GLASS INDUSTRY

GLASS INDUSTRY

Hydrogen for Glass Manufacturing

Float glass production and specialty glass manufacturing require hydrogen for reducing atmospheres in tin baths and thermal processing. On-site electrolysis provides reliable, cost-effective supply.

Membrane Cross-Section

PSU-TiO₂-GO
OH⁻OH⁻OH⁻PSU MatrixTiO₂GO SheetsPores350-410 μm

Reliable Reducing Atmosphere Supply

Float glass tin baths operate 24/7 and cannot tolerate hydrogen supply interruptions. On-site electrolysis with IONZERA membranes ensures continuous, demand-matched H2 generation.

Lower Per-Unit H2 Cost

IONZERA's 3x lower area resistance reduces the electricity cost of on-site hydrogen generation compared to less efficient electrolyser membranes.

Decarbonize Glass Production

Replacing delivered fossil-derived hydrogen with renewable-powered on-site electrolysis reduces the carbon footprint of glass manufacturing.

Hydrogen in Glass Production

The float glass process, which produces over 90% of the world's flat glass, requires a continuous supply of hydrogen for the reducing atmosphere in the tin bath. The H2/N2 atmosphere prevents oxidation of the molten tin on which the glass ribbon floats, ensuring optical quality and surface finish. Specialty glass applications including optical fibers, laboratory glassware, and display glass also use hydrogen in various thermal processing steps.

Glass plants typically consume moderate volumes of hydrogen continuously, making them well-suited to on-site electrolytic generation rather than intermittent delivered supply.

On-Site Electrolysis for Glass Plants

On-site alkaline electrolysis equipped with IONZERA membranes offers several advantages for glass manufacturers:

Continuous generation matches the 24/7 hydrogen demand of float glass tin baths without storage buffer requirements
Elimination of compressed hydrogen delivery logistics, reducing safety risks and operational complexity
Electrolytic hydrogen is free of carbon impurities that could contaminate reducing atmospheres and degrade glass quality
IONZERA's low area resistance minimizes the electricity cost of on-site generation, often beating the delivered price of industrial hydrogen

Nanocomposite Structure

PSU-TiO₂-GO
OH⁻OH⁻OH⁻PSU MatrixTiO₂GO SheetsPores350-410 μm
3x

Lower Resistance

20%

Thinner Profile

Supporting Glass Industry Decarbonization

The glass industry faces growing pressure to reduce its carbon footprint. While hydrogen volumes for reducing atmospheres are modest compared to the energy used in glass melting, switching from fossil-derived to green electrolytic hydrogen is a straightforward, near-term decarbonization step that glass manufacturers can take today.

G-Hexa provides IONZERA membranes to electrolyser suppliers serving the glass industry, with technical support for sizing systems to match specific glass plant hydrogen consumption profiles.

Area Resistance

3x LOWER
Area Specific Resistance ComparisonIONZERA0.09-0.1 Ω·cm²Zirfon0.30 Ω·cm²00.10.20.3 Ω·cm²~3x Lower

Thickness

20% THINNER
Membrane Thickness ComparisonIONZERA350-410 μmZirfon500 μm500 μm scale20-30%thinnerThinner membrane = More compact stacks= Higher power density
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