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Art glass is often produced by hand by blowing or pressing. Usually the objects are being formed by remelting already-formed glass and fusing different colors together to form new shapes like marbles, stained glass, glassware, or simply art.

There are four basic styles of art glass furnaces, and they vary widely in design and function. They may be used to melt raw batch, cullet, or both. Some will melt only clear glass, while others will melt colors.

  • The free-standing pot furnace is the most common furnace type. Many small studios use these furnaces because they are easy to construct, and the crucible is easy to replace if it breaks or wears out. GREENCAST®-94 F PLUS, MIZZOU® CASTABLE, and NARCON® MZA CASTABLE are good options for the free-standing pot furnaces.
  • Some studios prefer the invested crucible furnace design because the pot is much less prone to thermal shock. The backup material also allows the artist to keep working for a period of time after the pot has broken. GREENCAST®– 94 F PLUS, MIZZOU® CASTABLE, and NARCON® MZA CASTABLE products are good options for the invested crucible furnace design.
  • The day tank is used to melt and contain the molten glass without the use of a crucible. Usually “charged” (filled with batch or cullet) or “banked” (reduced in temperature, but glass is still molten) at night, the term “day tank” refers to the time that the furnace is actually used to produce glass. These types of furnaces require quality glass-contact materials like ZIRMUL® or KORUNDAL XD®. The superstructure may contain KX-99® or NIKE S65W as an upgrade for improved alkali resistance. The crown/gathering port crown/spacer calls for a material that is high in alkali and creep resistance. An andalusite product, such as VERSAFLOW® 57A PLUS, should work well. High-alumina materials, such as GREENCAST®-94 F PLUS, also have a proven track record in this application.
  • Continuous-melt furnaces are similar to the day tank, but due to the continuous flow of glass, slightly higher-quality materials are required, such as ZIRMUL® or VISION® in the glass-contact applications and NIKE S65W or VISTA® in the superstructure.

INSWOOL®, INSBOARD, GREENTHERM, and KAST-O-LITE® products are also very important to the construction of all types of furnaces.

