ACT™ platinum coating of furnace blocks offers a highly cost effective method of extending the campaign lives of most types of glass furnaces.
Applying this highly protective platinum coating, often to just a single block (a throat block for example), can lead to a dramatic increase in the total furnace life.
Certain segments of the glass industry (highly corrosive and high quality glasses) have traditionally employed large platinum fabrications to protect the critical areas of their furnaces. Many of these producers are now enjoying the considerable cost savings that are achieved by switching to ACT™ coatings instead of fabricated parts.
In addition to the dramatic reduction in the amount of precious metal required, the ACT™ coating technique offers a number of technical advantages:
· The thickness of the coating can be tailored appropriately for the position on the block; high flow/wear areas can be thickened to enhance the protection.
· The coating is fully bonded to the block, there is no chance of sagging, and no welds or straps are required.
· The microstructure of the ACT™ coating inhibits grain growth and maintains the strength of the platinum over extended durations. (see separate technical bulletin)
The cost savings are significant enough that the investment is commercially viable for those segments of the glass industry that have previously never been able to justify platinum protection for the furnace (container and lighting for example).
A medium sized throat lintel block can be completely protected using as little as 4-6 kg of platinum ($80k – $120k). This investment is extremely small when compared with the cost benefit of extending the life of the furnace by even a single year.
Furthermore this platinum can be recovered at the end of the campaign and used for future coatings, which reduces the cost of future rebuilds even more.