To obtain ordinary window glass is used. How is glass made? How glasses and lemonade bottles are made from it

  • It takes millions of years for glass to decompose.
  • Glass is recycled without loss of quality.
  • The thickest glass in the world is the 26 cm screen of the Sydney Aquarium.

What is glass made from?


To make glass, craftsmen take: quartz sand (the main component); lime; soda;

First, quartz sand, soda and lime are heated in a special furnace to a temperature of 1700 degrees above zero. The grains of sand are interconnected, after they are homogenized (turns into a homogeneous substance), the gas is removed. The mass is "dipped" into molten tin with a temperature above 1000 degrees, which floats on the surface due to its lower density. The thinner the mass entering the tin bath, the thinner the glass will be at the exit.

Related materials:

Why are glass and ice transparent?

Interesting Facts:

  • The most expensive glass in the world is Murano glass. Products from it cost millions of dollars. Since ancient times, Venice has been famous for the production of high-quality glass. It is authentically known that in the 13th century the government of the state transferred production to the large island of Murano, and the craftsmen were strictly forbidden to leave it. Punishment is a death sentence. In addition, for tourists or other residents of Venice, the entrance to the island was also closed. Such strict measures made it possible to keep the secret of production.
  • One of the most interesting mental illness The Middle Ages is the "glass disease". A person with such a disorder thought that he was made of glass, and was afraid to break. Suffered from such a disease french king Charles VI. The monarch always wore several layers of clothing and forbade anyone to touch himself.

What is glass made from?

  1. It is better to buy in the store and not bathe.
  2. What is glass made from?

    Paradoxically, GLASS is a solidified liquid.
    The main component of glass, which is included in it in most(60-70% of the volume) and defining its typical properties is SILICA SiO2 (sand, quartz, fine-grained sandstone).
    Silica is introduced into the composition of glass, in the form, for example, of quartz sand.
    In glassmaking, only the PURE varieties of quartz sand are used, in which the total amount of impurities (clay, lime, mica impurities) does not exceed 2-3%.
    The presence of iron is especially undesirable, which is found in the sands even in small quantities, stains the glass in an unpleasant greenish color.

    Glass can be welded from sand alone without adding any other substances to it, but this requires a very high temperature (over 1700 degrees C).
    Conventional modern ovens lined with refractory clay bricks that use solid, liquid or gaseous fuel, are not suitable for this: you have to resort to electric furnaces, the operation of which is very expensive.
    Therefore, in order to lower the melting point of sand, various additives are used...

  3. It is made from sand at high temperature and pressure.
  4. To make glass, craftsmen take: quartz sand (the main component); lime; soda; How glass is made First, quartz sand, soda and lime are heated in a special furnace to a temperature of 1700 degrees above zero. The grains of sand are interconnected, after they are homogenized (turns into a homogeneous substance), the gas is removed. The mass is dipped into molten tin with a temperature above 1000 degrees, which floats on the surface due to its lower density. The thinner the mass entering the tin bath, the thinner the glass will be at the exit. Glass making The final touch is gradual cooling.

    Soda helps to reduce the melting point by 2 times. If it is not added, the sand will be very difficult to melt, and, accordingly, to connect the individual grains of sand to each other. Lime is needed so that the mass endures water.

  5. Quartz sand, lime and soda
  6. Well, actually from quartz sand
  7. Glass is obtained by melting a mixture of sand and other mineral components, which depends on the brand of glass. For example, crystal glass, from which decorative tableware is made, contains a significant amount of lead. When pure quartz sand is melted, quartz glass is obtained - it is very refractory and viscous in the melt, so that it does not even turn out to be transparent due to the air bubbles remaining in it. It has a meager coefficient of thermal expansion - if it is heated to red and put into water, it will not crack. It is used in the manufacture of laboratory glassware, glass heating elements for laboratories and industry, etc. To obtain optical quartz glass that transmits ultraviolet, rock crystal is melted - this, like quartz sand, is pure SiO2, but coarse-grained, which is rare in nature.

