Patent ID: 8650914

Claim:
A method of recycling glass mat ( 18 ) materials, comprising: a) providing a source ( 16 ) of glass mat ( 18 ), wherein the glass mat ( 18 ) is selected from the group consisting of nonwoven and woven materials; b) routing the glass mat ( 18 ) at a substantially consistent feed rate into a submerged combustion melter ( 2 ) through a slot ( 26 ) in the melter ( 2 ) and then directly into a well-mixed mass of molten glass ( 4 ) within the melter ( 2 ) and melting the glass mat ( 18 ), wherein the melting comprises at least one burner ( 8 ) directing combustion products into a melting zone under a level ( 6 ) of the well-mixed molten glass ( 4 ) in the zone, and wherein the routing comprises unwinding the glass mat ( 18 ) off of a roll ( 16 ) of glass mat using an unwind system ( 14 , 15 ) and a mechanism ( 24 ) selected from the group consisting of a pair of powered nip rolls, a nip compression conveyor, and opposed conveyors compressing the product.