GlassGlass

By: Mario PopoliAugusto González

DefinitionDefinitionPropertiesProperties

AdvantagesAdvantagesDisadvantagesDisadvantages

HistoryHistoryUsesUses

Uses in architectureUses in architecture

So… So… you you thought thought glassglass was was boring boring right?right?

DefinitionDefinition

Glass is a hard, brittle substance made by fusing silicates with soda or potash, lime, and, sometimes, various metallic oxides into a molten mass that is cooled rapidly to prevent crystallization or annealed to eliminate stresses: various types of glass can be transparent, translucent, heat-resistant, flexible, shatterproof, photochromic, etc.

Glass generally refers to a hard, brittle, transparent amorphous solid, such as that used for windows, many bottles, eyewear, and so on.

OriginOrigin

Before man learned the secret of glassmaking, nature was the world's only glassmaker. Lightning striking sand melted it into long, thin tubes of glass, and volcanoes erupting melted rocks and sand into glass.

Today, three inexpensive ingredients, sand, soda ash, and lime, are melted together to make glass. This is done in large furnaces at high temperatures until the mixture become a syrupy mass. When this syrup cools, it is glass.

MethodsMethods

When glass is in a melted state, it can be shaped by many methods, but the most common are blowing, pressing, and drawing.

BlowingBlowing

Blowing is the oldest method of working with glass, dating back thousands of years. A ball of molten, or melted, glass is put on the end of a hollow iron pipe, and a worker blows gentle into the pipe (much like the way you blow soap bubbles) until the glass takes the shape and thinness the blower wants. During this process, the glass is constantly reheated to keep it soft and workable.

When the glass is shaped to the blower's satisfaction into a bottle or a vase, it is broken from the pipe. Although glass blowing by hand is still done today, it can also be done by machine.

PressingPressing

In the pressing method, a hot glob of glass is dropped into a mold, then pressed with a tool, so the glass fills the inside of the mold. Ashrays, baking dishes, and glass containers are made this way.

DrawingDrawing

The drawing method shapes glass flat, as for windows and mirrors, or into tubes, as for fluorescent lights, TV tubes, and laboratory equipment. To make flat glass, first the melted glass is drawn into a tank of melted tin. The tin's perfectly smooth surface forms a smooth layer of glass as the glass floats on top of the tin. To make glass tubing, a stream of molten glass is drawn around the inside of a cylinder. As the cylinder rotates, air is blown through it, forming a continuous tube out of the glass.

No matter which method is used, the glass must still go through a process called annealing. In annealing, the glass is reheated. Tempering is also used to strengthen glass. In tempering, the glass is reheated, then chilled by sudden blasts of cold air.

Banks, tanks, aircraft, and some government cars have glass so thick and with so many layers that it can stop a bullet even at close range!

Lamp Lamp workingworking

This process should not be confused with another method called lamp working, in which finished glass tubes are heated over a blowtorch, and as the glass worker bends, twists, and stretches the glass, he can create miniature animals, ships, and baskets.

PropertiesProperties

The properties of glass are varied by adding other substances, commonly in the form of oxides:

•lead, for brilliance and weight;• boron, for thermal and electrical resistance; •barium, to increase the refractive index, as in optical glass;• cerium, to absorb infrared rays;• metallic oxides, to impart color;• and manganese, for decolorizing.

AdvantagesAdvantages

Advantages

•Excellent abrasion resistance• Resistant to chemicals, solvents, oil, grease•No problem with UV degradation•Stable over a wide range of temperature•Easily cleaned•Long life product•Looks good•Transparency•Price

DisadvantagDisadvantageses

Disadvantages

•Delicate and heavy•Doesn’t work as a structural material•Not very robust•Shatters easily when stressed, •Solar heat penetrates it•Transparency•Price

HistoryHistory

HistoryHistory

5000BC5000BC Egypt - MerchantsEgypt - Merchants

1600BC1600BC Mesopotamia - Mesopotamia - GlassGlass Making Making

27BC27BC Syria – Glass BlowingSyria – Glass Blowing

100AD100AD Romans – Clear Glass (adding)Romans – Clear Glass (adding)

PompeiPompei

HistoryHistory

11th & 12th Centuries11th & 12th Centuries Germany – Glass sheetsGermany – Glass sheets

17th Century17th Century British - Reflects better (adding)British - Reflects better (adding)

French – Mirrors (Polishing)French – Mirrors (Polishing) 20th Century20th Century

Squeezing glass – Double glazingSqueezing glass – Double glazing

TypesTypes

TypesTypes Oridinary sheet glassOridinary sheet glass

No special equipmentNo special equipment CheaperCheaper

Float glass (plate)Float glass (plate) Molten glass is floated onto a bed of molten tinMolten glass is floated onto a bed of molten tin

Energy efficient glassEnergy efficient glass Sun to pass through in one direction.Sun to pass through in one direction. Covering is not very robust – double glazedCovering is not very robust – double glazed

Self cleaning glassSelf cleaning glass New treatmentNew treatment

Patterned (obscured glass)Patterned (obscured glass) Special Special designsdesigns

TypesTypes Toughened (Safety glass)Toughened (Safety glass)

Explode - Small PiecesExplode - Small Pieces Laminated glassLaminated glass

1 or two sheets1 or two sheets Flexible material inside (Break)Flexible material inside (Break) Any shapesAny shapes

MirrorsMirrors 6mm thick6mm thick SilveredSilvered UnframedUnframed

Picture frame glassPicture frame glass High transparencyHigh transparency Low reflective propertiesLow reflective properties

UsesUses

Glass is the transparent solid that we see around us on a regular basis. With time, glass has come to be used in various forms. This brittle object is used on a large scale and has gained certain importance. As light is visible due to the absence of transition states, the glass appears to be transparent. In the initial years, glass hardly had any use, today it used for bottles, bulbs, dining sets, mirrors and also to decorate your homes.

The spectacles that you wear are also made of glass. When you walk through a laboratory you will find all the containers made out of glass. This is because it helps a person to check certain levels of chemicals and so on. Your eyewear also has the glass shaped in rectangular or oval shape. Glass also makes a fantastic tabletop and you can use it as a center or coffee table. Glass can be manufactured in any shape and can be put in any possible use.

Glass can come in thin or thick sizes. Depending upon the use, one can choose the right shape and size. To add a stylish look to your home, you can use glass dining table. To make the most of your dining table, you can set your eyes on some well-crafted glass dining sets. Today even mirrors are popularly used for decorating homes. Mirrors are made of glass it self. Car and home windowpanes are also made out of glass. Today, walk into any corporate office and you would find the entire building made out of glass. For buildings, strong and durable glass is used. These offices normally use soundproof glass to ensure safety and a peaceful atmosphere at work.

Glass is used in combination with wood to create furniture. Most tabletops and cabinets have this combination. The glass is resistant to high and low temperatures, which gives it a longer life. Glass can be used to come up with artistic work as well. You can mould it into tiny animals or abstracts and decorate your home. The chandeliers that enhance the look of your home are also made of glass.

Always look out for a well-known manufacturer to purchase quality and durable glass. Cheap glass will not last long, making it difficult to replace the windowpanes ever so often. To make unique use of glass, you can opt for customized ones that look simply astonishing. Again you need to get in touch with a good dealer who can offer you the best. When purchasing glass, make sure you go for those that are easy to maintain and taken care of.

Uses in Uses in ArchitectureArchitecture

Uses in ArchitectureUses in Architecture

External DecorationExternal Decoration Saves energy (bad conductor of Saves energy (bad conductor of

heat)heat) LightingLighting Sense of opennessSense of openness ViewsViews BeautyBeauty