Heat-resistant glass: features manufacturing and application

Glass is one of the oldest and most versatile materials. Glassware surrounds us everywhere, but usually we do not think too much about its characteristics. They can vary greatly depending on the purpose of using the future product. One of the most common types is heat-resistant glass. Let's find out how it differs from the usual and where it is applied.

Heat-resistant glass

Glass is an inorganic substance. It is characterized by the properties of a solid, in the molten state it is a super-viscous liquid. Its fragility, strength, density and heat capacity vary greatly and depend on impurities.

Recently, materials have been developed that have atypical properties for glass, for example, fire resistance. The main parameter, distinguishing from other glasses, heat-resistant glass is the temperature at which it retains its properties. It can withstand heating even at 1000 degrees Celsius, while its "colleagues" are already cracking at 80 degrees.

The composition and thickness of the material affect the fire resistance. If the glass is thick and contains a large proportion of alkaline oxides, then it will be strong. The most resistant heat-resistant glass is quartz glass. It withstands large temperature changes and has a high boiling point (2230 degrees).

Production of heat-resistant glass

As a rule, glass is a mixture of several components. Quartz sand, lime and soda are used for the standard material. They are heated to very high temperatures (from 1700 degrees), which causes them to melt and mix with each other. After that, the mixture is poured into molten tin (they do not mix because of the density difference), and then gradually cool.

To add the necessary properties to these components, add other substances. To make heat-resistant glass, use different oxides. Thus, borosilicate material contains boron oxide, in silica - silicon oxide.

Additional strength it will have if you use several layers. To do this, it is allowed to cool completely. Finished sheets are polished, cleaned and cut to the required size. Then several sheets of glass are glued together with a special polymer. The final touch is the burning of a glass "sandwich" at 660-680 degrees.

Application

Heat resistant glass is popular in the kitchen. From it, they produce oven ovens and utensils. A common product from this material is also a fireplace. Quartz glass is used in the production of optical fibers, Fresnel lenses, crucibles, insulators, etc. Borosilicate are used for optical glasses, glassware, telescopes-reflectors.

Glassware made from refractory glass has many advantages. It can withstand even an open fire, is durable. The material is quite inert and does not oxidize when heated, so it does not change the taste of the dish. It does not undergo corrosion and scale formation.

Of course, even heat-resistant glass has drawbacks. It reacts poorly to a sudden increase or decrease in temperature. Dishes of such material should not be put on a large fire immediately after the freezer. In addition, the refractory glass is not shockproof, and it should not be dropped.