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Conceptual Understanding: The rapid pace of technological discoveries is very evident in the manufacture and use of glass in electronic devices. Different properties have been presented in glass for aesthetic or safety considerations for many years but the future of glass seems to be interactivity alongside electronic systems. The structure of glass is not well understood, but as more is learned, its use is becoming increasingly prominent in building materials and structural applications.
Characteristics of glass: Glass is a hard, brittle and typically transparent, made by rapidly cooling a fusion of sand, soda and lime.
amorphous substance (a solid that is not crystalline) made primarily of silica fused at high temperatures with borates or phosphates.
transparency- Ability to allow light to be transmitted with minimal scattering allowing a clear view through material.
chemically inert- Lack of reactivity with other materials.
non-toxic- Absence of toxic breakdown products/lack of reactivity. No taste
brittle- Breaks into numerous sharp shards.
biocompatibility- The product ensures the continued health of a biological environment.
hardness- Scratch resistance.
aesthetic appeal- Favourable in terms of appearance.
electrical insulator- Reduces transmission of electric charge.
cheap- Abundance of material and high volume production in comparison to production cost.
Soda Glass: Most manufactured glass is a soda-lime composition used to make bottles, tableware, lamp bulbs, and window and plate glass.
is a cheaper glass
Is brittle
has very poor ‘thermal shock’ resistance, which means it can crack or shatter due to rapid temperature change, as the different parts of the glass expand at different rates.
Pyrex Glass: The composition of Pyrex has been altered to improve its thermal shock resistance properties, therefore expands and contracts less than soda glass.
Pyrex glass is used for the design of measuring jugs, thermometers, lab equipment e.g. test tubes, microwave doors, oven doors.
is non porous and can assist in reducing cross contamination issues in food production
Withstand high temperatures
Laminate Glass: Laminated glass consists of two thin sheets of glass that have a sheet of plastic glued between them.
When the glass is put under pressure and the glass fractures the plastic bonded sheet retains the fragments. The plastic layer stops the propagation of cracks and instead breaks into large pieces avoiding injury/harm.
Tempered/ Toughened Glass: has been heat treated – with the outside of the glass being held in compression while the inside is in tension. This is achieved by heating the glass to almost melting point then chilling the outside of the glass with air jets while the centre remains hot and plastic.
Toughened glass shatters into very small granular pieces not sharp shards when broken.
It is much harder and has higher impact resistance than other glass.
Recovery and disposal of glass:
Glass can be recycled endlessly as has been for many years. In the EU 71% of glass bottles and jars are recycled greatly reducing the need for virgin materials.
-Faulty and broken glass products are broken up (cullet) and reused by mixing with virgin materials to make a batch. This can save energy and also materials (virgin).
-No degradation of glass quality in the process so it can be repeated several times. There is very little wastage during manufacture.
-Glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled endlessly without loss of purity or quality
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