    To Vasilchenko's answer. Previously, uranium glass was made for the manufacture of decorative dishes - an amazing yellowish-green color, products from it can be seen in Moscow in the Kuskovo Museum. With the discovery of radioactivity, the production of such glass was stopped.
    To protect against radioactive radiation, lead glass screens are used - it contains even more lead than decorative crystal, and has a yellowish tint. Kinescopes for monitors are made from the same glass - to protect the PC user from the flow of electrons from the "electron gun" of the kinescope.

  8. Ordinary glass contains about 70% silicon dioxide in its composition, which is found in the same form in quartz, and in its polycrystalline form, sand. Glass composition

    Pure silica (SiO2) has a melting point of approximately 2000 degrees, and is mainly used to make glass for special devices. Usually, two more substances are added to the mixture to simplify the production process. Firstly, it is sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), or potassium carbonate, which lowers the melting point of the mixture to 1000 degrees. However, these components contribute to the dissolution of glass in water, which is highly undesirable. Therefore, another component of lime (calcium oxide, CaO) is added to the mixture to make the composition insoluble. This glass contains about 70% silica and is called soda-lime glass. The share of such glass in the total production is approximately 90%.

    Like lime and sodium carbonate, ordinary glass add other components to change it physical properties. The addition of lead to glass increases the refractive index of light, significantly increases the brilliance, and the addition of boron to the composition of the mixture changes the thermal and electrical properties of the glass. Thorium oxide imparted to glass high rate refraction and low dispersion, which is necessary in the production of high-quality lenses, but due to its radioactivity has been replaced by lanthanum oxide in modern products. Iron additives in glass are used to absorb infrared radiation (heat).

    Metals and their oxides are added to glass to change its color. For example, manganese is added in small amounts to give the glass a green tint, or at higher concentrations, the color of amethyst. Like manganese, selenium is used in small doses to discolor glass, or in high concentrations to impart a reddish color. Small concentrations of cobalt give the glass a bluish tint. Copper oxide gives turquoise light. Nickel, depending on the concentration, can give the glass a blue, purple or black color. Depending on the composition of the glass, its color can be influenced by heating or cooling. #9679; Chemical composition, % :
    SiO2 - 72.2
    Al2O3 - 1.7
    CaO+MgO 12.0
    Na2O+K2O 13.7
    SO3 - 0.3
    Fe2O3 - 0.1

  9. Made from quartz sand.
  10. From silicon, by electrolysis.

Glassware, windows in houses and much more - for us today these are familiar furnishings. However, many centuries ago, glass goblets were fabulously expensive, and they could only be found on the tables of the richest and noblest nobles.


What is glass made of, and how did people learn to make it?

History of the invention of glass

Glass has been known for at least two thousand years. The ancient Roman historian Pliny described the incident as a result of which it was invented. According to his version, once sailors carrying soda on their ship landed to spend the night on a shore covered with pure golden sand.

They lit a fire to cook dinner and keep warm. By chance, one sack of their cargo burst open and spilled the soda into the fire. At night it began to rain, washed away the ashes and firebrands, and the sailors saw a shining glass surface.

Glass making components

Whether glass was actually invented, or, as another version says, it was obtained in the course of experiments with firing clay pots - but people have mastered the secret of its preparation for a long time.

In order to make glass, three main components are required.

Quartz sand- it's clean river sand consisting of silicon oxide. The proportion of sand in the mixture for melting glass is about 75%. It melts at very high temperature: It needs to be heated to 1700 degrees Celsius. The transparency and quality of future glass products largely depend on the quality of the sand. Venetian glassblowers, who made the most famous in medieval Europe Murano glass, sand was specially brought from the province of Istria, and for Bohemian glass, the craftsmen ground it into fine sand pieces of quartz.

Soda (or potash) needed to melt the sand at a lower temperature. By adding soda to the sand in the right proportion, the heating temperature of the glass mixture is reduced by almost half.


During heating, soda decomposes to sodium or potassium oxide, which serves as a melting catalyst. In ancient times, it was obtained by leaching ash after burning algae or conifers tree. The proportion of soda in the mixture for glass is about 16-17%.

