Method of recycling batches of mixed color cullet into amber, green, or flint glass with selected properties
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A method of creating recycled glass products of a particular color from raw materials including mixed color glass cullet, said mixed color glass cullet including at least two of green glass, amber glass, and flint glass, comprising the steps of:
- selecting virgin glass raw materials and determining percentages of selected components of said virgin glass raw materials;
determining percentages of at least said selected components of said mixed color glass cullet;
determining how much of said mixed color glass cullet is to be melted as a fraction of a recycled finished glass from which said recycled glass products are to be created;
specifying the percentage composition of said at least two of said amber, green, and flint glass in said mixed color glass cullet;
specifying, prior to melting of said mixed color glass cullet, transmission properties of said recycled glass products of said particular color;
calculating using said percentages and said percentage composition the desired glass coloring oxide agent levels and key glass color indicator parameters of glass of said particular color with said specified transmission properties;
calculating a composition of said recycled finished glass, said composition including said percentages of said raw materials, said mixed color glass cullet, and amounts of said glass coloring oxide agents suitable to adjust final glass coloring oxide agent levels to said desired glass coloring oxide agent levels for glass of said particular color with said specified transmission properties, whereby when said particular color is green, color contribution of said amber glass is adjusted, when said particular color is amber, color contribution of said green glass is adjusted, and when said particular color is flint, color contribution of said green and amber glass is adjusted; and
creating recycled glass products from said calculated composition.
2 Assignments
Litigations
1 Petition
Accused Products
Abstract
An automated method for recycling mixed colored cutlet glass (i.e., broken pieces of glass of mixed colors and types) into new glass products. A computer controlled process identifies the virgin glass raw materials, the desired target glass properties, the composition of a batch of mixed colored cullet, and the quantity of cullet to be used in the glass melt, and the computer controlled process automatically determines the proper amounts of raw materials to add to the batch of mixed colored cullet so that recycled glass is produced having the desired coloring oxides, redox agents, and glass structural oxides in the proper proportion. The recycled glass is then used to make glass products such as beer bottles.
66 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method of creating recycled glass products of a particular color from raw materials including mixed color glass cullet, said mixed color glass cullet including at least two of green glass, amber glass, and flint glass, comprising the steps of:
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selecting virgin glass raw materials and determining percentages of selected components of said virgin glass raw materials;
determining percentages of at least said selected components of said mixed color glass cullet;
determining how much of said mixed color glass cullet is to be melted as a fraction of a recycled finished glass from which said recycled glass products are to be created;
specifying the percentage composition of said at least two of said amber, green, and flint glass in said mixed color glass cullet;
specifying, prior to melting of said mixed color glass cullet, transmission properties of said recycled glass products of said particular color;
calculating using said percentages and said percentage composition the desired glass coloring oxide agent levels and key glass color indicator parameters of glass of said particular color with said specified transmission properties;
calculating a composition of said recycled finished glass, said composition including said percentages of said raw materials, said mixed color glass cullet, and amounts of said glass coloring oxide agents suitable to adjust final glass coloring oxide agent levels to said desired glass coloring oxide agent levels for glass of said particular color with said specified transmission properties, whereby when said particular color is green, color contribution of said amber glass is adjusted, when said particular color is amber, color contribution of said green glass is adjusted, and when said particular color is flint, color contribution of said green and amber glass is adjusted; and
creating recycled glass products from said calculated composition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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12. A method as in claim 11, wherein said particular color is amber, said components include compositions of flint, amber, and green cullets plus a predetermined number of conventional glass raw materials, and said composition constraints include concentrations of SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, and Na2O from the virgin glass, the concentrations of the coloring oxides of chrome, iron, sulfur, and copper, and a chemical oxygen demand value.
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13. A method as in claim 11, wherein said step of calculating the composition of said recycled finished glass comprises the additional step of selecting solutions of said linear equation which minimize costs of said components in said recycled finished glass.
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14. A method as in claim 11, wherein said step of calculating the composition of said recycled finished glass comprises the additional step of selecting solutions of said linear equation which minimize iron levels in said recycled finished glass.
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15. A method as in claim 1, comprising the additional step of printing said composition by weight percentages of said recycled finished glass for a predetermined amount of said finished glass products and a chemical composition of said recycled finished glass.
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16. A method as in claim 15, comprising the additional step of printing transmission properties of said finished glass products.
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17. A glass bottle including recycled mixed color cullet wherein said bottle is made in accordance with the process of claim 1.
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18. A glass bottle as in claim 17 wherein said bottle is amber in color and has a 550 nm transmission of 8-20% and a redness ratio of 1.2-3.0.
