Molybdenum News Center

How Cooling Water Jacket Prevent Glass Melting Electrode from Oxidation?

Molybdenum electrodes are widely used in melting furnaces for glass and glass fiber production, with the advantages of low energy consumption, long working life and high quality of finished products. 

Molybdenum material will not be corroded in the molten glass due to its high melting point and its reaction with glass solutions is too small to affect the color of finished glasses. Therefore, moly electrode is deeply loved with enterprises all over the world. 

However, the glass melting electrode has some defects despite of so many charming characteristics. The most important one to be noted is that molybdenum metal will oxide when the working temperature is higher than 400℃, and will start to produce MoO3 when the temperature is higher than 700℃. In order to avoid oxidation, electrode cooling water jacket is introduced that can enable glass melting safely and stably.

The cooling water jacket is an important device to protect the electrode from oxidation, and it is also the most problematic part of the electric melting furnace. Its front end is often at a temperature of about 1100°C, while the cold end outside the furnace is about 50°C. The glass liquid penetrates into the hole of the electrode to wrap the electrode to prevent the aluminum rod with high temperature from being oxidized. At the same time, the glass solidified in water freezes the electrode onto the electrode. It is difficult for electrode to be oxidized because its cold end is at temperature below 500 ℃.

In conclusion, the functions that the electrode cooling water jacket should play are as follows:

1. Able to fix the molybdenum electrode in the required place; 

2. Protecting the part of electrode that is not covered by molten glass from oxidation, and cool the temperature to below 400℃;

3. Preventing the inserted part of electrode from being damaged due to the high temperature and the electric current entering the molten glass prematurely during the heating process.

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