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SISECAM
and Research
Increasing pace of technology
and tough competition necessitate concentrated and continuous research
and development efforts towards future strategic technologies and products.
Sisecam has foreseen the competitive advantage in intenalizing and developing
the available best technologies, and started its R&D activities in
1976.
The R&D team of Sisecam
continuously seek for integration of contemporary technologies with new
investments and existing technologies located at the production facilities.
Work towards developing new products with superior performance is conducted
with a project organization approach at Sisecam's central and sectoral
R&D units.
The Central R&D team
concentrates on:
Process design and implementation
Troubleshooting
Development of new technologies
Design of new glass compositions
Modeling of the glass melting process
Analyses
Calibration of measuring and control equipment
Energy conservation
Design of environmentally safe operations
Information technologies and
Technology management.
Process Design and Implementation
Building its own furnaces,
Sisecam has a glass melting experience of 65 years. Sisecam not only utilizes
this experience in the design of new production lines, but also markets
furnace technologies to international glass manufacturers.
All aspects of glass process
design, including technology selection, experimental and modeling studies,
selection of materials and equipment, design of energy transfer, control
and batch systems, detailed design and monitoring of construction and transfer
to production are completely performed by the R&D engineering and glass
research teams.
Product Development
Architectural glass has
recently moved away from its classical meaning and acquired certain active
characteristics in the light and heat balance of buildings. We owe these
significant changes not only to the design of new glass compositions, but
also to the various types of coatings applied on glass surfaces.
Sisecam has chosen to develop its own coating technologies. Special laboratories
were established at the Glass Research Center of Sisecam for the
development and implementation of pyrolitic and sputter coatings on glass.
Other glass products are
also on the agenda of the Glass Research Center: Lighter, stronger glass
containers, glass bottles that protect their ingredients from the harmful
UV light, more interesting, environmentally safer glass compositions and
colors for tableware, new glass fiber -reinforcements for polymers, new
chemicals for the leather industry...
Troubleshooting
The experience of the R&D
team and the extensive analytical facilities of the Glass Research Center
are utilized for finding fast and effective solutions to production problems.
The Glass Research Center covers and area of 2700m2 and is equipped with
$5 million worth of state-of-the-art
analytical equipment.
The laboratories of the Glass Research Center are:
Analytical Chemistry
Calibration
Microanalysis
X-Ray Fluorescence
Mass Spectrometry
Physical Properties
Color and Spectrometry
Energy, and
Environment.
Glass Composition and Color
Design Achievable quality, productivity and product diversity in glass
manufacturing depend on the implementation of the right glass composition
for a particular glass property. The glass scientists at the Glass Research
Center optimize glass compositions by modifying the amount of various raw
materials and glass melting conditions, in order to fit the glass composition
to the melting, forming
and end product characteristics
needed. They also modify color, improve colorlessness, search for the feasibility
of using new raw materials for glass melting, look for better uses of recycled
glass, and guarantee a glass melting process devoid of glass defects.
Modeling
Today, physical and mathematical
modeling offers unlimited opportunities to glass technologists in furnace
design, product design and troubleshooting. Other than improving the productivity
and efficiency of existing glass tanks, modeling makes it possible
to implement design improvements faster and more reliable.
Analysis
The analytical facilities
of the Glass Research Center of Sisecam are fully utilized not only for
supporting the R&D projects, but also for the solution of production
problems. Chemical analysis and structural examination of inorganic materials
such as glass, ceramics, composites, metals, leather
chemicals and industrial
raw materials can be performed at these analytical laboratories. Precise,
accurate, reliable and rapid results and interpretations are obtained by
advanced equipment and internationally accepted analytical procedures.
The
analytical facilities at the Glass Research Center are:
Atomic Absorption Spectrometry
Inductively Coupled Plasma
Molecular Absorption Spectrophotometry
Differential Thermal Analysis - Thermal Gravimetry
X-Ray Diffraction
Infrared Spectrometry
X-Ray Fluorescence
Electron Microprobe
Optical Emission Spectrometry
Mass Spectrometry
Carbon-Sulphur Analysis
Wet Chemical Analyses
Measurement, Control and Calibration
A research team at the Glass
Research Center designs, develops and constructs special electronicdevices
needed for some research projects and production units, tests and calibrates
certainmeasurement equipment. The calibration of measurement equipment
is performed at the internationally accredited Calibration Laboratory.