Lime, or calcium oxide, makes glass insoluble by most chemical substances, strong and shiny. For the first time, Bohemian glassblowers began to add it to glass in the seventeenth century, using limestone or chalk for this.

In addition, today sodium sulfate, talamite and nepheline syenite are added to the mass for making glass. To obtain multi-colored glass, oxides of various metals are used as additives: copper, iron, silver, etc.

Stages of sheet glass production

All the ingredients from which glass is made are loaded into a furnace and heated until a liquid homogeneous mass is formed.

The molten mass is loaded into a homogenizer and mixed until completely homogeneous.

The glass mass is poured into a long container containing molten tin. On its surface, the glass is poured in an even layer of the same thickness, gradually cooling down.

The frozen glass tape enters the conveyor, where the thickness control and cutting into standard pieces of glass is carried out. Cropped jagged edges and rejects that have not passed quality control are sent for remelting.

Finished sheet glass passes the final quality check and is sent to the warehouse finished products.

Similarly, glass is made for the production of dishes, measuring instruments, Christmas decorations and other products. The composition of the glass may vary depending on the properties it is intended to have.

In addition, to increase strength, it can be subjected to a hardening procedure, acquiring the ability to withstand strong blows along the surface.


Popular today duplex and triplex glass, glued special formulations two or three layers of thin glass. However, the basis of each of them is golden quartz sand, baking soda and ordinary lime.

Faced with glass products Every day, few of us think - what is glass made of? How is the production process going? Appearing in Ancient Egypt 5,000 years ago, glass was very cloudy and unattractive. The material with which we are now confronted was obtained much later.

glass composition.

Pure glass is used for glass quartz sand(about 75%), lime and soda. To obtain a product with specific properties, oxides and metals can be included in the composition.

  • Oxide boric acid . Lowers coefficient thermal expansion obtained products, and increases the gloss and transparency of finished products.
  • Lead. This component is added during the production of crystal. Crystal products are colder to the touch and have a characteristic luster and ringing for this material.
  • Manganese. Adding this heavy metal contributes to the production of green tint. In addition to manganese, with the help of nickel, chromium or colt, you can get products of other colors.

physical properties.

The most important characteristics of glass:

  • Density. This feature depends on chemical composition and ranges from 2200 to 6500 kg/m³. As the temperature rises, the density of the glass decreases and it becomes particularly brittle.
  • Strength. Depending on the type of glass, its strength varies from 50 to 210 kgf/mm². A slight damage to the surface of the material reduces this figure by 3-4 times.
  • fragility b. The fragility of glass and its inability to withstand impact limits its use in some areas of life. When adding to the composition of the material certain chemical elements, this characteristic increases.
  • Heat resistance. Heat resistance - the ability of a material to withstand huge temperature changes. Ordinary window glass can withstand temperatures up to 90°C. In industry, these figures are increasing at times.

Types of glass.

Many products made of glass, we see on the street and use in Everyday life. it glassware, light bulbs, glasses, windows. depending on the physical and chemical properties, glass is also used in the production of showcases, mirrors, lamps. What types of this homogeneous amorphous body exist and what is made of it?

  • Crystal glass. Contains lead oxide. High transparency and gloss give this glass an attractive and aesthetic appearance. They are mainly used for the manufacture of dishes and souvenirs.
  • quartz glass. The composition contains the purest quartz sand. Due to the fact that quartz glass products can withstand large temperature fluctuations, laboratory glassware, insulators, optical instruments, window.
  • Foam glass. It is a glass mass, which has numerous voids in its composition. Excellent thermal and soundproofing properties led to its widespread use in construction.
  • glass wool. It has the appearance of thin glass threads with high tear resistance. They are used both in construction and in the chemical industry. Glass wool is fire resistant. Therefore, it is used as part of the material for sewing clothes for welders and firefighters.

To this list, you can add glasses that have specific properties :

  • Fire resistant. Resists open flame and withstands high temperatures.
  • Heat resistant. Has a low coefficient of thermal expansion and withstands sudden temperature changes
  • bulletproof. Impact-resistant glass that can withstand powerful impacts.

