GLASS

ENGR MUHAMMAD IMRAN HANIF

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
MED CECOS
GLASS

Course contents
• Definition
• Preparation
• Composition
• Variety
• Uses
 DEFINITION

Glass is an amorphous, hard, brittle, transparent or

translucent super cooled liquid of infinite viscosity, having
no definite melting point and obtained by fusing a mixture
of a number of metallic silicates or borates of Sodium,
Potassium, Calcium, and Lead.

It possess no definite formula or crystalline structure.

• “An inorganic product of fusion which has cooled to a
rigid condition without crystallizing”
• Does not have a specific melting point
• Softens over a temperature range
 PROPERTIES OF GLASS
Glass is:

• Amorphous (lacking a crystalline structure)

• Brittle
• Transparent / Translucent
• Good electrical insulator
• Unaffected by air, water, acid or chemical reagents except HF
• No definite crystal structure means glass has high Compressive strength
• Can absorb, transmit and reflect light
RAW MATERIALS USED IN MANUFACTURING
GLASS

Raw Materials
• Sodium as Na2Co3 (used in soft glass).
• Potassium as K2Co3 (used in Hard Glass).
• Calcium as lime stone, chalk and lime.
• Lead as litharge, red lead (flint glass).
• Silica arc quartz, white sand and ignited flint.
• Zinc as zinc oxide (Heat and shock proof glass).
• Borates as borax, Boric acid (Heat and shock proof glass).
• Cullets or pieces of broken glass to increase fusibility.
 GLASS COMPONENTS
• Formers – Network Formation
SiO2, B2O3, P2O5, GeO2,V2O5, As2O3, Sb2O5
• Fluxes – Softeners
Na2O, K2O, LiO, Al2O3, B2O3, Cs2O
• Stabilizers – Provide Chemical Resistance
CaO, MgO, Al2O3, PbO, SrO, BaO, ZnO, ZrO
 MANUFACTURING STEPS

 Melting

 Forming and Shaping

 Annealing

 Finishing
MELTING PROCESS

Raw materials in proper proportions are mixed with cullets. It is finely

powdered and intimate mixture called batch is fused in furnace at high
temperature of 1800°C this charge melts and fuses into a viscous fluid.

CaCO3 + SiO2  CaSiO3 + CO2 

Na2CO3 + SiO2  Na2SiO3 + CO2

After removal of CO2 decolorize like MnO2 are added to remove traces of
ferrous compounds and Carbon. Heating is continued till clear molten mass is
free from bubbles is obtained and it is then cooled to about 800°C.
 FORMING, SHAPING, AND
ANNEALING
• Forming and Shaping

The viscous mass obtained from melting is poured into moulds to get
different types of articles of desired shape by either blowing or pressing
between the rollers.

• Annealing

Glass articles are then allowed to cool gradually at room temperature by

passing through different chambers with descending temperatures. This
reduces the internal Strain in the glass.
FINISHING

Finishing is the last step in glass manufacturing. It involves following

steps.

 Cleaning

 Grinding

 Polishing

 Cutting

 Sand Blasting
VARIETIES OF GLASS

Soda lime or soft Potash lime or Lead glass or flint Borosilicate or

glass hard glass glass Pyrex glass

Alumino- Silicate 96% Silica glass 99.5% Silica glass Safety glass
glass

Optical or Poly-crystalline Toughened glass Colored glass

Crook’s glass glass

Wired Glass Glass Wool Fiber glass Photosensitive

glass

Photo-chromic Neutral glass Laminated glass Insulating glass

glass
 SODA LIME OR SOFT GLASS

• About 90% of all glass is soda-lime glass made with silica (sand), Calcium
carbonate and soda ash.
• The approximate composition is Na2CO3.CaO.6SiO2.
• They are low cost, resistant to water but not to acids.
• They can melt easily and hence can be hot worked.

• Uses:
Window glass, Electric bulbs, Plate glass, Bottles, Jars, cheaper table
wares, test tubes, reagent bottles etc
 POTASH LIME OR HARD GLASS

• Potash lime glass is made with silica (sand), Calcium carbonate and
potassium carbonate.
• The approximate composition is K2CO3.CaO.6SiO2.
• They posses high melting point, fuse with difficulty and are less acted
upon by acids, alkaline and other solvents than ordinary glass.

• Uses:
These glasses are costlier than soda lime glass and are used for chemical
apparatus, combustion tubes and glassware which are used for heating
operations.
LEAD GLASS OR FLINT GLASS

• It is made up of lead oxide fluxed with silica and K2CO3 is

used instead of sodium oxide.
• Its approximate composition is K2Co3.PbO.SiO2.
• To get dense optical glasses about 80% lead oxide is used.
Lead glasses has a lower softening temperature than soda glass
and higher refractive index and good electrical properties. It is
bright lustrous and possess high specific gravity.

• Uses:
High quality table wares, optical lenses, neon sign tubing,
cathode ray tubes, electrical insulators, crystal art objects or cut
glass, Windows and Shields for protection against X-rays and
Gamma rays in medical and atomic energy fields etc.
BOROSILICATE / PYREX / JENA
GLASS
• It is common hard glass containing silica and boron
with small amount of alumina and less alkaline
solids.
• It contains SiO2(80.5%), B2O3(13%), Al2O3(03%),
K2O(3%) and Na2O(0.5%). These glass have low
thermal coefficient of expansion, and high chemical
resistance i.e..shock proof.