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19. A glass bottle as in claim 18, wherein said amber glass bottle has a 550 nm transmission of 12-15% and a redness ratio of 1.8-2.0.
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20. A glass bottle as in claim 18, wherein said amber glass bottle has a chromium level above trace chromium contamination levels.
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21. A glass bottle as in claim 20, wherein said amber glass bottle has a weight percent of chromium greater than 0.01%.
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22. A glass bottle as in claim 21, wherein said amber glass bottle has a weight percent of chromium of 0.01% to 0.3%.
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23. A glass bottle as in claim 22, wherein said amber glass bottle has a weight percent of chromium of 0.015% to 0.15%.
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24. A glass bottle as in claim 23, wherein said amber glass bottle has a weight percent of chromium of 0.015% to 0.10%.
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25. A glass bottle as in claim 24, wherein said amber glass bottle has a weight percent of chromium of 0.02% to 0.04%.
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26. In a method of creating recycled glass products of a particular color from raw materials including mixed color glass cullet, said mixed color glass cutlet including at least two of green glass, amber glass, and flint glass, including the steps of selecting virgin glass raw materials and determining percentages of selected components of said virgin glass raw materials, determining percentages of at least said selected components of said mixed color glass cullet, determining how much of said mixed color glass cullet is to be melted as a fraction of a recycled finished glass from which said recycled glass products are to be created, and specifying the percentage composition of said at least two of said amber, green, and flint glass in said mixed color glass cullet, wherein the improvement comprises the steps of:
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specifying, prior to melting of said mixed color glass cullet, transmission properties of said recycled glass products of said particular color;
calculating using said percentages and said percentage composition the desired glass coloring oxide agent levels and key glass color indicator parameters of glass of said particular color with said specified transmission properties;
calculating a composition of said recycled finished glass including said percentages of said raw materials, said mixed color glass cullet, and amounts of said glass coloring oxide agents suitable to adjust final glass coloring oxide agent levels to said desired glass coloring oxide agent levels for glass of said particular color with said specified transmission properties, whereby when said particular color is green, color contribution of said amber glass is adjusted, when said particular is amber, color contribution of said green glass is adjusted, and when said particular color is flint, color contribution of said green and amber glass is adjusted; and
creating recycled glass products from said calculated composition. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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28. A method of creating recycled glass products of an amber color from raw materials including mixed color glass cullet, said mixed color glass cullet including at least green glass and amber glass, including the steps of:
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selecting virgin glass raw materials and determining percentages of selected components of said virgin glass raw materials;
determining percentages of at least said selected components of said mixed color glass cutlet;
determining how much of said mixed color glass cutlet is to be melted as a fraction of a recycled finished glass from which said recycled glass products are to be created;
specifying the percentage composition of said amber and green glass in said mixed color glass cutlet;
specifying, prior to melting of said mixed color glass cullet, transmission properties of said amber recycled glass products;
calculating using said percentages and said percentage composition the desired glass coloring oxide agent levels and key glass color indicator parameters of amber glass with said specified transmission properties;
calculating a composition of said recycled finished glass including said percentages of said raw materials, said mixed color glass cullet, and amounts of said glass coloring oxide agents suitable to adjust final glass coloring oxide agent levels to said desired glass coloring oxide agent levels for amber glass with said specified transmission properties so as to adjust color contribution of said green glass; and
creating recycled glass products from said calculated composition. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. A method of creating recycled glass products of a green color from raw materials including mixed color glass cullet, said mixed color glass cutlet including at least green glass and amber glass, including the steps of:
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selecting virgin glass raw materials and determining percentages of selected components of said virgin glass raw materials;
determining percentages of at least said selected components of said mixed color glass cutlet;
determining how much of said mixed color glass cutlet is to be melted as a fraction of a recycled finished glass from which said recycled glass products are to be created;
specifying the percentage composition of said amber and green glass in said mixed color glass cullet;
specifying, prior to melting of said mixed color glass cullet, transmission properties of said green recycled glass products;
calculating using said percentages and said percentage composition the desired glass coloring oxide agent levels and key glass color indicator parameters of green glass with said specified transmission properties;
calculating a composition of said recycled finished glass including said percentages of said raw materials, said mixed color glass cullet, and amounts of said glass coloring oxide agents suitable to adjust final glass coloring oxide agent levels to said desired glass coloring oxide agent levels for green glass with said specified transmission properties so as to adjust color contribution of said amber glass; and
creating recycled glass products from said calculated composition. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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Specification