Energy Conservation
The glass industry is heavily
energy-intensive and the efficient use and conservation of this valuableinput
is vital for the glass industry. Projects are undertaken jointly with the
production units to minimize energy use without sacrificing quality. Advanced
techniques such as thermography and analysis of the furnaceatmosphere are
employed to determine the energy-saving potential of glass manufacturing
lines.
Environment
Sisecam respects our natural
environment. Environmental issues are investigated with utmost care for
new investments, production and other processes. Ecological values are
saved both by studies concerned with release of wastes to the environment
and also by environmentally safe operations policy that ensures wise use
of rare natural resources like raw materials, energy and water. The Environment
Group at the Glass research Center perform environmental assessment studies
related with new investments, select appropriate waste management
systems, make emission measurements and waste water purification experiments.
Technologies and Computers
As computers become an inseparable
part of our corporate and manufacturing life, the information groups of
Sisecam continuously improve the hardware and software infrastructure for
a better environment of technical development in the Company.
Sisecam, software is developed
in the form of databases and CAD/CAM, office automation, Internet and networking
are widely applied, while necessary databases and client-server architecture
are built as their infrastructure.
Library
Being Turkey's richest library
in silicate chemistry, the Library of the Glass Research Center holds1200
books, 40 plus periodicals, as well as standards, patents and technical
documents. Sisecam scientists serve as managers and members of international
organisations of glass science and technology and represent Turkey on international
platforms. Sisecam's R&D Group organizes the traditional Glass Problems
Symposium, while in 1985 and 1996 this gathering was organized at the international
level.
Technology Management
Rapidly changing customer
expectations and rational changes in manufacturing technologies force companies
to be ready for change at all times. Technology today is an inseparable
part of competitive advantage.
Sisecam has adopted the process
of technology management into its development and growth strategies.
The development strategies are iterated in accordance with the manufacturing
groups, giving rise to a portfolio of technical projects which are managed
by a contemporary multi-disciplinary project approach.
Analytical Services by Glass
Research Center of Sisecam
For details and requests, please contact:
Cam Arastirma Merkezi, Davutpasa
Kisla Caddesi, Askeri Firin Sokak No. 1 34020 Topkapi,
Istanbul, Turkey,
Phone: 90 212 459 55 00
Fax: 90 212 459 55 10
Analytical Chemistry
1. Glass Analyses
Total traditional chemical analyses of glass composition
Component analyses by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry
(ICP-AES)
Analysis by Flame Atomic Emission Spectrometry
Coloring oxide analyses by extraction method
Antimony, arsenic and selenium analyses by mercury hydrate system
Component analyses by Molecular Absorption Spectrometry
2. Chemical Durability
Analyses
Resistance of glass particles in water at 98 and 121oC
Durability of internal surfaces of glass containers
Durability of flat glass surfaces
Alkali resistance test
Chemical analysis of the extracted components in the test solution
Durability of internal surfaces of glass containers in diluted acid at
121oC
3. Raw Material Analyses
Total chemical analyses by traditional methods
Sands
Clay, Kaolin, feldspars
Calcite and dolomite
Sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate
Lead oxide
Sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate
Sodium sulphate
Barium sulphate and barium carbonate
Fluorite
Borax, boric acid and colemanite
Chromite
Gypsum, pyrite, hematite
Antimony oxide and aluminum oxide
Zinc selenite and zinc oxide
Manganese oxide
Cobalt oxide
Copper oxide
Nickel oxide
Chemical oxygen demand in glass raw materials
Wet analysis in glass raw materials
Trace element analysis by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry
4. Analyses in Water
Sulphate
Silicon dioxide
Chloride, fluoride
Chemical oxygen demand
Hardness
Alkalinity
Acidity
Dissolved solid matter
Suspended solid matter
Oil and grease
pH
Mercury, iron, chromium, fluoride, vanadium, nitrite and nitrate by Molecular
Absorption
Spectrometry
Zinc, copper, barium, strontium, cobalt, cadmium, lithium, potassium, chromium+6,
calcium,magnesium, nickel, lead and aluminum by Flame Atomic Absorption
Spectrometry
Arsenic by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry Hydrate System
Calcium, magnesium, iron, sodium, potassium and sulphur by ICP-AES.
