Physics of glass manufacturing processes

After briefly describing some general features of continuous glass manufacturing processes, the article reviews advances in the theoretical understanding of these processes with particular emphasis on those aspects which involve an interaction between heat transfer and fluid flow. The following topics are included: radiation heat transfer in the large thicknesses of glass encountered in glass melting furnaces, heat transfer in glass fabrication processes, the flow of glass in glass melting furnaces, various fluid flow aspects of the float process and finally, the analysis of the thermal toughening process