TYPES OF GLASS

 9 types of glass
(According to ;
 Minor additions and variations in
ingredients
 Method of manufacturing)
 BRIEF DETAILS OF 9 DIFFERENT TYPES OF GLASSES

 Glass is a mixture having no definite boiling of

freezing points. It is also called a super cooled
liquid. Chemically, most glasses are silicates. It
is transparent and not affected by chemicals. It
can be moulded into any shape. The ingredients
for making glass are:-
 1. Limestone (CaCO3),
 2. Soda ash (Na2CO3), and
 3. Sand (SiO2)
MANUFACTURE OF GLASS
 The manufacture of glass involves the following steps:
 1. Limestone, sand and soda ash are mixed and poured into a tank
furnace. Tank furnace looks like a small swimming pool. It is very
hot (about 17000C). It is shallow at one end and deep at the other.
 2. The raw material moves slowly towards the deeper end. Silica
melts at a very high temperature. In order to lower its melting
point, soda ash is added. Thus, energy is saved and a low cost is
incurred in the glass-making process.
 3. Due to the presence of limestone, glass becomes insoluble in
water.
 4. As the raw material melts, a clear jelly-like substance is formed;
this takes about a week’s time.
 5. During this time bubbles of CO2 gas escape and some of the raw
material slowly changes into a mixture of silicates.
 6. The following reactions take place inside the furnace.
 7. The clear jelly-like substance on cooling sets to form glass. This
is known as soda-lime glass.
TYPES OF GLASS

 There are nine types of glass according to the

minor additions and variations in the ingredients
used and according to the methods of
manufacturing. The different types of glasses are
different in their properties and uses.
 1. Soda glass or soda-lime
glass:

It is the most common variety of

glass. It is prepared by heating sodium carbonate
and silica. It is used for making windowpanes,
tableware, bottles and bulbs.
 2. Coloured glass:
 Small amounts of metallic oxides are mixed with
the hot molten mixture of sand, sodium
carbonate and limestone. The desired colour
determines the choice of the metallic oxide to
be added, as different metallic oxides give
different colours to the glass.
 Coloured glass is much in demand. It is used for
decorating walls, making sunglasses, and for
making light signals for automobiles, trains and
aeroplanes.
 3. Plate glass:
 Plate glass is thicker than ordinary glass. It has a
very smooth surface. It is made by floating a
layer of molten glass over a layer of molten tin.
It is used in shop windows and doors
 4. Safety glass:
 It can also be called shatterproof glass. It is
made by placing a sheet of plastic such as
celluloid between sheets of glass. The
special quality of this glass is that in case of
breakage the broken pieces stick to the
plastic and do not fly off. You must have
noticed a broken window-pane of a bus or a
car still in its place. It is used in
automobiles. It is also used for making
bulletproof screens.
 5. Laminated glass:
 It can also be called bulletproof glass.
Several layers of safety glass are bound
together with a transparent adhesive. The
larger the number of layers used the greater
is the strength of the glass. It is stronger
than safety glass. It is used in aeroplanes and
windshields of cars.
 6. Optical glass:
 Optical glass is softer than any other glass. It
is clear and transparent. Potassium and lead
silicates are used in making optical glass. It
is also called flint glass. The main use of flint
glass is in the manufacture of lenses, prisms
and other optical instruments.
 7. Pyrex glass:
 Pyrex glass is highly heat resistant. In
ordinary glass, silica is the main constituent.
In pyrex glass some of the silica is replaced
by boron oxide. Boron oxide expands very
little when heated, thus, pyrex glass does
not crack on strong heating. Pyrex glass is
also called borosilicate glass. It has a high
melting point and is resistant to many
chemicals. Laboratory equipment and
ovenware are made of pyrex glass.
 8. Photo-chromatic glass:
 Photochromatic glass acquires a darker shade
when exposed to bright light and returns to its
original lighter shade in dim light. This happens
because silver iodinde is added to this glass.
(silver iodide gets coloured with the intensity of
light.)
 9. Lead crystal glass:
 Lead crystal glass has high refractive index, and so has the
maximum brilliance. It sparkles and is used for high quality
art objects and for expensive glassware. It is also called
cut glass because the surface of the glass objects is often
cut into decorative patterns to reflect light. In order to
increase the refractive index, lead oxide is used as flux in
crystal glass, therefore it is also called lead crystal glass.
 The major disadvantage of ordinary glass is that it is
brittle. It cracks when subjected to sudden changes of
temperature. When the glass has been moulded into a
finished article, it is cooled very slowly to prevent
brittleness. The process in which a finished glass article is
cooled slowly is called annealing.
 Most common form of glass.
Also called Soda ash glass.

SODA LIME GLASS

SODA ASH GLASS
SODA ASH GLASS
Use in table wares
USE IN BOTTLES & WINDOWS
 Also called Stained glass.

COLORED GLASS
COLORED GLASS
USE FOR DECORATING WALLS
USE IN SIGNALS
PLATE GLASS
USE IN WINDOWS & DOORS
USE IN TRANSPARENT WALLS &
WINDSHIELDS
 Also called Bullet proof glass.

LAMINATED GLASS
LAMINATED GLASS
LAMINATED GLASS
Wind screen in cars
 Also called Flint glass.

OPTICAL GLASS
OPTICAL GLASS
USE IN LENSES & PRISMS
Also called Borosilicate glass.

PYREX GLASS
PYREX GLASS
USE IN LABORATORY
EQUIPMENTS & OVEN WARES
PHOTOCHROMATIC
GLASS
PHOTO-
CHROMATIC GLASS
 It is also called cut glass
(surface is often cut into decorative patterns, to deflect light)
Or
Lead crystal glass.

CRYSTAL GLASS
CRYSTAL GLASS
USE IN ART OBJECTS
& GLASS WARES
Brittle.
(It cracks, when subjected
to sudden changes of
temperature) is the

MAJOR DISADVANTAGE
OF ORDINARY GLASS
ANNEALING
 It is the process in which the finished glass
article is cooled slowly.

 This is done, to prevent the brittleness.