GLASS is a hard, brittle substance, NON- crystalline amorphous solid which is often transparent and has

widespread practical, technological, and decorative usage in things like window panes, tableware, and
optoelectronics. The most familiar, and historically the oldest, types of glass are based on the chemical
compound silica, the primary constituent of sand

In prehistoric times, glass was made naturally as either obsidian, or fulgrite.

Glass is a fusion of sand (SiO2), soda (Na2CO3) and lime (CaO) that produces a transparent solid when
cooled

TYPES OF GLASS

1. Soda Lime Glass: It is mainly a mixture of sodium silicate and calcium silicate. It is fusible at low
temperature. In the fusion condition it can be blown or welded easily. It is colorless. It is used as
window panes and for the laboratory tubes and apparatus.
2. Potash Lime Glass: It is mainly a mixture of potassium silicate and calcium silicate. It is also
known as hard glass. It fuses at high temperature. It is used in the manufacture of glass articles
which have to with stand high temperatures.
3. Potash Lead Glass: It is mainly a mixture of potassium silicate and lead silicate. It possesses
bright lustre and great refractive power. It is used in the manufacture of artificial gems, electric
bulbs, lenses, prisms etc.
4. Common Glass: It is mainly a mixture of sodium silicate, calcium silicate and iron silicate. It is
brown, green or yellow in color. It is mainly used in the manufacture of medicine bottles.
5. Special Glasses: Properties of glasses can be suitably altered by changing basic ingredients
and adding few more ingredients. It has now emerged as versatile material to meet many
special requirements in engineering. The following is the list of some of the special glasses:

-Fibre glass
-Foam glass
-Structural glass
-Glass block
-Wired glass
-Ultraviolet ray glass
-Perforated glass
-Block glass
-Cellular glass
-Tinted glass
-Laminated glass
-Bullet resisting glass
-Reflective glass
-Insulating glass
-Tempered glass
 PROPERTIES
Transparency: This property allows visual connection with the outside world. Its transparency
can be permanently altered by adding admixtures to the initial batch mix. By the advent of
technology clear glass panels used in buildings can be made opaque. (Electro chromatic glazing)

U value: The U-value is the measure of how much heat is transferred through the window. The
lower the U-value the better the insulation properties of the glass– the better it is at keeping the
heat or cold out.

Strength: Glass is a brittle material but with the advent of science and technology, certain
laminates and admixtures can increase its modulus of rupture( ability to resist deformation
under load). 

Greenhouse effect:  The greenhouse effect refers to circumstances where the short wavelengths
of visible light from the sun pass through glass and are absorbed, but the longer infrared re-
radiation from the heated objects are unable to pass through the glass. This trapping leads to
more heating and a higher resultant temperature.

Workability: It is capable of being worked in many ways. It can be blown, drawn or pressed. It is possible
to obtain glass with diversified properties- clear, colorless, diffused and stained. Glass can also be
welded by fusion.

Recyclable: Glass is 100% recyclable; cutlets (Scraps of broken or waste glass gathered for re-
melting) are used as raw materials in glass manufacture, as aggregates in concrete construction etc.

Solar heat gain coefficient: It is the fraction of incident solar radiation that actually enters a building
through the entire window assembly as heat gain.

Visible transmittance: Visible transmittance is the fraction of visible light that comes through the glass. 

Energy efficiency and acoustic control: Energy-efficient glazing is the term used to describe the double
glazing or triple glazing use in modern windows in homes. Unlike the original single glazing or old double
glazing, energy-efficient glazing incorporates coated (low-emissivity) glass to prevent heat escaping
through the windows. The air barrier also enhances acoustic control.

USES

 Thermal insulation

 Solar control

 Safety and security

 Fire resistance
  Noise control

 Decorative: interior design

 Rails

 Partition

ADVANTAGE

 Use of glass in construction work adds beauty to the building.

 Its use fulfills the architectural view for external decoration.

 By using glass in interior, it saves the space inside the building.

  Glass cladding in building fulfill functional requirement of lighting, heat retention and energy
saving.

  Its use appear a sense of openness and harmonious.

 As toughened glass is available, one can have good interior design with the use of glass in
transparent staircase, colored shelves, ceiling etc.

 Glass is an excellent material for thermal insulation, water proofing and energy conservation.

 Glass is bad conductor of heat; it saves energy in air conditioning of building.

  For making glass partition on upper floors, no extra design is required for slab as glass is light in
weight.

DISADVANTAGES

 As glass is very costly material, it may increase the budgeted cost of construction work.

 Use of glass also enhances the cost of security.

 Its use in hilly area and desert may cause more maintenance cost.

 Glass is also unsafe for earthquake proven area

HOW GLASS IS MADE

Traditionally glass was made by blowing liquid glass derived by melting sand calcium oxide and sodium
carbonate to extremely high temperatures and the cooling the liquid to the desired shape. Since a few
thousand years the recipe to make glass has been the same. It’s just that its properties can be enhanced
by adding certain admixtures to the raw materials or by providing suitable coating to meet different
needs. 

Pilkington process:
Large quantities of raw materials (clear sand, calcium oxide and sodium carbonate)are brought to the
glass production plant. They are then weighed and mixed in the right proportion. Certain admixtures are
added to the batch to give the glass appropriate proprieties or color. 

The mixture is then heated in a gas fired furnace or electric smelter, pot furnace or kiln. Quartz sand
without additives becomes glass at a temperature of 2,300 degrees Celsius Adding sodium carbonate
(soda) reduces the temperature needed to make glass to 1,500 degrees Celsius.

A homogeneous mixture of molten glass is then formed.  This mixture is then floated on molten tin to
form glass of desired thickness. Glass items are manufactured by blowing, flat drawing, rolling and
pressing.

PRODUCTION OF GLASS

1. Float glass process – sheet glass

2. Glassblowing – bottles and containers

Materials needed
1. Sand, soda ash, limestone, Cullet (broken waste glass of related composition) which promotes
melting and homogenization of the batch

GLASSS PROCESSING STAGES

PREPARATION OF RAW MATERIALS

ADDITIVES

MELTING

SHAPING PROCESS

CASTING PROCESS

SPINNING

PRESSING
FLOAT PROCESS

PROPERTIOES OF GLASS

USEES OF GLASS

GLASS CLASSIFICATION

MANUFACTURER FORMS OF GLASS

ADVANTAGES

DISADVANTAGES

FUTURE IMPROVEMEENT TO GLASS