How Is Glass Made?
Glass is a common household object. It is an amorphous noncrystalline solid that has several applications in our daily lives. Glass is transparent to visible light. This makes it ideal for windows. Also, many common household items like drinking glasses, bowls, and bottles are made of glass. In laboratories, flasks and test tubes are also made of glass. Perhaps the most common use of glass is in the creation of mirrors. High-quality glass fibers are used in fiber-optic technology. In this technology, information is transmitted from one place to another through internal reflection of light. Fiber-optic technology is today employed in a wide range of applications in basic communication incorporating telephone lines, etc. Also, glass is used for making optical devices such as microscopes, spectacles, sophisticated telescopes, etc. There are many ways to make glass. The method depends on the type of glass required.
Instructions:
- Fused quartz or fused silica is melted at around 2000°.
- An electrically heated furnace or a gas furnace is used for this purpose.
- The melted material will have a translucent or an opaque look.
- The opaque look is due to air bubbles trapped in the material.
Production of synthetic silica:
- It is a rich chemical precursor.
- It involves chemical gasification of silicon.
- The gas is oxidized to silicon dioxide and placed in thermal fusion.
- This results in silicon dust.
- The transparent glass obtained has high purity and excellent optical transmission properties when exposed to ultraviolet light.
- After this the coarse parts are sifted out of the powder.
- These are then mixed with silex and flux, and heated for 5 to 6 hours in the furnace.
- The material that is taken out is called frit.
- Frit can then be easily converted into glass by either pounding it in a melting pot.
- In this state different colors can be added, and the glass can be blown into different shapes and sizes.
- The powder form of fused silica also has many applications.
- It is used as filler for rubbers and plastics.
- It is also used in many coating adhesives, cements, and sealants.