Industry brochure: Refractory Solutions for Glass

Application brochure: Refractory Solutions for Art Glass

Products
Art Glass

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AZTECH DC A sintered alumina-zirconia-silica cast shape with 35% zirconia
CLIPPER® DP A super duty fireclay brick
CRYLA® XXL A large format, alumina-silica brick
GEM® A high alumina, fused mullite brick English
GEM® GC A fused mullite brick available in large format and complex shapes English
GREENCAST®-94 F PLUS A 94% alumina, low silica castable
GREENLITE® DC Insulating brick available in large format and complex shapes
GREENTHERM 23 LI A 2300°F rated insulating firebrick
GREENTHERM 25 LI A 2500°F rated insulating firebrick
GREENTHERM 26 LI A 2600°F rated insulating firebrick
GREENTHERM 28 LI A 2800°F rated insulating firebrick
GREENTHERM 30 LI A 3000°F rated insulating firebrick
GREFCON® 98 T A 98% alumina, low-cement, low-moisture castable
HORIZON DC A 35% zirconia, AZS Shape
INSBOARD 2800 HD A 2800°F High Density Vacuum-Formed Ceramic Fiber Board
INSBOARD 3000 A 3000°F High Alumina Vacuum-Formed Ceramic Fiber Board English
INSBOARD-S 2300°F Low Density Vacuumed-Formed Soluble Fiber Board English
INSWOOL ROPES and BRAIDS INSWOOL® ROUND BRAID
INSWOOL ROPES and BRAIDS INSWOOL® ROUND BRAID
INSWOOL ROPES and BRAIDS
INSWOOL® 3000 PAPER 3000°F High-purity Alumina-Silica Ceramic Fiber Paper - Organic
INSWOOL® 880 PAPER A 2600°F Alumina-Silica Ceramic Fiber Paper - Inorganic English
INSWOOL®-HP BLANKET A 2300°F rated, alumina silica ceramic fiber blanket
INSWOOL®-HP BULK 2300°F Alumina-Silica Ceramic Fiber Bulk
INSWOOL®-HTZ BLANKET A 2600°F rated, alumina silica zirconia ceramic fiber blanket
INSWOOL®-HTZ BULK 2600°F Alumina-Silica-Zirconia Ceramic Fiber Bulk
INSWOOL®-S PAPER A 2300°F Silica-Magnesia Soluble Fiber Paper English
JADE 50 DCX-G
JADE® 30 An alumina-chrome brick with 30% chrome
JADE® 30 DC An alumina-chrome shape with 30% chrome with thermal shock resistance available in large and complex shapes English
JADE® 50 DCX An alumina-chrome shape with 50% chrome with thermal shock resistance available in large and complex shapes
JADE® 52 XL An alumina-chrome brick with 52% chrome
JADE® 95 DC An alumina-chrome shape with 92% chrome with thermal shock resistance available in large and complex shapes
JADECAST® 30 A low-moisture, chromia-alumina castable
JADECAST® 50 A low-moisture, chromia-alumina castable
JADECAST® 95 A low-moisture, chromia-alumina castable
JADESHOT 50 A 50% chrome shotcrete material
KALA® A 50% alumina brick
KALA® HPC CHECKERS
KALA® HPC CHECKERS A 50% alumina brick
KORUNDAL XD
KORUNDAL XD.pdf
KORUNDAL XD® A 90% alumina, mullite bonded brick with low porosity
KX-99® A high fired, super duty fireclay brick
MIZZOU® CASTABLE PLUS A 3000°F rated high alumina castable
NARCON® MZA CASTABLE An alumina-zirconia-silica castable
NARMAG® 50 DBRG A magnesia chrome burned brick English
NARMAG® 95B A 95% magnesia, burned brick English
NARMAG® 98B A 98% magnesia, burned brick English
NARMAG® B A 97% magnesia, burned brick English
NARMAG® MORTAR HEAT SET A basic mortar English
NARMAG® VZ A magnesia zirconia burned brick English
NIKE 60 AR A 60% alumina, andalusite containing brick
NIKE S65W A High Alumina (65%)/Andalusite, High Purity Brick
NIKE S65W DC A 66% alumina, Sintered Mullite Brick Shape
NIKE S65W GC A high purity,66% alumina, mullite brick available in large format and complex shapes
NIKE S75 A High Alumina (75%)/Andalusite, High Purity Brick English
NIKE S75 HF A 74% Alumina, High Fired Mullite Brick English
RESERV 30
RESERV 50
RESERV® 30 (SERV RU) An alumina-chrome brick with 25% chrome
RESERV® 50 (RESERV) An alumina-chrome brick with 50% chrome
SERV® 16 An alumina-chrome brick with 16% chrome
SERV® 30 An alumina-chrome brick with 30% chrome
SERV® 30 DC An alumina-chrome brick with 30% chrome available in large format and complex shapes
SERV® 50 DCX A fired, alumina-chrome shape with 50% chrome available in large format and complex shapes
SERV® 52 XL An alumina-chrome brick with 50% chrome
SERV® 95 An alumina-chrome brick with 92% chrome
SERV® 95 DC An alumina-chrome brick with 92% chrome available in large format and complex shapes
SHAMROCK® 296 RAM A chemically-bonded chrome-alumina tamping mix
SHAMROCK® 30 RAM A chemically-bonded 30% chrome-alumina tamping mix
SHAMROCK® 391-TR MORTAR An alumina-chrome mortar English
SHAMROCK® 392 DRY MORTAR A dry, phosphate bonded, alumina-chrome mortar
SHAMROCK® 394 DRY MORTAR A dry, heat-setting, alumina-chrome mortar
SHOTKAST® FS A high-purity, fused-silica, shotcast castable
SHOTKAST® TAB A high purity alumina patch material English
SUPER NARMAG® B A 98% magnesia, burned brick
SUPER NARMAG® HF A magnesia, burned brick
TAMAX® A High-Alumina (70%)/High-Purity Mullite Brick English
TAMUL® A High-Alumina (68%)/Mullite Brick
TASIL® 301 TR MORTAR An air-setting, high alumina mortar
TASIL® 317 MORTAR A dry, air-setting, high alumina mortar
TAYCOR® 245-D RAM MIX A high-alumina ram mix
TAYCOR® 248 RAM A heat-setting, high-alumina ram mix English
TAYCOR® 342 DRY MORTAR A dry, 96% alumina mortar English
TAYCOR® 414-FH HYDROCAST A dense, high-alumina, fine-grained castable
TAYLOR ZIRCON® GC A zircon brick available in large format and complex shapes English
TIGER® AZS 33 VF A 33% zirconia, fused cast brick
TIGER® AZS 41 VF A 41% zirconia, fused cast brick
TIGER® Z88 A 88% zirconia, fused cast brick
TIGER® Z95 A 95% zirconia, fused cast brick English
TUFLINE® 98 DM A 98% alumina brick designed for thermal shock resistance English
TZ® 150 PATCH A zircon bearing patch
TZ® 351 DRY MORTAR A zircon mortar
TZ® 352 DRY MORTAR A zircon-based dry mortar English
TZ® 452 CASTABLE A corundum-resistant, zircon castable English
TZ® 452 DC A fired zircon shape
TZ® 717-W RAM MIX A zircon bearing ram mix English
TZ® 748 RAM MIX A zircon bearing, heat-setting, ram mix
TZB® A 66% zirconia brick
UFALA® XCR A 60% Alumina - Andalusite Brick Shape English
UFALA® XCR A 60% Alumina - Andalusite Brick Shape English
UFALA® XCR A 60% Alumina - Andalusite Brick Shape English
VEGA A type-A, super duty silica brick English
VEGABOND A dry, heat-setting, super duty silica mortar
VEGALITE A lightweight silica brick English
VERSAFLOW® 57A PLUS An andalusite containing, low-cement castable
VISION® A corrosion resistant alumina zirconia silica brick
VISION® TILE An alumina zirconia silica brick
VISTA® An alkali resistant alumina zirconia silica brick
VISTA® C An alumina zirconia silica cast shape English
ZIRMUL® An alumina zirconia silica brick
ZIRMUL® 160 PATCH An alumina-zirconia-silica patch
ZIRMUL® 362 MORTAR An alumina-zirconia-silica mortar
ZIRMUL® DC An alumina zirconia silica brick available in large format and complex shapes
ZIRMULCAST An alumina zirconia silica castable English
ZRX® An alumina zirconia silica brick English

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