• Uses:
Industrially used for pipeline of corrosive liquids,
gauge glasses, superior laboratory apparatus, kitchen
wares, chemical plants, television tubes, electrical
insulators etc.
ALUMINO-SILICATE GLASS
• The typical approximate composition of
this type of glass is SiO2(55%),
Al2O3(23%), MgO(09%), B2O3(07%),
CaO(05%) and Na2O, K2O(01%).
• This type of glass possess exceptionally
high softening temperature.

• Uses:
It is used for high pressure mercury
discharge tubes, chemical combustion
tubes and certain domestic equipments.
 96% SILICA GLASS

• It contains 96% Silica, 03% B2O3 and traces of other

materials.
• It is translucent, the coefficient of thermal expansion
is very low hence it has high resistance to thermal
shock, have high chemical resistance to corrosive
agents and are corroded only by Hydrofluoric acid,
hot phosphoric acids and concentrated alkaline
solutions.

• Uses:
Used only where high temperature resistance is
required (800°C). They are used in construction of
chemical plants, laboratory crucibles, induction
furnace lining and electrical insulators.
99.5% SILICA GLASS / VITREOSIL

• It contains pure silica heated to its melting

point. It is translucent, the coefficient of
thermal expansion is very low hence it has
high resistance to thermal shock, have high
chemical resistance to corrosive agents.
• If Vitreosil glass is heated above its melting
point, it becomes transparent and is known as
clear silica glass.

• Uses:
They are used in construction of chemical
plants, laboratory crucibles, induction furnace
lining, electrical insulators and heaters and
have high light transmission properties.
 SAFETY GLASS
• It is made by fusing two to three flat sheets of
glass and in between them alternate thin layer
of vinyl plastic is introduced. It is heated
where both the layers merge together and
glass is toughened.

• Uses:
It is used as wind shield in automobiles and
airplanes. On breaking it pieces does not fly
apart because of the presence of the plastic
layer in between the glass layers.
OPTICAL OR CROOK’S GLASS

• It contains Phosphorus, PbCO3, silicates and Cerium oxide which

has the property to absorb harmful ultra-violet light. This glass is
given through homogeneity by heating it for a prolonged period
of time. These glasses have low melting point and are relatively
soft.

• Uses:
They are used for making optical lenses.
POLY-CRYSTALLINE GLASS

• It is new type of glass which is produced by adding

nucleating agents to a conventional glass batch and then
shaped into desired form. It is then subjected to heating
where nucleating agents forms large number of micro
crystallites.It exhibits high strength and considerable
hardness.

• Uses:
For making specialized articles.
 TOUGHENED GLASS

• It is made by dipping articles still hot in an oil

bath, so that chilling takes place. This results
in outer layer of articles shrink and acquire a
state of compression while inner layer are in
state of tension. Such glass is more elastic to
mechanical and thermal shock. It breaks into
a fine powder.

• Uses:
For making window shields of fast moving
vehicles, windows of furnace and automatic
opening doors.
 COLOURED GLASS
Addition of transition metal compounds to glass gives color to the glass. They
are outlined below.
Yellow: Ferric Salts Green: Ferrous and Chromium Purple: Magnese dioxide salt
salts

Red: Nickel and cuprous salts Lemon Yellow: Cadmium Fluorescent greenish yellow:
Cu2O sulphide Uranium oxide

Blue: Cobalt Salts, CuO Greenish Blue Color: Brown: Iron

Copper Sulphate

Opaque milky white: Cryolite Ruby : Auric Chloride

of Calcium phosphate
 WIRED GLASS

• Wired glass does not fall apart into splinters when it breaks and is fire resistant.
It is made by fusing wire in between the two glass layers.
Uses:
For making fire resistant doors, roofs, skylights and windows
FIBRE GLASS
• It is transformed into a fine thread of filament and has got a
high tensile strength.

Uses:
Found extensive use for the manufacture of fabric,
reinforcing plastics and production of thermal insulation
materials etc
 PHOTOSENSITIVE GLASS

• These are glasses by which a colored picture

may be developed by exposing the glass to
black and white film roll in ultra violet light.
The appropriate proportions of potash-
alumina glass, mixed with LiSO3, cerium and
Silver salts have also been used as
photosensitive glass.

• Uses:
Photographic development
 GLASS WOOL

• Glass wool consists of tiny fibers

formed by action of steam jets on
dripping molten glass down from very
fine hole.

• Uses:
Heat Insulation, for filtration of
Corrosive chemicals, sound insulation etc
 PHOTO-CHROMIC GLASS

• The three dimensional silicate network

contains large no. of microscopic particles of
silver halide which on exposure to light
produce color.

• Uses:
In making tinted car glasses and goggles.
 NEUTRAL GLASS
• These glasses are highly resistant to chemical attacks and they are specialized soda lime glass where alkali has been
replaced by alumina, boron oxide and zinc oxide.

• Uses:
Making Syringes, and injections vials etc.
 LAMINATED GLASS

• The sheets of glass fiber or glass wool are soaked in a solution of thermosetting plastic
like phenol formaldehyde resin and placed one above the other and then cured under
heat or pressure. It is strong as steel. Non flammable and insulating. In bullet resistant
glass vinyl resins are added in alternate layers.

• Uses:
Shatter, shock and Bullet proof Glass
 INSULATING GLASS
• Two or more plates of glass are filled with dehydrated air and
the edges are sealed air-tightly.

• Uses:
Provides thermal insulating and so houses remain cool in
summer and warm in winter.
FRACTURE / FAILURE OF GLASS
• Glass does not have crystal lattice structure hence it breaks.
Fracture is caused by small imperfections, flaws and
irregularity on the surface of the glass. Flaws are very fine
cracks cause concentration of stress and the crack proceeds
quickly causing a fracture.
 THANKS