GLASS

What is Glass ?

• Glass is an amorphous, hard, brittle, transparent or translucent, super-

cooled liquid, obtained by fusing a mixture of a number of metallic
silicates, most commonly Na, K,Ca”.
• It possesses no sharp melting point, crystalline structure and definite
formula.
• which is often transparent and has widespread practical, technological,
and decorative usage in things like window panes
• General Properties of glass
• 1. It absorbs, refracts or transmits light. It can be made transparent or
translucent.
• 2. It can take excellent polish.
• 3. It is an excellent electrical insulator.
• 4. It is strong and brittle.
• 5. It can be blown, drawn or pressed.
• 6. It is not affected by atmosphere.
• 7. It has excellent resistance to chemicals.
• 8. It is available in various beautiful colours.
• 9. With the advancement in technology, it is possible to make glass lighter
than cork or stronger than steel.
• 10. Glass panes can be cleaned easily.
 Sl.No Name of the Source of the element Name of the glass
Raw materials of glass element produced

1 Sodium (Na) Na2CO3,Na2SO4 Soft glass

2 Potassium (K) Potash, K2CO3,KNO3 Hard glass

Sodium
(Na), 14 3 Calcium (Ca) Lime, limestone Glass with high RI
Others, 2.7 Potassium
(K), 0.3 4 Barium (Ba) BaCO3 Glass with high RI
Calcium
(Ca), 9
5 Lead Litharge, red lead Flint glass

Silica, 70 6 Zinc Zinc Oxide Heat & Shock

Barium (Ba), proof glass
4
7 Borate Borax, boric acid Heat & shock
Sodium (Na) Potassium (K) Calcium (Ca)
proof glass
Barium (Ba) Silica Others
8 Silica Sand, quartz
Colors Ferric Salt
Yellow
Green Ferrous and chromium

Blue Cobalt salt

 Glass Manufacturing
Manufacturing of glass consists of following high level steps
1. Melting

a. Pot furnace
5
b. Tank furnace

2. Forming and shaping

3. Annealing

4. Finishing
 Melting
• Raw materials in proper proportions (sand, soda ash and lime stone ) are mixed and
finely powdered

• The homogenous mixture known as Batch is fused with some broken glass , called
“Cullet” in any of the two types of furnaces

• The homogeneous mixture is melted either in

a. Pot furnace or
b. Tank furnace

• The batch melts and fuses at 1800oC

 Melting: Pot furnace

 Two types of pots are used

a. Open crucible type pot C D A B

b. Closed covered type pot Hot Air

 Generally closed covered type pot is used

 Pot is placed in a circle around a central opening in its bottom Hot Gases

 Heated by burning producer gas and air

 Roof of the pot is constructed with refractory material which also reflects the heat
 Melting: Tank Furnace
 The “batch” is melted in the tank using producer gas and air Fuel gas and air being
heated by hot checker
work Burning fuel gas

 It follows “regenerative system of heat economy”

Molten gas

 Air and fuel is passes through A & B

A B C D
 The burnt gases are deflected by the roof and “batch” gets melted

 Hot waste gas escapes through firebricks C & D Air

gases
Fuel gas Fuel

The direction of the fuel gas & air is reversed through C & D ,
Figure showing tank furnace

which absorbs the heat of the waste gas and burns

The waste gas now escapes through A & B

Melting : Chemical reactions

• Cullet melts at relatively low temperature and assists in

melting of rest of the charge
• During the melting process following reactions occur
CaCO3 + SiO2 CaSiO3 + CO2

Na2CO3 + SiO2 Na2SiO3 + CO2

• The molten mass is heated till its free from air bubbles
• For colored gases desired pigment is added
• The molten mass is then cooled at about 800oC at later point
of time
 Forming & Shaping, Annealing and Finishing
 Molten gas is converted to desired shape by blowing or moulding or
pressing between rollers - “Forming and Shaping”
 Articles are then cooled gradually at room temperature. - “Annealing”
The longer the annealing period better the quality of glass
 After annealing, the articles are subjected to cleaning, polishing, cutting,
sand blasting etc., - “Finishing”
 Types of glasses
11. Safety glass
1. Soda-lime or soda glass
12. Acoustic glass
2. Potash lime or hard glass
13. Coloured glass
3. Lead glass or Flint glass
14. Special glass
4. Borosilicate glass or Pyrex glass or 15. Extra clear glass
Jena glass 16. Acid etched glass
5. Alumina silicate glass 17. Etched glass
18. Fire rated glass
6. Optical or Crookes glass
19. Mirror glass
7. Glass wool
20. Coated glass
8. Quartz glass 21. Pattern glass
9. Opal glass 22. Annealed glass
 Soda-lime (or) Soft glass
Raw Materials
• Silica
• CaCO3
• Soda ash
Properties
• Low cost
• Resistant to water
Composition • Attacked by acids
Na2O . CaO . 6SiO2
• Melts easily
• Moulded easily to any shape
• Poor thermal & chemical resistance