How is glass made?

Glass production includes the following steps in its process:

  1. Training necessary materials . The prepared raw material needs special processing. Quartz sand is enriched, and iron impurities are removed from its composition. Limestone and dolomite are carefully crushed.
  2. Mixing material in certain ratios. The amount of this or that material and its percentage in the prepared admixture depends on the required physical and chemical properties of glass products.
  3. Cooking in glass furnaces. The cooking step takes place at a high temperature, the range of which ranges from 800°C to 1400°C. There is an active process of melting quartz sand, and the glass becomes viscous and transparent.

After obtaining a homogeneous glass mixture, the future products are formed, the product is abruptly cooled, followed by thermal and physical processing.

Application in industry

The use of transparent, wear-resistant and durable material, which has a smooth surface, is amazing. Despite the fact that glass is a very fragile material, it is widely used in various fields of industry and everyday life.

  • mechanical engineering- is part of the non-stick paints that are used to process vehicles.
  • paper industry- impregnation of the finished paper pulp.
  • Construction- added to acid-resistant materials and refractory concrete structures.
  • Chemical industry- production of detergents.

This functional material you can bend, cut, melt and get unique and beautiful products from it. That's why colored glass actively used for decorative works during construction public buildings and make all kinds of souvenirs.

Glass categories

According to its purpose, glass is divided into the following categories:

  • Household glass. This group consists of five subgroups - kitchen dishes, household utensils, lamp products, art products and household utensils.
  • building glass- sheet glass, shop windows, double-glazed windows, heat-insulating double-glazed windows, reinforced glass.
  • Industrial glass- laboratory instruments, protective products for industry, glass wool, optics.

In addition to protecting our homes from wind, rain and cold, glass gives a person a vast area for creativity. The process of creating it is as beautiful and mysterious as the material itself. The glass is transparent, hard, resistant to acids, has become indispensable material architecture and everyday life.

In this article, we examined in detail what glass is made of. This material took special, important place in a person's life, without him, many everyday things would be much more difficult.

Video: the process of making a substance

Instruction

First, technologists select the components from which glass will be made for specific needs. Quartz sand, sodium sulfate, soda ash, dolomite and some other additives are used as starting materials. All components are carefully measured, because from right choice proportions will depend on the quality of the glass mass.

Also added to the hopper with the original components broken glass. In the manufacture of glass mass, there is usually surplus and waste, which also goes into business. They are crushed and fed into a common container, where all materials are mixed to a relatively homogeneous state. The mixture is now ready for the next processing step.

From the bunker, the initial components enter the gas furnace. The temperature inside this device reaches 1500°C. Under the influence of such an amount of heat, the components of the future glass melt and turn into a transparent mass. The resulting composition is thoroughly mixed so that the substance becomes completely homogeneous. The whole process is constantly under the control of the furnace operator, assisted by automation.

At the next stage of processing, the glass mass enters special containers. They remind large bathtubs filled with liquid tin. Distributed over the surface of this metal, the future glass does not sink, but turns into thin sheet material with almost perfect flat surface. To give sheets desired thickness glass is passed through rolls of a certain size.

Gradually the glass ribbon cools down. After leaving the tin bath, the temperature of the material decreases to about 600°C. Now the tape is fed onto a long roller conveyor and reaches a special device where the glass is tested for sheet thickness. The control accuracy is very high and can reach hundredths of a millimeter. The detected marriage is returned to the stage of primary processing.

The long and continuous glass strip is subsequently cut into standard sheets using a wear-resistant tool. At the same time, uneven edges of the sheet are trimmed. The waste generated during cutting is crushed and fed into the bunker; these fragments are involved in a new cycle of glass production. In fact, all production becomes waste-free.

The final stage of the entire process is the final quality control of the glass. Fluorescent lamps come to the aid of inspectors, which make it possible to detect even imperceptible defects in fragile material. The sheets passed through the control area are sent to the warehouse, where they are stored in vertical position until delivery to the consumer.

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