Orton Thermal Instrument Unit

The GTF-MD furnace replaces the traditional platinum-alloy heating element with four molybdenum-disilicide elements. This design modification is said to reduce purchase cost by 35% and replacement costs of the element by 90%. The furnace is being developed with two fixed-profiles. One profile will yield a 10C/in. (20F/in.) gradient temperature over 12 inches and the other at 20C/in. (35F/in.) over the same span. The furnace can be used to study of densification, maturation, color development and to determine the liquidus temperature of glass per ASTM C-829.