5. Other Analyses
chromium sulphate total chemical analysis
Organically reduced basic chromium sulphate total chemical analysis
Analysis of formic acid and oxalic acid in basic chromium sulphate
Sodium sulphate
Sodium bichromate
X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF)
1. Glass analysis
Borosilicate glass
Lead crystal glass
Soda-lime-silica glass
E-glass
2. Raw Material Analysis
Preparation melting test
samples
Sand
Felspathic sand
Calcite
Dolomite
Feldspar
Clay - Kaolin
Colemanite
Chromite
Loss on ignition
Special sample preparation
3. Semi-quantitative Analyses
4. Refractory Materials
Firebrick,
sillimanite
Magnesite,
chrome - magnesite
5. Particle Size
Distribution
of particle size
Wet sieve
analysis (complete)
Dry sieve
analysis (complete)
Glass Technology
1. Physical Properties
Softening point (ASTM 338)
Annealing and strain points (ASTM 336)
Crystallization temperature
High temperature viscosity
Thermal shock resistance
Determination of best annealing profile
Thermal treatment
Coefficient of thermal expansion (0-300oC)
Thermal expansion behavior (25-1000oC)
Thermal expansion mismatch between glasses
Density (ASTM-C 693)
Impact resistance
Fractography
High temperature electrical resistivity
Refractive index
2. Gaseous Inclusions
Bubble analysis
Seed count
Seed size measurement
3. Spectrophotometric
Color and Thermal Properties
UV region (200-300nm)
Trichromic coefficients and color parameters (400-700nm)
Light transmission - visible region (380-780nm)
Solar absorption (350-2500nm)
Solar reflectance (350-2500nm)
Light reflectance (380-780nm)
Shading coefficient
Solar factor
Color rendering index
Relative heat gain
U-value
4. Melting
Preparation of batch tables
Melting in platinum crucible
Batch free time
Melting in porcelain crucible
Bubble-free time
5. Project Work
Evaluation of foreign glass cullet
Improvement of refining
Solution of refining problems
Color and optical properties
Design of new color
Color problems
Evaluation of alternative coloring ingredients
Determination of optical performance of glasses
Color measurements and evaluation
Glass and batch composition design
Raw materials
Evaluation of new raw materials
Improvement of
physical, rheological, expansion properties,
crystallisation behavior,
refractive index,
mechanical durability and
thermal shock resistance
Microanalysis
Analysis, evaluation and
photomicrography by Electron Microprobe
Phase analysis by X-Ray Diffraction
Thermal analysis by DTA-TG
Metal analysis by Optical Emission Spectrometry
Carbon sulphur analysis in metals
Hardness of metals
Porosity and water absorption analysis in refractory materials
Thermal shock resistance in refractory materials
Optical microscopic analyses, photomicrography, mineralogical-petrographic
and metallographic evaluations
Measurement and Calibration
Calibration of
radiation, contact and optical pyrometers
Thermocouples
Calibrators
Pressure transmitter and manometers
Control devices
Pt-100
Thermometers
Oxygen analysis device
Furnace Applications
Measurements by:
Thermography
Suction pyrometers
Carry-over
Flow, pressure, temperature, power, oxygen and energy
Modeling
Modeling work on electric
and conventional furnaces in flat glass and container industries
Environment
SO2, NO, CO, O2 emissions
Particle emissions
Inorganic chloride emission
Inorganic fluoride emission
Soot
SO2, CO and dust imission
Waste water purification experiments
Preparation of composite sample from water
Preparation of Environmental Impact Assessment reports
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