Silicate glass: production and use

Glass - one of the popular, popular materials for different spheres of life. It is used in construction and finishing works, it is used to make works of applied and high art, they are used in the space industry. This is one of the available, simple in composition materials. The most common form, with which we most often encounter and use products from it, is silicate glass.

What it is?

The most ancient glassware is beads found during excavations in Egypt, scientists believe that the find is more than five thousand years old. Since then, the composition of the glass has changed little. The main element of the material is quartz sand (Si0 ₂ ) - silicate. Add to it soda, potash, limestone and several other elements.

In the industry, to obtain a glass mass, the oxides of the basic substances are mixed and melted in an oven. The melting point depends on the additives that change the properties of the glass. The resulting mass is formed in several ways: making a sheet glass, giving a different shape (dishes, chandelier lights, glass for hours, etc.), making blanks for subsequent piece-making glass blowers and much more.

In the development of glass making, a significant contribution was made by MV Lomonosov, NI Kitaygorodsky, was interested in the practical side of the problem of DI Mendeleyev, et al. It is easy to define the material "silicate glass". What it is? A material having an amorphous-crystalline structure structure obtained by a melt of mixed oxides, followed by cooling.

Production of glass

The main element for the production of glass is quartz sand, to which not less than five ingredients are added in proportions. To the main recipe, depending on the further use of the material obtained, additives are made: oxidants, silencers, bleaches, dyes, accelerators and so on. Oxides of metals are used as colorants. For example, copper stains the mass of the glass in red, the iron gives a blue or yellow shade, the cobalt oxides will give a blue color, and the colloidal silver is yellow.

The prepared dry mixture is loaded into a glass melting furnace, where the raw material melts at a temperature of 1200-1600 ° C, the process takes from 12 to 96 hours. The production of glass is completed by the process of rapid cooling, only under this condition glassmass will get all the required qualities: transparency, mechanical stability and additional properties laid in the process of mixing oxides.

Types of silicate glass

The release of the material relates to energy-consuming processes, and the silicate industry is engaged in them . The production of glass in the industry takes place in tunnel type furnaces with continuous support of the set temperature. A dry mix is loaded from one end of the furnace, the finished material is unloaded at the outlet.

Due to the wide application in various industries, silicate glass can be divided into the following types:

• Quartz without admixtures of oxides of sodium, potassium is a non-alkali glass. It has a high resistance to heat and excellent electrical properties. Of the shortcomings - it is difficult to process.
• Sodium, potassium, sodium-potassium - alkaline glass. The most common type of material, suitable for general use. It is made of glass for the aquarium, window, dishes and so on.
• Alkaline with a high content of heavy metal oxides. For example, a lead additive is necessary for the production of crystal, optical glass.

Multipurpose use

Silicate glass has a number of properties that allow it to be used in a wide range. Each of its qualities can be strengthened, in connection with which additional opportunities are opened. For example, glass, covered with amalgam, serves as a mirror, and can also be used as a solar battery under certain conditions.

The hygienic and practical properties of glassware are undeniable. The material does not have porosity, which means that the pathogenic bacteria do not multiply, it is easy to clean, resistant to the effects of any food products. Heat-resistant glassware from it is multitasking: it is possible to bake at high temperature in an oven or put in a freezer without any damage.

Layer and thickness

The material has a different thickness, which determines its capabilities. Sheet, 2 mm thick, suitable for windows. Glass for the aquarium is used at least 5 mm, depending on the volume of water poured into the tank. However, aquarists are increasingly coming to the idea that using an acrylic analogue is much more convenient, especially if you need a capacity of 500 liters or more.

The use of laminated material (triplex) expands the possibilities: the canvas, which is glued together with a polymer film, is practically indestructible, it is safe, since it does not crumble. Hammer two silicate glass 10 mm thick with a film interlayer is almost impossible. Transparent bridges, facade cladding, swimming pool fencing, etc., are made from the triplex.

Properties

The use of silicate-based materials finds its place in construction. They are used not only for the manufacture of windows, but also as an additional protection and binder. So, the blocks of the foundation are treated with liquid glass , which makes them resistant to moisture, fungus, temperature fluctuations, etc.

The bent translucent or matte material is used in everyday life, furniture doors, shower cabins, facades of buildings and so on are made of it.

Silicate glass properties has the following:

• Transparency.
• Light reflection.
• Ecological compatibility.
• Heat resistance.
• Resistance to aggressive chemical environment.
• Resistance to a natural aggressive environment.
• Durability.
• Low thermal conductivity.

Additional qualities, such as resistance to stress and mechanical damage, give the material a hardening method. The essence of the process is the rapid heating and the same rapid cooling in a short period of time. Strength rises 4-5 times. It is made of glass for watches, door leafs, furniture, interior partitions.

Manufacture of products

Glass silicate glassware and household products are produced in several basic ways:

• Pressing. The viscous mass is poured into the stationary mold, after which certain parameters are set using the movable part of the mold (punch). The mold on the inner surface can have a pattern which, during the stamping process, is transferred to the outer part of the article.
• Blowing. It differs by mechanical and manual. The thickness of the product walls varies from 1 mm to 10 mm. This way vases, bottles, wine glasses, glasses are made. Manual blowing is an art. Masters-glass blowers create unique works with the help of a combination of transparent and colored mass, include metal, natural raw materials, gold and so on into the body of work. There are no identical products of manual blasting.
• Casting. It is mainly used for making figurines, figurines. In the industry, optical glass is manufactured by casting.
• Multistage joint. The parts produced by two technologies are used: blowing and pressing. For example, the capacity of the glass is blown out, and the leg is pressed, the finished parts are connected.

Decorative processing

Silicate glass is a fertile material for many types of decoration. There are hot and cold decoration.

To the hot are:

• Staining in bulk with metal oxides.
• Mixing the mass of different colors with further shaping (Venetian glass with divorce).
• Cracking. The mass is molded into the product, abruptly cooled, resulting in the appearance of surface cracks, to consolidate the product is melted.
• Fusing.
• Forming hot cords, strings, and then adding to the product.
• Forming an additional edge shape in the blasting process. Achieved using tools.

Cold forms of decor:

• Mechanical: grinding, engraving, diamond face, sandblast.
• Chemical: etching with hydrofluoric acid.
• Overhead: painting, drawing a decal, silk screen printing, metallization, plasma spraying, painting with luster paints.

Other types of glass

Modern technologies have allowed to give silicate glass additional qualities. Of these, the most interesting and popular are:

Smart glass: a kind of material that changes its properties under the influence of external conditions. For example, under the influence of an electric current the product becomes dull, when the circuit is disconnected it returns to the transparent state.

Fiberglass (fiberglass): produced by drawing a material into thin threads (measured in microns). They create a fairly flexible material. Used for the production of optical fibers, insulating materials, etc.

Clarified glass: ordinary silicate glass has a greenish or grayish tinge, clearly visible if viewed from a slice. As a result, the canvas is slightly colored. To avoid this effect, in the manufacturing process add clarifiers that neutralize the unwanted color. It differs from ordinary material by increased light transmission capacity, color transfer without color change.