Keele Research Repository

Failure mechanisms in AZS materials from the regenerators of two float glass furnaces are presented. Results of a post-mortem examination of materials are used to identify the physical and chemical changes during service. Methods used include bulk density and apparent porosity measurements, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), elemental dispersive analysis (EDA), x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and IR spectroscopy. Corrosion was found to be related to oxidising and reducing conditions and temperature. Chemical and physical differences between virgin and three different furnace materials are identified and used to propose a mechanism for corrosion in different zones of the glass furnace regenerator.