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Technologies > Testing Services
Testing Services
GlassPack® Demonstration Unit
Minergy’s Vitrification Technology Center (VTC) in Winneconne, Wis., U.S.A., houses several Minergy vitrification technologies and was the location of the Lower Fox River pilot melt. The VTC is home to Minergy's GlassPack® Demonstration Unit, a commercial-scale system to fully demonstrate Minergy's smaller-scale vitrification technology. The unit was built so Minergy would have a facility dedicated to making commercial guarantees for various technology applications and materials, while demonstrating to prospective customers how their material responds to vitrification.
The GlassPack® Demonstration Unit can be configured to accept a wide variety of material and process conditions. The unit can simulate the Glass Furnace Technology without the expense of constructing a custom unit for a limited duration test of a particular material. The GlassPack® Demonstration Unit has been in service since March 2000, and is available for testing and customer demonstrations. The GlassPack® Demonstration Unit has successfully processed:
- Contaminated river sediments
- Biosolids
- Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) Milorganite
- New York, N.Y.
- Pensacola, Fla.
- Ocean County, N.J.
- Mt. Holly, N.J.
- Detroit, Mich.
- Louisville, Ky.
- North Shore Sanitary District (NSSD)
- Dry Distillers Grain and Solubles (DDGS)
- Corn Stover
- Wheat Midds
- Corn Bran (Pericarp)
Crucible Testing
Mineral components of wastes do not have definite melting points, but rather exhibit a viscosity that is dependent on temperature. High temperature viscosity, a measure of a liquid’s ability to flow (measured in poise), is an important property to understand when making glass. At a viscosity above 250 poise, the material is too thick to flow unassisted and should be avoided in a melter. A common metric, T250, is the temperature at which the material’s viscosity is 250 poise. Ideally the T250 should be less than 2,350 degrees fahrenheit in order to keep melter operating temperatures below 2,800 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mineral composition plays a significant role in determining a material’s high temperature viscosity. Minergy offers crucible testing services to verify that the mineral composition of the waste can be manipulated into the preferred operating temperature range. Included in these services are:
- Mineral composition
- Fuel characterization and variability evaluation
- Fluxing recommendations
- T250 confirmation
Minergy performs crucible melts in an oxy-fuel fired crucible furnace located at our Vitrification Technology Center in Winneconne, Wis., U.S.A. The crucible furnace has 0.23 m3 of internal volume, a heat input rating of 165,000 Btu/hr, and a maximum operating temperature of approximately 2,800 degrees Fahrenheit. Furnace temperatures are measured continuously with two separate type R thermocouples, and intermittently with an optical pyrometer. High temperature viscosity testing is typically performed in 2,000 cc fused silica crucibles. Viscosity will is determined by the resistance to stirring with a 6.5 mm (1/4 inch) diameter alumna oxide rod. Multiple silicone-based viscosity standards ranging from 10 to 250 poise are used as the laboratory reference.
Viscosity is recorded at 20-degree intervals and will continue until the material inside the crucible becomes too viscous to measure.
After the viscosity testing is completed, the material is heated back up and poured off into a quench tank. Glass aggregate produced is evaluated for physical characteristics perferred by our glass aggregate customers. Additional analytical testing, to determine beneficial reuse or other physical characteristics, can also be provided as necessary.
To view a two-and-a-half-minute video of the Passaic River Sediment Crucible Test, click here.
(NOTE: This is a large file; size: 20 mb).
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