Metas para pesquisas em andamento e futuras em nosso laboratório incluem o estudo de ataque químico em refratários em contacto com vidro, bem como os refratários da abóbada de tanques de fusão de vidro sob condições de queima gas/ar ou óleo/oxigênio. Ênfase em avaliação e caracterização de parâmetros críticos serão considerados em refratários comerciais, tais como microestrutura, porosidade e propriedades mecânicas. Um segundo foco é a avaliação do desempenho de refratários alternativos às abóbodas tradicionais e refratários de superestruturas, incluindo seus aspectos físicos, desenho de abóboda e qualidade de juntas.

Current and future research goals in our laboratories include the study of the attack of glass-contact refractories and of crown refractories in glass tank melters, under either air-gas or oxyfuel conditions. There is an emphasis on evaluation and characterization of critical parameters of commercial refractories such as microstructure, porosity and mechanical properties. A second focus is the evaluation of the performance of refractory alternatives to traditional crown and superstructure refractories including their physical aspects, crown design, and joint quality.

The degradation of refractories used in the construction of glass melting furnaces, whether caused by the action of molten glass, vaporized melt constituents, products of fuel combustion, or by batch dusts and vapors, can normally only be assessed after a campaign when the furnace is partially or completely disassembled. Corrosion tests to predict degradation usually employs small specimens exposed to accelerated working conditions which might not be simulative. The current testing procedures are discussed in terms of advantages/disadvantages. Three different tests seem to be needed to simulate the critical processes occurring in glass tank melters: flux-line corrosion, throat corrosion and crown corrosion. A pilot-size laboratory testing facility is being built for simulating corrosion attack under different conditions.