When was glass invented? The archeologist have found the evidenced of glass from around 3500 BC with the Mesopotamian and Eygptian civilization and the traces of first glass vessels made are from the same civilizations but till 1500 BC. The next 300 years were thriving for the industry of glass which later declined. It was 700 BC for the Mesopotamian civilization and 500 BC for the Egyptians that they received the industry. Thus the coming 500 years were the centres for glass manufacturing alongside eastern coast of Mediterranean Sea, Syria and Egypt.
How was glass manufactured?
Earlier glass was made out of other objects or the leftover beads which were formed as a results from other metal work. The process of glass melting and pouring to form different shapes was slow and unreliable. However with the introduction of the technique ‘glass blowing’ there was a revolution in glass making since Monday w the process was quite cheap. The technique soon spread to larger parts of the world. Be it household items, jewelery it the archeological work the art of glass was fashioned everywhere.
How is glass manufactured in modern times?
The basic element of glass is sand consisting of line, soda or silica. The raw material very cheap to attain in the first place. The sand is heated at very high temperatures and the cooled down. The motlen glass is poured into different containers to give it the desired shape. The process is very simple and to add to the quality many enhancements can be done like adding colour, imaginable opacity, making it more durable and much more. However for the production of window glasses the precision of temperature is required because that comes to practise when it is installed.
Techniques for glass production in modern day
Glass container
In this technique simply the raw material is heated to a temperature. The molten sand is actually glass. So this is poured into the container for the purpose of giving proper shape to it. The glass gets its finishing after it is cooled down.
Float glass process
This process is used for making windows since they require more durability and quality so the glass is put over the surface of already molten metal like lead or tin.
Manual glass blowing
This technique generates either the custom.glass container or serve the artistic purpose. They can get the heat treatment, decoration or engraving to add to their beauty.
Uses of glass in modern day
The uses of glass cannot be denied in today’s era. Be it industry, architect, household or personal use glass creates aesthetics everywhere.
Soda glasses
Soda glasses are made up of Silica, Calcium Carbonate and Sodium Carbonate. The uses of this type are domestic like in tube lights, laboratory equipment and bottles.
Flint glass
The composition of this glass is Potassium Carbonate. The uses are found in telescope, camera lenses and light bulbs.
Crooks glass
It is made out of Silica and Cerium Oxide. You can find them in lenses of goggles.
Potash glass
Silica, Calcium Carbonate and Potassium Carbonate are found in the composition. It is used in the containers which are heated at high temperature, laboratory equipment and glass containers.
Pyrex glass
It is composed of Sodium Silicate and Barium Silicate and used in pharmaceutical container and laboratory equipment.
Crown glass
It has Silica, Barium Oxide and Potassium Oxide from which the eye glasses lenses are made.
Lead crystal glass
It is composed of Silica, Lead Oxide and Potassium Carbonate. The composition is used in making expensive vessels and glass containers.
How is the glass coloured?
While the preparation of glass they are molten and the constituents of which are altered and necessary metallic oxides are added to it to make coloured composition. Different substances produce different colours. Like for producing brown colour in the glass ferric oxide is fused. As for the blue, red and green can be obtained from Cobalt oxide, magnese oxide and chromic oxide. These colours have to be taken in careful amount to obtain subtle colour.