Uses
Window glasses, electric bulbs, bottles, jars, table
wares etc.,
 Potash-lime (or) Hard glass
Raw Materials
• Silica
• CaCO3
• K2CO3

Properties
• High Melting point
• Not attacked by acids, alkali and other solvents
• Costlier than soda-lime glass
Composition
Uses K2O . CaO . 6SiO2
Combustion tubes, chemical apparatus
 Lead glass (or) Flint glass
Raw Materials
• Silica
• Lead Oxide
• Potassium Oxide

Properties
• Bright, lustrous and possesses high specific gravity
Composition • Expensive to manufacture , than ordinary lime-soda glass
K2O . PbO . 6SiO2 • Lower softening temperature than soda-lime glass
• Higher refractive index and excellent electrical properties

Uses
• High quality table wares, neon sign tubings , optical lenses
• High dense glasses are used for windows to protect from X-rays
and gamma rays
 Pyrex-glass (or) Jena glass
Raw Materials
• Silica
• Small amount of alumina
• Some oxides

Properties
• Substitution of alkali (Na2O) and basic alkaline
earth oxides(CaO) of the soda glasses by boron
and aluminium oxides results in low thermal co-
efficient
• High softening point and excellent resistivity(shock
proof)
• High chemical resistance

Uses
Industrial pipeline for corrosive liquids, gauge glasses,
superior laboratory apparatus etc.,
 Alumino Silicate glass
Raw Materials
• 5 % more of alumina
• Addition of alumina makes glass heat resistant

Properties
• Exceptionally high softening temperature
• Chemically durable
• Resistance to hydrolysis
• Affected by moisture due to high surface area

Uses
• High pressure mercury discharge tubes, chemical
combustion tubes, specific domestic equipment's
• Fibre glass
 Optical, Quartz and Opal Glass
Optical glass Quartz glass Opal glass
Raw Material
• Phosphorous and lead silicate Raw Material • Raw Material
together with small amount of • Crystalline silica • NaF (or) CaF2 (or) Ca3(PO4)2
cerium oxide fused at 1900oC (or) SnO2

Properties Properties • Properties

• Low melting point • Outstanding 17
• Translucent white or milky
• Soft resistance to glasses
• Chemical-resistance thermal shock and • Transparent when in liquid
• Durability lesser than chemicals • Opaque when cooled
ordinary glasses Uses
• Absorbs UV light • Special lab-ware
• Crucibles
Uses • Reaction tubes
Optical lenses
 Glass wool
• Fibrous wool-like material, composed of intermingled
fine threads (or) filaments of glass
• Alkali free
• Glass filaments are obtained by forcing molten glass
through small orifices which measures about 0.0005 to
0.0007 mm in diameter
Properties
• Very good fire-proof and heat proof
• Very low electircal conductivity and thermal conductivity
• Resistance to water and most chemicals
• Tensile strength is 8X of steel
Uses
• Heat insulation purpose
• Electrical and sound insulation
• Filtration of corrosive liquids like acids
• Manufacturing fibre-glass, by blending with plastic resins
 FLAT GLASS

•There are 2 types of flat glass

1.The float
2. The printed glass
 FLOAT GLASS
Float glass is a transparent, colorless or colored glass, with uniform
thickness and homogeneous mass.
It is the ideal glass for application that demand perfect visibility.
Has high light transmission,double glazing.
It is used in automotive industry, of household appliances, civil
construction, furniture and decoration.
 PRINTED GLASS

• The printed glass is a translucent flat glass, colourless or coloured, which

receives the printing of a pattern (drawing) when is leaving the furnace.
• It is used in civil construction, household appliances, furniture and decoration.
 • SAFETY GLASS

• Produced from the float glass, aiming to reduce the risks in case of
accident and accidental break.
• The safety glasses are defined by ABNT as “those that, when broken,
produce fragments less susceptible to cause serious injuries”.

