The GMG Technology and Glass Recycling
GMG’s technology is a series of processes that allow glass manufacturers to produce items such as amber or green bottles using a high percentage of clean 3-mix cullet (C3MC™ cullet).
Dr. Richard Lehman, GMG’s Technical Director, examines C3MC™ cullet used to make amber beer bottles.
GMG’s technology facilitates increased glass recycling and improves the economics of glass recycling and glass manufacturing as follows:
C3MC™ Cullet
This cullet is a tested and certified post consumer glass cullet, processed at a cost well below the processing cost of single color cullet. Although no color separation is required to produce C3MC™ cullet, up to 60% of its flint component is typically sorted and sold as a single color flint product at a premium price. The remaining mixed color cullet requires no color separation or color blending.
C3MC™ cullet does not require color blending after cleaning. This historical requirement is eliminated when C3MC™ cullet is used in conjunction with GMG’s patented Batch Reformulation Software System (BRSS). This system provides real time color mass readout (i.e., chemistry readout) and, when necessary, prepares a modified batch formulation to correct the tank chemistry to the predetermined “product chemistry” and, therefore, product color.
Creation of a market for C3MC™ cullet leads to increased glass recycling by enabling the use of greater portion of the post-consumer glass stream. The reduced amount of processing needed to produce this product lowers costs for cullet processors and permits them to convert a larger portion of their processing stream to a saleable product. Increased availability of cullet in the form of C3MC™ cullet allows glass manufacturers to achieve substantial energy cost savings by replacing a greater proportion of virgin batch materials with cullet.
Batch Reformulation Software
This software package is compatible with existing hardware systems. The software’s algorithms allow for the instant recalculation of the batch raw material needed to compensate the batch for varying color percentages in the post consumer C3MC™ cullet. This batch adjustment occurs only rarely and is predicted several batches in advance of the adjustment batch.
The Colorization/Decolorization of Multicolored Post Consumer Glass Cullet Using One or More Decolorizers
GMG’s initial CulChrome ® patent establishes the all-encompassing basis of the GMG technology. It provides patent rights to GMG for any use of multicolor cullet (comprising two or more distinct cullet colors) when adjusted with one or more colorizers or decolorizers in the production of glass products.
Copper Oxide; Colorization/Decolorization Technology in the Production of Amber or “Dead Leaf” Green Glass
This GMG patented technology permits the management of chromium when the post consumer C3MC™ cullet contains a high percentage of green cullet (upwards of 20% of the batch on a tons glass produced basis (TGPB)). The technology allows for color compensation of such high green cullet content, even for the very difficult Anheuser-Busch amber formula.
Amber bottle comes off production line during GMG test melt which proved that high percentages of C3MC™ cullet could be used in the manufacture of amber glass containers.
