in two steps: a first step in which air is heated via heat exchange with the fumes, and a second step in which the combustion reagent is preheated via heat exchange with the hot air. The air is then used in the cross-linking step of the method for converting the melted glass into a fiberglass material.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A plant comprising a glass melting furnace and a conversion unit for the conversion of molten glass into a glass fiber product, the melting furnace comprising a molten glass outlet, an outlet for flue gases and at least one burner for the combustion of a fuel with a rich oxidizer having an oxygen content of 80 vol % to 100 vol %, the conversion unit comprising: a bushing for the spinning of molten glass resulting from the melting furnace into at least one stream, said bushing being fluidically connected to the molten glass outlet of the furnace; an attenuation device for the attenuation of at least one stream resulting from the bushing into one or more filaments; a collector for the collecting of the filament or filaments resulting from the attenuation device; an adhesive applicator for the application of adhesive (binder) to the filament or filaments upstream of or after the collection; and a crosslinking chamber for the crosslinking of the adhesive-treated collected filament or filaments, 
       wherein:
 the plant further comprises a heat-exchange assembly for the heating of air by heat exchange with flue gases discharged from the furnace and for the preheating of a combustion reactant by heat exchange with the hot air, with preheated combustion reactant and moderated air being obtained; 
 the heat-exchange assembly is fluidically connected to a source of air, to the flue gas outlet of the furnace and to a source of a combustion reactant chosen between rich oxidizer and gaseous fuel; and 
 the heat-exchange assembly includes a preheated combustion reactant outlet fluidically connected to the burner of the melting furnace and also a moderated air outlet fluidically connected to the crosslinking chamber in order to promote the crosslinking of the adhesive-treated filament or filaments by contact with moderated air resulting from the heat-exchange assembly. 
 
     
     
         2 . The plant of  claim 1 , wherein the heat-exchange assembly comprises a primary exchanger for heat exchange between the flue gases discharged from the furnace and the air and a secondary exchanger for heat exchange between the heated air resulting from the primary exchanger and the combustion reactant. 
     
     
         3 . The plant of  claim 1 , wherein the collector comprises a conveyor for transporting the filament or filaments collected in the form of a glass fiber fleece toward the crosslinking chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The plant of  claim 3 , wherein the adhesive applicator is located upstream of the conveyor so as to make possible the application of adhesive to the filament or filaments before they are transported in the form of a fleece by the conveyor. 
     
     
         5 . The plant of  claim 1 , wherein the conveyor is gas permeable and in which the crosslinking chamber comprises one or more suction devices for sucking moderated air resulting from the heat-exchange assembly through the glass fiber fleece and the conveyor inside the crosslinking chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The plant of  claim 1 , comprising a shaping unit downstream of the crosslinking chamber for the production of acoustic insulation and/or thermal insulation and/or fire-protection products from the crosslinked fleece.