Sharing our knowledge

"Energy Efficiency and Environment in the Processes" Programme

Improving existing processes or developing new ones are a part of what our research centre does. This is particularly the case in the context of Saint-Gobain's strategic programme entitled "Energy Efficiency and Environment in the Processes".

The Saint-Gobain "Energy Efficiency and Environment in the Processes" programme aims to reduce energy consumption and improve the environmental impact of its industrial processes.

Since its inception in 2006, our teams of researchers have worked on several specific developments: pre-heating of the glass raw materials and new technologies for the manufacture of rock wool and waste treatment.

The prospects for this project are many. It may, indeed, lead to new fusion techniques, better use of the energy produced in the cycle or the use of biomass as fuel. Pilot trials incorporating biomass into the furnaces have also been carried out.

On a daily basis, researchers from Saint-Gobain Recherche study the physical and chemical processes at work during the fusion of the glass batch, the glass flow, combustion and refining. For this they rely on all available techniques: laboratory experiments, digital simulation as well as trials on continuously operated pilot furnaces or, ultimately, through taking part in industrial trials.