Patent ID: 7185516

Claim:
A washwater recovery system for a glass forming line, said washwater recovery system being used to remove excess binder from equipment used in forming glass fibers, comprising: a first loop including: a washwater sump coupled to said equipment for collecting used washwater solution containing a washwater solution, excess binder, partially cured particles of said binder, and loose glass fibers from said equipment; a filtering apparatus coupled to said washwater sump for receiving used washwater solution therefrom, said filtering apparatus being operable to remove said partially cured particles of binder and said loose glass fibers from said used washwater solution to provide a reclaimed washwater; and a washwater tank fluidly coupled to said equipment to provide a quantity of said washwater solution thereto, said washwater tank receiving said reclaimed washwater from said filtering apparatus; and a second loop coupled to said washwater tank to draw said reclaimed washwater therefrom to create said washwater solution, including: at least one pH probe capable of measuring the pH of said washwater solution; a neutralization system electrically coupled to said at least one pH probe, said neutralization system including: a processor; and a holding tank having a quantity of base solution; and a binder recovery tank operable to recover said excess binder from said reclaimed washwater for use in said equipment thus creating said washwater solution, said washwater solution being returned to said washwater tank; wherein said processor can interpret an electrical signal from said at least one pH probe representing the pH of said washwater solution and direct a quantity of said base solution from said holding tank to said washwater tank when the pH of said washwater solution as interpreted by said processor is less than approximately 8.0.