1. Tempered glass
2. Laminated glass
 TEMPERED GLASS

• The tempered glass is a float glass that receives a thermal treatment (it
is heated and cooled quickly), which makes it more rigid and resistant
to breakage.
• If it breaks it produces tips and edges less cutting, and it fragments in
small round pieces.
 • LAMINATED GLASS
• The laminated glass is composed by two glass plates intercalated by a plastic skin of
great resistance.
• The laminated glass is used as cover, facades, balconies, guardrail, doors, windows,
partitions, showcase, floorings and others.
• The laminated glass has other benefits, as the reduction of external noise entrance
(when compared to the common glasses) and the protection against UV (Ultraviolet)
rays.
 ACOUSTIC GLASS

• the acoustic glasses that impede the noise from passing from one environment to
the other.
• This sound comfort can be obtained through two solutions: acoustic laminated
glass and the double glass (or insulated).
1. Acoustic laminated glass
2. Double glass or insulated
 ACOUSTIC LAMINATED GLASS
• It is a glass laminated with a special PVB (acoustic)
• Because of this it works as an excellent acoustic insulator.
• It is an innovative product that ensures a powerful protection against noises.
 INSULATED GLASS
• It is the set of two glasses separated by an air or gas layer, conferring a reduction
in the sound propagation, in the entrance of heat and endless decorative
combinations.
• the double glass is present in our daily life, as for instance, in freezers and
refrigerators doors (with the thermal insulation function).
• The double glazing can be composed by any type of glass, improving the
thermal and acoustic performance.
• The double glazing can be composed by any type of glass, improving the thermal
and acoustic performance.
• Besides that, it can be equipped with internal blinds that give the set a
differentiated aesthetic effect.
2
8
 COLOURED GLASS

•There are two types of colored glasses:

1.painted
2. screen-printed.
 PAINTED GLASS
• Produced from a float glass, it receives in the production line a special painting,
which gives to it, besides the colored and shiny finishing, greater resistance.
• Its versatility makes it possible to use in furniture, residences, offices, hotels,
stores and museums.
 SCREEN PRINTED GLASS

• Screen-printed glasses are glasses one side of which is

covered with permanent decorative designs.
 SPECIAL GLASS

• With the technological advance in the creation of micro layers, several

special types of glasses have come up.
• Actually, theses glasses have layers of diverse type of materials, these
layers of microscopic dimension that offer several differentiated
characteristics to the glass.
1. Sun protection glass
2. Self-cleaning glass
3. Low reflection glass
4. Low-emissivity glass
 SUN PROTECTION GLASS
• Also known as reflective glass or solar control
• Being indicated for places where there is great incidence of solar rays, like facade
of buildings, windows, doors, balconies and cover, as it provides a better thermal
comfort.
• Function to reduce the entrance of heat inside the environment, besides producing
a control in the entrance of light for the interior of the buildings

•
 SELF CLEANING GLASS
• The self-cleaning glass is visual identical to the normal glasses.
• It ensures a clear vision in all the situations, even on rainy days; and the self-cleaning
layer is integrated to the glass and because of this has a high level of durability, and do
not wear out over the time.
• It shall be applied always in the external part of the buildings like facades, covers,
windows, doors, balconies and other in highly polluted areas

• .
 LOW REFLECTION GLASS

• It is an extra clear float glass

• Ideal for showcases, showrooms, museums, authorized dealers, displays and other
types of applications that need to avoid the discomfort of the light reflection in the
glass, which many times forces the person to create a shadow in front to observe
the object that is behind the glass.
 LOW EMISSIVITY GLASS

• It does not enables the heat exchange between the internal and external
environment.
• It has the appearance of a colourless float glass, reducing the entrance of heat or
cold.
• Used in the commercial refrigerating market and on civil construction, in
facades and covers.
 EXTRA CLEAR GLASS
• It is an extremely transparent glass, that is, without the green shade common to the
colourless glasses.
• This happens because in its composition there is one less concentration of iron
oxide.
• Used in civil construction, decoration and household appliances.
 ACID ETCHED GLASS
• They are glasses treated with acid and with whitish appearance.
• It offers several aesthetic options for architect and decorators.

3
8
 ETCHED GLASS

• It is a glass worked with jets of sand grains that mechanically attack the glass,
transforming it in translucent and slightly rough. It is used in furniture and
decoration.
 FIRE RATED GLASS

• The fire-rated glasses, without the metal mesh, are laminated glasses composed by
several intercalated plates with transparent chemical material that melts and dilates
in case of fire.
 ANNEALED GLASS

• It is common glass that tends to break into large, jagged shards.

• It is used in some end products and often in double-glazed windows.
• It is also the starting material used to produce more advanced products through
further processing such as laminating, toughening, coating, etc.
 MIRROR GLASS

• Mirrored glass is gaining a more prominent place in architecture, for

important functional reasons as well as for the aesthetic effect.
 PATTERN GLASS

• Patterned glass is flat glass whose surfaces display a regular

pattern.
• Patterned glass is mostly used in internal decoration and internal
architecture.
 COATED GLASS
• Surface coatings can be applied to glass to modify its appearance and give it
many of the advanced characteristics and functions available in today's flat
glass products, such as low maintenance, special
reflection/transmission/absorption properties, scratch resistance, corrosion
resistance, etc.
4
5