Critical Review of the Provisional Specifications for Glass Refractory Materials

JSGT_1922_V06_T181-T204

About three years ago, the Provisional Specifications were prepared by a Committee of this Society which had the benefit of consultation with representative manufacturers of refractory materials for the glass industry nominated by the Employers' National Council for the Clay Industries. These specifications, it was hoped, would tend towards standardisation and uniformity in the production and use of the refractory materials dealt with. The provisional specifications referred to had, therefore, been prepared based upon a combination of existing scientific data with the best practical experience, and it was hoped, in view of the fact that failures due to unsatisfactory refractories were sufficiently numerous, that all manufacturers of refractories for use in connection with the glass industry would take such steps as would enable them to comply with the specifications framed, which, although admittedly somewhat severe, seemed to be necessary if Great Britain was to keep pace with the progress of an important and rapidly reviving industry, namely, the production of glassware. Astonishingly small use has, up to the present, been made of these specifications either by the refractory materials manufacturers or by the glass manufacturers, and it is pertinent to inquire why this is so. Are they adequate and if not, in what direction should they be amended. Possibly the neglect of them is due to a recognition of the fact that, at best, the provisional specifications were bound to be tentative, and a great deal of data bearing upon the points at issue had yet to be collected before really definite standard specifications could be prepared which would be acceptable and useful both to the users and the makers of glasshouse refractories.

W. J. Rees