How Glass is Made
Reef Glass Glass: is a transparent and inorganic material, similar in structure to liquids and equivalent in its hardness at normal temperature hardness of solid objects, and does not contain solid and liquid state of crystals and can not determine the degree of melting, because it switches from the solid-state to the liquid state through the stage of softness High viscosity. Glass is one of the most useful materials in the world.
The raw materials used in the manufacture of glass are divided into two main parts, which are the following: Sand or silica: Low impurity sand is used. A high percentage (up to 75% (SiO2) of silicon oxide in the extraction of silicon acid, which is the basic material for the glass industry. Sodium compounds, specifically sodium oxide, reduce melting and help form glass. Calcium and dolomite: Calcium oxide (CaO) helps harden glass. Borax: a substance containing sodium oxide (Na2O) and boron oxide (B2O3), which works to reduce the coefficient of glass expansion, and is characterized by the glass, which contains a large proportion of boron oxide that it does not break when exposed to sudden heat. Secondary materials: Secondary materials can be defined as materials that are added to glass to improve its quality such as coloring materials and fusion accelerators such as some oxides, such as lead oxide, titanium oxide, and barium oxide. How to make glass The process of making glass begins with the processing of raw materials in the form of powder or granules to be mixed with each other in specific proportions, and then the mixture is introduced into the oven at a very high temperature,
which causes the melting of sand so sodium carbonate is added to reduce the melting point, and the sand reacts With sodium carbonate to form sodium silicate which is known as (water glass) because it dissolves in water, so limestone is added to it to form a mixture of sodium silicate and calcium to become water-soluble, and in the meantime other chemicals may be added to the mixture such as chromium oxide For Arrive on a glass in green, or cobalt oxide to obtain a glass in blue, then cool the molten glass slowly until it reaches the stage of formation in the desired degree. This process is done either by blowing and manual formation by pouring the melt into the mold and blowing by mouth or blower, or by using automatic formation by molding the molding and blowing automatically, and during this process melting lose heat quickly, so the formation process must be done as soon as possible, and after the completion of the formation process Glass is cooled slowly and gradually to avoid cracking, cracking, and weak areas are formed due to sudden change in temperature, where the tools and glassware are placed in the cooling furnace at a temperature between 500 and 800 ° C until gradually cooled, then the glassware is removed from The oven is a thief The glass industry in ancient times began to discover the secrets of the manufacture and formation of glass in the foot by observing the impact of lightning falling on the sand, which led to smelting and the formation of long thin tubes called (flash), as they noted that the heat of volcanic eruptions led to Melting rocks and sand around lava to form glass known as volcanic glass, which was used to make knives, arrowheads, ornaments, and coins. In fact the time and place where the glass was first made was not determined, but the initial attempts are likely
The glass industry began before 3000 BC, and it is believed that the first glass vessels were made in 1600 BC in Egypt and Mesopotamia, and during the next 300 years the glass industry developed and succeeded with great success, but was soon neglected to flourish from New in 700 BC in Mesopotamia, and continued to flourish until it returned to Egypt in 500 BC, and the spread of the glass industry after that until the Levant and the countries surrounding the shores of the eastern Mediterranean. Several may distinguish it from many other industrial materials, recall of these characteristics as follows: Transparency: longer Glass is a material that is characterized by clear and homogeneous transparency, where infrared rays and light waves pass through to a limited extent. Dimmable and fracture: where the refractive index of glass ranges between 1.46 and 2.18. Toughness is defined as scratch or friction resistance, and although glass is a fragile and shattered body, it is able to resist scratching and friction factors. Chemical resistance: Glass can resist chemical solutions other than fluoride acid (HF) and alkaline fuses that easily dissolve glass. Water can affect the glass if exposed to it for a long time.
