What is Glass?

 


Glass, whose primary material is sand, is one of the materials widely used in daily life for various functional purposes. Sand, used in the production of glass, is among the most abundant substances found in nature. The most significant and unique feature of glass is its transparency. So, what is glass? In the simplest terms, glass is the transparent material produced by processing a mixture of substances such as lime, sand, and soda through various procedures.

What is sandy glass? It refers to glass obtained by melting only sand, also known as pure silica glass. However, this material, produced solely from sand, tends to be highly fragile. Glass is used in various applications, including household windows, drinking glasses, and automobile windows, which are indispensable in everyday life.

What Materials Make Up Glass and How Is It Produced?

The production of glass requires careful attention and the proportional and accurate use of its component mixtures. What is glass made of? During its production, soda is added to the mixture of sand and lime to reduce the melting temperature and increase the durability of the glass. To prevent chemical degradation and resistance to water, minerals such as dolomite, limestone, and feldspar are also included in the mixture, which is referred to as the "batch."

How is glass made after forming the batch? Raw materials resembling glass fragments are added to this mixture, which is then melted in a furnace. When the batch is melted in a glass furnace at a temperature of 1500 °C, it transforms into a fluid, amber-colored material known as soda-lime glass. The molten glass is then cut appropriately and subjected to automatic blowing and pressing in machines. A double-blowing technique may also be applied. After blowing and pressing, the material undergoes molding to be shaped into bottles, glasses, jars, and similar products. These glass products are then cooled, subjected to meticulous quality checks, and defective items are identified and separated, completing the production process.

What Are the Types of Glass?

The following headings detail various types of glass:

  1. Soda-Lime Glass
    This is the earliest discovered type of glass. Approximately 90% of the glass produced globally consists of soda-lime glass. Soda-lime glass is obtained using CaO. Due to its ease of softening, it is inexpensive. Its low cost makes it widely used in many areas, with windows being its most common application.

  2. Borosilicate Glass
    This type of glass is created using SiO2 and boron oxides, which form a mesh-like structure. Borosilicate glasses feature a high softening point, making them highly resistant to temperature fluctuations.

  3. Lead or Crystal Glass
    Lead glass is obtained using PbO and has excellent workability. Glass containing 24% PbO is also referred to as crystal glass due to this property.

  4. Silica Glass
    With 96% silica content, this type of glass is notable for its high transparency. Its ability to transmit UV rays at high levels makes it a preferred material for manufacturing germicidal lamps and UV lamps. However, its high cost limits its use in everyday life.

  5. Aluminosilicate Glass
    This glass contains over 20% alumina, along with small amounts of boron, lime, magnesia, and minimal alkalis. It is challenging to melt and process. Due to its high softening point, it is used in manufacturing components that come into contact with flames, such as combustion tubes
    .

Comments