PPG to manufacture STARPHIRE glass using oxy-fuel furnace in Fresno

Kenny, PPG director of marketing, flat glass, said West Coast production of Starphire glass will yield two significant environmental and supply chain benefits. First, it will enable PPG customers purchasing the most transparent and highly transmissive ultra-low-iron glasses available to get products made using the most environmentally-advanced float glass furnace technology.

PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG) will manufacture STARPHIRE® ultra-clear glass using oxy-fuel furnace technology at its Fresno, California, float glass plant. The technology employs oxygen instead of air to help combust raw materials used in the manufacture of float glass, reducing natural gas consumption by 15 percent, carbon emissions by 10 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions by more than 50 percent compared to conventional air-fired glass furnaces. Introduced in 1990, STARPHIRE glass is the industry’s clearest, most transparent commercially available architectural glass.

The picture above shows the clarity of STARPHIRE® glass compared to conventional clear glass, which has a slight green tint. The Fresno plant will produce Starphire glass in thicknesses of 3 to 12 millimeters. To learn more about STARPHIRE ultra-clear glass, visit www.ppgideascapes.com or call 888-PPG-IDEA (774-4332).

The California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, above, was constructed with STARPHIRE® glass, which was selected for its ability to transmit high levels of sunlight. To learn more about STARPHIRE ultra-clear glass, visit www.ppgideascapes.com or call 888-PPG-IDEA (774-4332).

“As far as we know, Starphire glass will be the only ultra-low-iron glass in the world manufactured on an oxy-fuel float glass line,” Kenny said. “That will make this already CRADLE TO CRADLE CERTIFIED(CM) product even more attractive to architects and product designers who want to use the most sustainable products available.”

Second, adding production in Fresno will create a more local and reliable supply of Starphire glass for architects, fabricators and independent glass shops in the western U.S. “By producing Starphire glass in California, we will dramatically reduce the potential for transportation-related supply disruptions for West Coast customers, and we may enable projects within 500 miles of Fresno to incorporate Starphire glass and be considered for LEED® regional materials credit,” Kenny said. “That will give our current and potential customers even greater incentive to take advantage of the performance benefits this extraordinary product offers.”

Starphire glass was formerly manufactured only at PPG’s central Pennsylvania plant.

PPG’s Fresno plant is one of only six flat glass production facilities in the world to incorporate oxy-fuel furnace technology, which employs oxygen instead of air to help combust raw materials used in the manufacture of float glass. Oxygen-fired glass furnaces consume 15 percent less natural gas than conventional air-fired furnaces while reducing carbon emissions by 10 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions by more than 50 percent.

Starphire glass, introduced in 1990 as the industry’s first ultra-clear, low-iron glass, is ideal for architectural and interior design applications such as storefronts, tabletops, display cases and interior doors because of its clarity, color transmission and jewel-like blue edge. As a result of its ultra-low-iron content and proprietary PPG formulation, Starphire glass retains its clarity even when manufactured in heavier thicknesses, unlike conventional clear glass, which  becomes progressively greener and darker as thickness increases.

For architectural vision glass applications, Starphire glass can be combined in insulating glass units (IGUs) with low-emissivity products such as SOLARBAN® 72 glass and Solarban 60 glass to maximize visible light transmittance (VLT) and environmental performance. For example, Solarban 72 glass has a light-to-solar-gain ratio of 2.37, among the highest available in the world today.

The Fresno plant will produce Starphire glass in thicknesses of 3 to 12 millimeters, which will be available by mid-summer.

To learn more about Starphire ultra-clear glass, visit www.ppgideascapes.com or call 888-PPG-IDEA (774-4332).

PPG: BRINGING INNOVATION TO THE SURFACE.™

PPG Industries' vision is to continue to be the world’s leading coatings and specialty materials company. Through leadership in innovation, sustainability and color, PPG helps customers in industrial, transportation, consumer products, and construction markets and aftermarkets to enhance more surfaces in more ways than does any other company. Founded in 1883, PPG has global headquarters in Pittsburgh and operates in nearly 70 countries around the world. Net sales in 2013 were $15.1 billion. PPG shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol:PPG). For more information, visit www.ppg.com and follow @PPGIndustries on Twitter.

 

Bringing innovation to the surface is a trademark and Solarban and Starphire are registered trademarks of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.

LEED – an acronym for the phrase “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” – is a registered trademark of the U.S. Green Building Council.

Cradle to Cradle Certified is a certification mark licensed by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.