New developments in NOₓ control - The Pilkington "3R" process

Abstract

There is increasing pressure from the regulatory authorities to reduce the emissions of the nitrogen oxides from glass plants by a significant amount. Exploiting its own technology, Pilkington originally developed the "3R" process for reducing these NOₓ emissions to below 500 mg/m³ waste gas (≈1.5 kg/t glass) from its float glass furnaces. This process has now been demonstrated to be apphcable to other types of regenerative furnaces. The capital costs incurred in installing 3R are less than 10% of alternative processes, with operating costs also significantly reduced. Unlike some o f the alternatives, the Pilkington process requires no fundamental changes in furnace design or operation and is the most effective technology to meet the most demanding NOₓ legislation